day 15 can I move to a broody hen?

[messmaker]

Its day 15 for my eggs, can I move the eggs out of the bator to a broody hen? She has been sitting on wood eggs for a week now. Will they be ok under her? Will she still want to be broody after they hatch when she hasn't set for 21 days? Please give me advice!
Thank you!
-Chelsea

 

[flora]

It is the peeping of hatching chicks that make a hen quit being broody, then she turns into a momma. She will set on fake eggs for a couple of months before giving up.
I have taken eggs out of the incubator and put them under a broody hen and she finishes them up and raises them as her own.

 

[LuvinMyPeeps]

Hi Chelsea,

I don't mean to hijack your thread, but I've been wondering about this myself. I have (had?) a broody hen who has been sitting non-stop on eggs up until the last few days (day 18). She doesn't seem to be setting on them anymore. Does this mean she gave up or does it mean she's hearing peeping and is just hanging out waiting for them to hatch? Do broodys stop sitting and just wander around the coop guarding their eggs until they start pipping? This is my first time at this...

I am on vacation so an inexperienced chicken sitter is caring for the chickens while I'm gone, so I haven't been able to check candling or anything...it's maddening!!!!!!

Thanks so much!

 

[messmaker]

Oh, good. Its sooo much eaiser to have a hen raise them, than to raise them up , and intoduce them to the flock. We were given some eggs, and didn't have a broody hen until now. So we will go ahead and put the eggs under her.
Thank you!