Cochin Broody... 3 weeks now... should i give her eggs?

[Organie-Cochins]

I am fairly new to having chickens hatching eggs, we have 7 cochin chickens (3 roosters, 4 hens).

One hen is sitting on 13 eggs, but she started brooding after having 2 eggs, the rest came after (i just found out that it must be other hens laying in her box) so now we are going to box her in to stop the hens from laying more eggs in her box and to protect her future babies.

But my other concern is my other cochin hen that i just recently discovered she is brooding (i had no idea what a broody was until i joined byc), but she seems like she lost alot of weight in recent weeks about half the size of my other cochin hens.

I was thinking due to her size and the time spent already brooding should i try to break her out of brooding (it has been going on now for 3 weeks or more) and she has no eggs and is laying none. OR Should i take some of the other cochin eggs and give them to the brooding hen with no eggs to hatch?

Seeing that the eggs range from days to 2 weeks apart i was told that i should take away the hatched chicks and try to reput them with mom when she is done with the last chick hatching.

So my big question is, should i break the cochin hen out of brooding or give her some of the other cochins 13 eggs that she is laying on?

Thank you very much for all your helpful answers, i am really glad to have found this place!

Have a great day!
Natacha

 

[Mrs. K]

The broody hen that has been sitting on nothing for three weeks. I would give her live chicks in the night. They are suppose to brood about 3 weeks. I slipped some under mine in the dark and by morning, she was as happy as a 'hen with a new chick'

The hen that is sitting on eggs. I am pretty sure that she will stay with the clutch for about 24 hours give or take, and what hatches, she will keep and then leave the nest, and make a new nest away from those slow eggs somewhere else, with her live chicks. The slow eggs get cold and die. So I would not take the live chicks from her, I would take the slow eggs from her and incubate them, if you really want them to hatch. Otherwise just wait (which is what I think that you really should do imho) see what hatches, and throw out what doesn't.

mk

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Mrs. K :

The broody hen that has been sitting on nothing for three weeks. I would give her live chicks in the night. They are suppose to brood about 3 weeks. I slipped some under mine in the dark and by morning, she was as happy as a 'hen with a new chick'

The hen that is sitting on eggs. I am pretty sure that she will stay with the clutch for about 24 hours give or take, and what hatches, she will keep and then leave the nest, and make a new nest away from those slow eggs somewhere else, with her live chicks. The slow eggs get cold and die. So I would not take the live chicks from her, I would take the slow eggs from her and incubate them, if you really want them to hatch. Otherwise just wait (which is what I think that you really should do imho) see what hatches, and throw out what doesn't.

mk

Agreed. Try giving her some chicks to adopt. If you give her eggs, she will need to sit another 3 weeks and that's just too long. She'll lose too much weight and get in bad condition.​

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I would candle your eggs, those that look dark and closest to hatching, I would put under your long set broody. She can hatch them and start raising, while your other has the later hatching eggs.

In the time being, make sure she (the broodies) have food and water within reach IN the nest box. Close to hatch, put some marbles or rocks in the water – so the chicks do not drown.


Yeah for chicks and broodies!

 

[Organie-Cochins]

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge with me.

I'm off to look for an incubator

I'll be sure to post pics when they arrive!
Natacha