broody hen and new babi chick questions...

[dredre66]

I have a few questions as a new broody hen owner, my hen had a clutch of 18 eggs, I candled all of them and they all seemed to have chicks in them so far 10 have hatch and I have 8 eggs not hatched and it seem the hen has removed from the nest to care for the chicks, leaving the eggs.

My first question is will she go bck to the eggs and finish hatching them?

Also we were afraid she wouldn't sit on them so we removed them and began incubating them under a heat lamp, will they hatch that way and if they do can we return them into her new flock for her to raise or will she reject them since that weren't hatched by her?

Thanks

 

[Mama2B&D&...Chickens]

Do you know what day she started sitting and what day the other eggs are at? In the future, and this is just MY personal preference but I only let even my seasoned broodies set on 10-12 eggs...I know they might be able to do more but sometimes those outer ones won't get as much heat as the rest and I really think it impacts things! Again, just my take

I bought an incubator my last broody hatch because we had some issues with two mommas fighting, one was injured and stop sitting so I had to pop some in the bator...you might try a back up plan like making a homemade one or buying one if this happens and your unsure again but hopefully she'll sit on them at night maybe or they are "done" and she knows it...most mommas "know"

 

[JanO]

If she's hatched 10 out of 18, and left he nest to care for them than I'd say she's done. Most of them won't go back to the nest. At least that's been my experience. Since she would have stayed on the nest for at least a couple of days during and after the original 10 hatched before she left, my guess is that the remaining eggs are dead and she knows it. I'd dispose of them an call it good. 10 out of 18 is a good hatch.

I also have to agree with Mama. I don't let my hens sit on more then 12 or so at a time, if I find them. My hens tend to hide their clutches. Any more than that is just too many in my opinion and the outer ones don't seem to do well.

 

[mstricer]

Put them in the incubator, I did and got the rest to hatch.

 

[dredre66]

thanks for all the replies, looks like we have 15 chicks and 3 bad eggs now and mama hen is showing them how to scratch in the run already. mama hen is pretty decent sized but after reading some post im afraid she may be overwhelmed and unable to care for them all.

can I place a heat lamp in the nesting area to help warm the chicks that don't completely fit under her?

and how soon can I start adopting them out, we plan to keep five but im not sure how soon the rest should go to new homes?