Considering giving a broody some fertile eggs...

[karmical]

Hey out there

I never thought I'd be saying this, but my SF has surprised me at 7 months and seems to want to be a momma!! So I'm thinking about getting in some fertile eggs for her to try to hatch!

I've seen lots on here about incubating, but not so much about "natural chick birth"...especially this time of year. I've been trying to break her of the broodiness for almost a week now, but she's determined. She sits and sits...doesn't matter if the nest is empty or not.

If I let her give it a shot, can I let her sit for a while down in the coop with the rest of the bunch? (I only have 7 chickens total.) At what point would I want to separate her? Is 3 eggs enough for her to sit on? After reading through some of the incubating posts it all sounds very complicated, so I'm not sure if I should just keep trying to break her up instead...I live in upstate NY, so there's some cold weeks ahead.

Guess I'm just looking for opinions and any advice...anything wrong with just getting in a few eggs and seeing if nature will do its thing? She's just such a sweetie and who knows if / when another broody chance will come around...I think she'd be a great momma

 

[karmical]

Well...in the meanwhile...I got a good google search return! If anybody else is looking for this kind of info, check out this page I found...when you get to the end there are a few more links.

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chicks.html

Would still love to hear from anybody at BYC that wants to offer advice

Thanks! and Happy Hatching

 

[McGoo]

I have been looking into this as well and I have been told that it's good to move her soon so that there's no competition with the nesting box and others adding to it. Also it was suggested that before putting the fertile eggs under her, get her settled in her new abode and see if she stays on the fake eggs/golf balls that you're using temporarily to keep her broody. That way you won't waste good hatching eggs if she breaks her broodiness.

Please keep us posted on how it works.

 

[Iluvmychickens]

Hello,

My pullet went broody on 01/01/08 and was sitting on a golf ball. I very dear member here on BYC read my post and sent me 9 fertile eggs. I placed then under mama the day i got them which was 01/09/09. I never moved her from her original spot on the nest. I am happy to report *******I have pips, I have 3 pips********I am so excited******. I have never been home when any of the eggs have hatched in the past. Butterscotch also is a 1st time mother thatnks to another BYC member.

DeeDee

 

[McGoo]

Congratulations!!!!

 

[karmical]

Congrats DeeDee!!! That's very encouraging

And thanks too, McGoo for the input.

I think it might be the time of year that's making me hesitate more than anything...I'd love to be able to have her hatch out a few chickies in April when they can get right out into the sunshine and I won't have winter worries.

As an add-on question to my original post....is there any harm in just letting her be broody as long as she wants, and if it lasts until April when I'M ready

, great....if not, no harm done? Maybe it'd be good "practice" for her? Don't want to hurt her health though, so curious if anyone thinks there's reasoning why I shouldn't. If I take "breaking her up" to the next level and put her in a wire cage up off the ground, maybe she won't ever come around to being broody again?

Any thoughts would be great help

Thanks!

 

[ruth]

Thank you so much for that very informative link. It answered all the questions I had about letting a hen go broody. I thought Ruth might be about to go broody when I found her hidden clutch of eggs in stables but she is still laying an egg a day over there and hasn't started to sit on them so maybe she just likes the quiet place. In the meantime I ordered 3 dozen fertile eggs that are in a bator ready to put a few of them under her if she does go broody.

 

[Iluvmychickens]

In August my 2 yr old hen went broody, sat for 25 days all eggs were duds. I put 8 more fertile eggs under her on day 26 as she was still broody. She sat another 20 days solid. All the babies hatched and everything was great. Carrie did however look completely worn out after sitting 46 days. We hand fed and watered her and gave her treats while on the nest to help her along. Now I do not know if they normally sit that long or not. It was my experience. I have only had chickens since May.

DeeDee

As for the babies due yesterday, only 2 eggs have hatched so far. There are still 7 remaining. I will just pray they hatch as well

 

[chickbea]

The December before last I had my old hen go broody, and I put 5 fertile eggs under her. She hatched out all five with no problem (I did supplement the heat in the coop to about 40 degrees). The weather didn't seem to be any problem; she kept all 5 chicks warm as toast.

 

[FLF]

I just had 2 hens hatch out 8 chicks, about 3 days ago. It has been anwhere from 9F to 36F, and the hens did fine. They are little heat boxes! kept the ggs nice and warm, with pretty much no help. I just kept them out of drafts and away fro the other chickens.