Broody Mom has too many eggs?

[sopalenik]

This is my first time hatching chicks and its also a first for my mama hen. So I have a broody hen (she is about a year old and has gone broody a couple of times but we broke her because we weren't ready for chicks yet but this time around we are!) who we moved to a broody box about four days ago. She was sitting on a clutch of six fake eggs that we had on hand. Yesterday we swapped the six fake eggs for a dozen fertilized eggs however she is not sitting on them at all or she takes one or two moves them and sits on those. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Incubating is our last resort. We really want our mama to hatch them herself. Its more natural and less stress for us. If we do end up needing to use an incubator is possible for us to only incubate half the eggs (Letting mom keep six to hatch herself) and introduce them to mama and the other chicks as they hatch?

 

[chickens really]

This is my first time hatching chicks and its also a first for my mama hen. So I have a broody hen (she is about a year old and has gone broody a couple of times but we broke her because we weren't ready for chicks yet but this time around we are!) who we moved to a broody box about four days ago. She was sitting on a clutch of six fake eggs that we had on hand. Yesterday we swapped the six fake eggs for a dozen fertilized eggs however she is not sitting on them at all or she takes one or two moves them and sits on those. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Incubating is our last resort. We really want our mama to hatch them herself. Its more natural and less stress for us. If we do end up needing to use an incubator is possible for us to only incubate half the eggs (Letting mom keep six to hatch herself) and introduce them to mama and the other chicks as they hatch?

Yes..They should all hatch the same time or you can toss out a few and give her 8..

 

[sopalenik]

Yes..They should all hatch the same time or you can toss out a few and give her 8..

Is it likely that mama will accept the other chicks even if she is not the one who hatched them?

or should I give her the eggs out of the incubator close to the expected hatch day so she will feel like they are hers?

 

[chickens really]

Is it likely that mama will accept the other chicks even if she is not the one who hatched them?

or should I give her the eggs out of the incubator close to the expected hatch day so she will feel like they are hers?

Depends on the Hen. My Silkie Hen raised one clutch of Silkies and when hers were 6 weeks I gave her my SS Chicks from the hatchery and she is raising those.

 

[sopalenik]

Can you move eggs from the incubator under the hen close to the expected hatch date?

 

[chickens really]

Can you move eggs from the incubator under the hen close to the expected hatch date?

Yes...I'm actually doing it today.

 

[chickens really]

What breed is the Momma? Because that also plays a role in how many growing Chicks she can keep warm too.

 

[sopalenik]

What breed is the Momma? Because that also plays a role in how many growing Chicks she can keep warm too.

I believe she is a Blue/grey Andalusian

 

[chickens really]

I believe she is a Blue/grey Andalusian

Strange she can't cover 12 eggs but alright. Does she have enough bedding to dish her nest?

 

[sopalenik]

Strange she can't cover 12 eggs but alright. Does she have enough bedding to dish her nest?

Originally we thought this was the problem so we gave her even more bedding. But she just keeps moving two or three eggs to sit on and leaving the rest.