Broody hen and extra large batch of eggs

[Faraz1]

So i have a silkie currently broody sitting on a few eggs. In parallel however i have a batch in an incubator which are all due to hatch at the same time.

My question is, how many chicks will the silkie accept and how many will get 'rejected' ?

What would be the best way to manage such a situation ? Keep the whole batch together with the silkie and a brooder in a single place ? That way all the 'rejected' chicks can automatically go under the brooder ?

Total chicks due to hatch are around 34 out of which 21 are a meat/broiler (cobb500) and around 13 are 'normal' assorted beeds

 

[Faraz1]

Any thoughts?

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Hello!! Even though the hen can only hatch so many eggs (typically a dozen the size of her own) she will take care of as many as three times that amount of chicks. You can put them all under her at night after they hatch, just keep an eye on her to make sure that she doesn’t reject or pick on any

 

[Prince and Pavo]

If you have too many to let the hen take care of, or even if you feel like this would just be better, I would suggest raising the meat birds yourself since they’ll grow at a much faster rate than the rest.

 

[Faraz1]

I am thinking to place all the chicks under the broody along with a brooder nearby and let her figure out which ones she can handle and which ones take shelter under the brooder.

But your idea also makes sense if the meat birds are going to grow extra fast they might get too big too quick and imbalance the flock that the silkie selects.

 

[Ms Biddy]

Give the hen as many chicks as she can comfortably cover. Why stress the hen and chicks by forcing her to take so many that some end up cold and fighting for space? Allowing some of the chicks to be rejected or chilled makes them more susceptible to illness and pasting up from stress.