Broody girl dilemma

[Laurafromnewzealand]

My big buff Sussex has been sitting on 3 dummy eggs for 2 weeks and I have a couple of possibilities for her.

In my incubator is 15 eggs due in one week and 6 eggs due in 2 weeks.
I only have one incubator so in a couple of days I need to figure out what to do.

Option 1
Give the 15 eggs to the hen to hatch

Option 2
When the 15 go into lockdown, give her the 6 to incubate
2a - leave her with those 6 until they hatch (I worry as that's 4 weeks of her sitting)

I obviously can't keep the 6 in the incubator while the 15 hatch so...

Which would you choose?
2b - give her some of the day old chicks and put her 6 eggs back into the incubator


ANY chicks I decided not to give her are sold as day olds so she will probably end up with 4-6 chicks

 

[McChooky]

You have a big choice to make wow! Do you have a brooder set up and ready for the 15 chicks yet?I'd be concerned she couldn't keep all 15 eggs warm and some would die before they hatch.Waiting until they hatch is a better idea.Then you can slip them under her .

 

[McChooky]

Do you have other chickens and a rooster? The more she raises the easier it will be on you and the chicks

 

[Laurafromnewzealand]

You have a big choice to make wow! Do you have a brooder set up and ready for the 15 chicks yet?I'd be concerned she couldn't keep all 15 eggs warm and some would die before they hatch.Waiting until they hatch is a better idea.Then you can slip them under her .

I'm not keeping all the 15, most of them are sold as day olds. She could keep a few or wait until the 6 and keep those. It's very flexible

 

[Laurafromnewzealand]

Do you have other chickens and a rooster? The more she raises the easier it will be on you and the chicks

I have 15 other hens but no roosters.

 

[McChooky]

I'm not keeping all the 15, most of them are sold as day olds. She could keep a few or wait until the 6 and keep those. It's very flexible

I would give her the 6 eggs when 15 go into lockdown(you're selling those anyway) Let her hatch and keep the 6

 

[Chookwagn]

I would give her the second 6 eggs. Most hens will happily sit for 4 weeks. But keep an eye on her just to make sure she doesn't decide to hop off and stay off

 

[McChooky]

I have 15 other hens but no roosters.

You can introduce her to the other hens after the 6 hatch and they'll be accepted by the girls after a couple days.You can add a milk crate turned upside down to let the chicks run under and hide to help momma out.Then you won't have to integrate them later.She'll raise them with the other hens

 

[Chookwagn]

My big buff Sussex has been sitting on 3 dummy eggs for 2 weeks and I have a couple of possibilities for her.

In my incubator is 15 eggs due in one week and 6 eggs due in 2 weeks.
I only have one incubator so in a couple of days I need to figure out what to do.

Option 1
Give the 15 eggs to the hen to hatch

Option 2
When the 15 go into lockdown, give her the 6 to incubate
2a - leave her with those 6 until they hatch (I worry as that's 4 weeks of her sitting)

I obviously can't keep the 6 in the incubator while the 15 hatch so...

Which would you choose?
2b - give her some of the day old chicks and put her 6 eggs back into the incubator


ANY chicks I decided not to give her are sold as day olds so she will probably end up with 4-6 chicks

Also welcome to BYC good to see someone else from this side of the world

 

[Laurafromnewzealand]

You can introduce her to the other hens after the 6 hatch and they'll be accepted by the girls after a couple days.You can add a milk crate turned upside down to let the chicks run under and hide to help momma out.Then you won't have to integrate them later.She'll raise them with the other hens

Yup I'm not concerned about integration as I've had hens and chicks in the flock a few times