chicks hatching, have a big question

callisto

Chirping
Feb 18, 2014
14
5
77
Prissy went broody sitting on 4 eggs and 1 fake egg. I marked all 4 with a sharpie. I removed any "extra" eggs as they were laid. But after not being near the nest for a few days when she got off, I later noticed she had another egg in there. She has been sitting on it for 10 -14 days. Her chicks started hatching last night. At some point she will walk away from that fifth egg.

I have another hen that went broody 3 days ago. Can I put that egg under her? If so, will this chick being born earlier than her eggs make her leave the ones she is sitting on? This 2nd chicken is only 7 months old so I don't know how long she will actually sit on those eggs and I don't want to mess up her timing. She is extremely aggressive, to the point of pecking quite hard and making such a racket just being near her. She also stood guard over Prissy's eggs one time before she started sitting. Prissy just made small noises to show she was upset. This one puffed up and had wings flapping and screeched, all standing in front of Prissy's box.

I don't know how many eggs she has under her. She went in the wrong box on day 2 and I was able to move her three eggs to her new place. She accidentally pecked an egg while going for my hand, but she pushed each egg under.her.

I am not sure I would be able to get that chick away from her once it hatched without her going crazy and breaking her own eggs. I am not even sure it's fertile. But if it is, I just hate to let it die.
I do not have an incubator. We don't have access to one and don't plan on buying one.

Any help would be appreciated. This is my first hatching. We feel lucky three have hatched so far.
Thank you so much,

Diane
 
You could try it. It would be like leapfrog! The egg moving from one nest to the next.
If the mom leaves the nest without it and the other pullet is still broody then I'd try it.
 
Looks like she got rid of that egg. It was probably one of the ones I found on the floor. Thanks for the advice.
Diane
 
What you could have done was put the egg under the broody hen and when it hatched give it back to Prissy. Or raised it by hand for a while before sending it back to the flock. This way it wouldn't make the second broody girl leave her eggs early.

Also, I handle my broody hens every day so they lose that aggressiveness. I pet them, reach my hand under them, or pick them up to count the eggs. Not all of that on the same day, but at least one of those. They still growl at me but they don't peck or freak out anymore.

Have fun!
 

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