Buying hatching eggs if using a broody hen?

[Godiva]

HOw do you do this? We don't have an incubator and probably won't be getting one in the near future. HOwever I would love to get some good quality hatching eggs to put under a broody hen. HOw on earth do I go about this? Anyone else do this? Do you just try to count on someone going broody in the spring? I have a bantam cochin hen who already hatched one lot this fall (but I can only fit about 7 full size eggs under her, a silkie who is only 11 weeks old right now, a BO hen who will be a year old in spring, and two speckled sussex hens who are the same age. Would anyone be up for doing a last minute order of a few eggs?! So that I can order as soon as a hen goes broody? What do you think? Or should I just wait until I can get an incubator

 

[jkcove08]

You will know when your hen is going broody, she will stay on the nest and get all fluffy and growly at you when you come to pick up eggs. Depending on what type of hens you have will determine on your chances of broodiness. I had americanas that wouldnt go broody for anything but this summer I have several mutt hens that wouldnt quite. I would suggest making sure you use a few cheeper eggs the first time or 2 with your broodies since first time setters sometimed dont do the best of jobs. I have had broodies hatch out a bunch of nice babies. I also used them to hatch out a bunch of guinea babies for me. I end up taking the babies after the hatches though. My cats will snatch babies when the momas have them out eating and the babies wander a little to far away. It is just easier to do it that way. Most of the time if I know a hen is going broody I will add a couple extra eggs under her just to give her a better reason to stay broody and then take them out when I get the shipped egg and have let them sit for a day. I have also incubated the eggs in a bator until a hen went broody and then candled them and put the eggs that were growing under the broody. The main thing is order eggs right after your hen is acting broody for 3 or 4 days to make sure she is going to stay broody. Jenn

 

[Chellester]

I have done this with great success. The last two batches of shipped eggs I bought went under my silkie hens that have gone broody with great hatch rates.

To be honest, I think this is the best way to go with shipped eggs, because with everything they go through in the mail, I think they are less able to stand up to the extremes of artificial incubation as well as "local" eggs.

 

[lurky]

I want to hatch som cuckoo marans eggs this spring. So i already found a guy who i will buy the eggs from. When i get to February.......the first hen to go broody.....I will contact the guy and he will send my the eggs. So if there is a certain breed you want, just be ready and have a plan to get the eggs under her as soon as you are sure she is broody. I think alot of people separate them after they all hatch to a safe area for a week or two.........but i dont know how important it is. Anyone have any input on that for us? I plan on doing it unless i hear otherwise. Good Luck.

 

[fallenweeble]

WARNING!!! DUMB NEWBIE QUESTION AHEAD!!!!!
why order eggs to hatch as opposed to allowing one's hens to hatch the ones they lay themselves?
(okay, roll your eyes and then start typing people!)

f. weeble

 

[jkcove08]

Hey Fallen,
not a dumb question. Most people want to get different breeds and it is sometimes easier to get a dozen eggs then it is to find a hatchery or breeder to get chicks from. Some chickens are great for broodiness and other breeds are not, so if you want the breeds that are not very broody but dont want the work of an bator you need s good broody. In my experience silkies are the best broodies and I also have some banty mutts that are always broody. But then I also have americanas that I love the colored eggs but they wont sit for a million mealy worms..lol I had one americana hen go broody for about a week and then she had had enough. It is all what you want, it is also cheaper to get eggs then chicks on average unless you are within driving distance of a hatchery so you dont have to pay shipping or have the minimums that they need for shipping. Also you just have times where a hen will not break a broodiness and you want something new. Also if you want ducks, turkeys, guineas, or who knows what else put it under a broody and she will try to hatch it. I think a goose eggs is about the only thing I wouldnt put under a broody since it is SOOOO large. If you did you could only put 1 and she might loose interest. Also depending on your area it is great to let the hen keep the chicks. I personally dont have a place that they can be totally safe and find it easier to pull the chicks after the mother hatches them out. Also the hen will usually go back to laying a couple weeks later unlike if you leave chicks with her she will not start laying until they are ready to be on thier own. It is truely what works best for you. Jenn

 

[Flufnstuffs~FluffySilkies]

I have had several people email me with the same intention as you. They wanted to buy a small number of eggs for a broody when the time came, I was more than happy to say yes because I have such a large flock of silkies having the eggs was not a issue.
Find someone that has chickens that you like and ask them if this is possible to do on short notice. you will want to order the eggs as soon as a hen goes broody so she does not sit much longer than the 21 days.

GOOD LUCK Melanie

 

[tink]

I have a question...Can you make a hen go brody? Like maybe locking her in a cage with a bunch of eggs? I know stupid question.....I thought I'd try it!
Thanks, Tink

 

[flakey chick]

fallenweeble, I have no intention of keeping a roo in the "henhouse". Letting them sit on their own eggs would just get pretty stinky.

 

[jkcove08]

Hey Tink. There is no way to make a hen go broody. Also there is no way to make her stay where she doesnt want to be. I know from experience. I have 4 rabbit hutches that I use for my broodies. I wait for them to go broody somewhere else and leave them on the nest for about a week. Then I will move them to the protective areas. I add water and food and there is enough room for them to move around a poo away from the nest area. Well, some hens just will have nothing to do with it!!!! They will tear up the nest area and kick the eggs everywhere. I know which hens will stay in them a which ones wont. You will just have to wait for mother nature to kick in or start in a bator and put them under a broody when they feel like sitting. Jenn