BATOR vs. Broody on shipped eggs. Candling thru Hatch Pics!

[ADozenGirlz]

So, a second hen went broody on my yesterday. Lucy is a 12 month old Easter Egger and she tried to sit IN the nest with the 3 hatching eggs and Freida, my broody Silkie.
I took Lucy out of Freida's nest and she spent the rest of the day huddled face-to-face with Freida just outside the nest. It was pathetic. Today I went into the coop first thing this morning and Lucy was still trying to "help" hatch Freida's eggs, so I made an executive decision to take one of the three eggs from Freida and put it under Lucy. Frieda didn't seem to mind and Lucy seems much happier to be sitting in her own nest on her own egg (egg #6 to be precise).

Lucy:

 

[suebee]

This is ONLY my opinion, but I would only have 1 hen hatch the 6(?)eggs. Reason is, if you don't have separate places for EACH hen and babies, they might fight over the chicks and possibly kill or injure chicks in the process. The other hens will get over it and get on with their lives.
Right now I've got 6 eggs under 2 broodys but at day 19 I'll give them all to one. I always want 2 broody's just for a "back up", in case one decides to leave the nest.

ON the other hen, uh,,,, I mean hand, I've known people who don't even pay attention to the hens/eggs and they all come out together with chicks.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
Hmmm. I've never had a broody hatch eggs before, so there's lots to think about.
I figured if I could get Lucy (the EE) to hatch an egg, she'd get back to laying eggs sooner, rather than trying to break her, which doesn't sound easy.

There are only 3 eggs in the coop with the two broodies (two under the Silkie and one under the EE now). My plan is to remove the chicks after they hatch and put them in the brooder with the 7 bator eggs that were set at the same time.

I have several hens who sit on the eggs while the broodies take their daily break, so there are plenty of surrogate mommies to help out, which is nice. Interesting that they give up the nest when mama returns.

Why do you remove the hens to a separate place and when do you do it, right after they hatch?

Lots to think about...

 

[suebee]

You said you're taking them away from the broodys when they hatch, so just disregard my post! When are they due?

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
They're due July 24th. Thanks for any thoughts you have on the issue, I appreciate all of them!

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Day 4, Bator eggs (Silver Spangled Hamburgs):

Day 6, Bator eggs:

BROODY Update:
My Silkie, Freida, has been a diligent mama, doing her thing and leaving the eggs only once per day. Bless her feathered heart, we have been having temperatures in the high 80s and 90s for the past two weeks.
Unfortunately, somebody broke one of the remaining 3 eggs under her and it had to be discarded. I took the #6 egg away from my EE, Lucy, b/c she gets off the nest a lot and I wanted Freida to sit on two eggs, not just one. My EE doesn't seem to be serious about her work, so she was fired. She and my white Plymouth Rock will sit on the nest eggs when Freida takes her daily break.
Today when I candled the remaining two eggs, I saw that #5 was a quitter <sigh>. I'm not sure when to remove it as this will leave my Silkie with only one egg.
Suggestions? Should I take one out of the bator and give it to her?

 

[ADozenGirlz]

I still have questions about what happens after the chicks hatch. Given that Freida would have NO part in sitting anywhere but in a nest box in the regular coop, how will it work when the chicks hatch? Will they be in danger from the other hens? I always feed my chicks medicated starter. How can you do that if they are in the general population (to coin a prison term!)? I don't want my layers eating medicated starter and don't want my chicks to eat layer rations.

For those of you who vaccinate for Marek's disease. All of my birds have been vaccinated for Marek's and I intend to vaccinate the broody egg(s) when they hatch. Usually they say it's pointless to vaccinate chicks who may have been exposed to Marek's. Is it possible that the chicks will be exposed to Marek's by virtue of being hatched in the regular coop where other carrier birds may have flown over the run?

I don't usually let my birds go into the big coop until they are as big as the other birds, might these chicks run into trouble if I leave them with mama in the coop/run after they are hatched?

Should I take one egg (or more?) out of the bator and put it under my broody since there is only one viable egg left under her (with 7 days remaining)?


So much to think/worry about!

 

[harleyjo]

My plan is to remove the chicks after they hatch and put them in the brooder with the 7 bator eggs that were set at the same time.

I have seen more people try to take bator chicks and put them under hens who have just hatched out chicks. Mom takes care of them and the chickies love it. JMHO and I have never hatched a chick.​

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
I have seen more people try to take bator chicks and put them under hens who have just hatched out chicks. Mom takes care of them and the chickies love it. JMHO and I have never hatched a chick.

Interesting. I hadn't even considered that. Hmmm, something else to think about!

 

[JustOneMore]

Freida is a beautiful hen. Those lucky chicks are going to love their soft, downy surrogate mama!