Anybody done this: Incubate under a hen and then pull the eggs?

[BirdBrain]

It seems to me that it would be a whole lot easier to give her a couple of eggs so she can be a mom and wouldn't it get her over that broody thing faster?

 

[jimnjay]

Nifty, I had a little hen who had some real problems with her first hatch. I found one at day 19 pecked open and dead and the next day I found one still in the shell but it had been pecked too. I took the remaining eggs inside and quickly rigged up a hatcher. I put them in my crock pot while I worked to set up the hatcher then it got to hot so I put them in my bra while I worked. The spent about 1 hour there and both pipped. By then I had the hatcher going and the completed their hatch in about 4 hours in the emergency hatcher. It was quit a nerve wracking day.

 

[Chellester]

I don't see any problem with pulling the eggs out from under a hen on day 18 (the day you're supposed to stop turning if they were in the incubator the whole time) and putting them in an incubator to hatch.

Another thing you may want to consider is splitting the fertile eggs between the broody and the incubator, for a couple of reasons:

1. Your chances are better that some will hatch. If your broody isn't good at her job or if the incubator setting are off, it's better to have both bases covered.

2. If you leave your broody raise a couple of chicks, she will be happier, may not go broody as often, and there's really nothing better than watching a mamma hen with her chicks. You can keep a couple of chicks inside too to bond with your family.

 

[jkcove08]

I would try to make sure you have 4 or 5 in the hatcher and the rest under the broody. I have found in the past that the more peeping from several eggs gets the whole bunch hatching better then if you only have a couple eggs in there to start. Its kinda like if I dont here anyone out there maybe I dont want to come out.. JMO Jenn

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I agree with half and half...if you pull all the eggs from under her she will set til the moon gets blue...I had a broody that sat for months on air and I mean months...finally gave her some eggs and they hatched she hasn't gone broody since...

 

[hinkjc]

You could also just let her hatch them and take the chicks when the hatch is complete. Mine always break right away when I do that..they seem to just give up.

Jody

 

[tiki244]

why not give her one egg to hatch and bring the rest inside?

I have also had touble with the chicks that were raised by mom being wilder than the ones I brought in the house right away(after they were hatched). It is sad taking them away though, because mom is talking to them even when they are in their shells. The chicks I bought from someone else that used an incubator were the tamest for me. However I have only been in the chicken business a little over a year.

 

[Arklady]

I tried to let the mommas take care of the babies but the only ones that did good were the banties. They would actually take care of them and show them what to eat.

Being broody doesn't mean they want to set it means they want to raise some young. My broody banty set on 7 eggs and hatched out 3 she raised them all herself, and they are still in there with her. She won't stop being broody till they are self sufficient or about 2 months old. Probably about the time they no longer want to sleep in her feathers lol.

A broody will set till she has young. Then she is still broody because she is raising them. Thats the whole thing about it. If all the young die and she understands finally she will have none, then she quits being broody. Til the next year.

Arklady

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Well, my buff is going broody again. I'm going to try to get some eggs to put under her.

I may take out 10 for us to watch hatch and leave 2 for her to hatch.

Of course, the whole "straight run" and not finding out their sex for a few months doesn't sound like a lot of fun.

 

[tbckaren]

I have nine eggs sitting under a broody hen and am still debating what to do with the chicks when they hatch, leave them with their artificial Mom or take them from her. Perhaps we will split them up and let her raise a few and raise a few ourselves. I really want them to be human friendly. The image of my Buff Orpington hen raising silkie chicks does sound amusing!!!