Broody question

[natvinyl]

Hi. Ok, so I have a broody hen who has hatched 2 chicks and now left her remaining 6 eggs. All are candled and developing but have 2 days left until they are due to hatch. I have a hen who went broody 2 days ago on 1 egg. Can I put the 6 19 day incubated eggs under her, will she rear them or neglect them? Not sure what's best to do. I have an incubator but have eggs on the go in there so can't put them in as the humidity is all wrong for the final few days. Any help would be gratefully received!

 

[GitaBooks]

She should raise them! Some hens aren't as god at adopting, but others are great. I tried it, but I couldn't tell the results because my eggs turned out to be dead.

Best of luck!

 

[KayTee]

A hen that only went broody 2 days ago is unlikely to accept chicks hatching in the next couple of days - it is just too early. I had a timing problem with broodies and chicks, and tried to put some under a hen that had only been brooding for 7 or 8 days. She didn't attack them, but in the morning the chicks were all huddled together in a corner of the nest, and the hen was brooding wood shavings at the far end of the pen - she totally rejected them!

How long have the other chicks been hatched, and is your broody still sitting on the eggs? If she is, then leave her be. Hens are programmed to wait a couple of days before abandoning the nest, just in case of early / delayed hatching. As long as she is keeping them warm, leave her be - if she hears scratching and cheeping she will wait around for the eggs to hatch.

Good luck!

 

[natvinyl]

A hen that only went broody 2 days ago is unlikely to accept chicks hatching in the next couple of days - it is just too early. I had a timing problem with broodies and chicks, and tried to put some under a hen that had only been brooding for 7 or 8 days.  She didn't attack them, but in the morning the chicks were all huddled together in a corner of the nest, and the hen was brooding wood shavings at the far end of the pen - she totally rejected them!

How long have the other chicks been hatched, and is your broody still sitting on the eggs?  If she is, then leave her be.  Hens are programmed to wait a couple of days before abandoning the nest, just in case of early / delayed hatching.  As long as she is keeping them warm, leave her be - if she hears scratching and cheeping she will wait around for the eggs to hatch.

Good luck!

 

[natvinyl]

One chick is a week old, the other 3 days. Her other eggs are due any day and there is movement in them but she hasn't sat on them at all for about 24 hours now. Should I see if the new broody hathes them and then move them back to the other mother? Or if they hatch maybe get them under a heat lamp and do it myself? I'm not a total novice to chicken keeping/ breeding but never had this situation before. Thanks for your help

 

[junebuggena]

Hen usually won't accept any new chicks to raise after about 72 hours of the first chick hatching. You can try and let the current broody hatch the eggs, but be ready to remove the chicks to a brooder if she won't care for them after hatch.

 

[KayTee]

If he original broody has left the nest then put them under the new broody, then take the chicks out as soon as they hatch and give them to the original hen (unless by some miracle of nature the new broody decides to accept them). However, as junebuggena says, be ready to take them off the orignal broody if she doesn't accept them, and rear them yourself.

Best of luck - let us know how it goes.

 

[natvinyl]

Ok so one chick hatched today, do I leave her or move her to the original mother hen with her 2 existing chicks which are now a week old? She is a bantam and being very maternal with her existing 2. The one who is currently broody doesn't seem to be acknowledging the new chick although she isn't attacking it.

 

[GitaBooks]

Ok so one chick hatched today, do I leave her or move her to the original mother hen with her 2 existing chicks which are now a week old? She is a bantam and being very maternal with her existing 2. The one who is currently broody doesn't seem to be acknowledging the new chick although she isn't attacking it.

The other hen will probably not except it. After a couple days they will generally attack any chicks that are introduced.