Eggs with different hatch dates??

[Sassy_Silkies]

I don't think anyone "snuck" eggs under her, more like she took eggs from someone My (4BO) girls have a huge plastic dog house for their nest, sometimes 2 - 3 will be in there laying & I find them all in one indentation I've had 5 Wyandottes lay in there at once but the eggs would be in one indentation.

I have read to separate the broody from the flock, then there are those that keep them in with the flock. If at all possible put a wire cage in the coop with broody & nest, that way she's part of the flock yet she has the extra help of protecting the chicks from the flock the first week.

When a hen sits and lays her egg on the nest with her that is my definition of "snuck" everyone else seemed to understand that and didn't feel the need to correct me

 

[ChickNanny13]

When a hen sits and lays her egg on the nest with her that is my definition of "snuck" everyone else seemed to understand that and didn't feel the need to correct me

Sorry I wasn't correcting you I thought you meant someone (human) put eggs in her nest or another chicken did. There has been some jokes pulled by humans placing eggs under a broody/nest, read it on BYC.

 

[Sassy_Silkies]

Sorry I wasn't correcting you I thought you meant someone (human) put eggs in her nest or another chicken did. There has been some jokes pulled by humans placing eggs under a broody/nest, read it on BYC.

Lol nope all the eggs she is sitting on are not her own. and I had never intended on hatching eggs but she was determined so I decided to see if my roo was doing a good job and I guess he is!

 

[pennyJo1960]

I keep the mom and chicks with the flock, that way the chicks integrate with the flock, and you don't have to integrate them later.

Many of us have older hens that have no tolerance for littles and would have a disaster
on our hands my silky do my hatching the have their own coop only full sized are what they hatched till I move them to the main coop when large enough

 

[JanetMarie]

I thought about that but since my flock free ranges all day long and I don't have a space to keep the chicks from going through the dogs pen I would feel safer if they were with the flock but in a pen with smaller fence that babies cant get through

Everyone's set up is different and you have to do what is best to keep the chicks safe.

 

[JanetMarie]

Many of us have older hens that have no tolerance for littles and would have a disaster
on our hands my silky do my hatching the have their own coop only full sized are what they hatched till I move them to the main coop when large enough

The first few times I had a broody hen not only did I separate the mom and chicks from the flock, but I kept them in the house for about a week!

Then realized later that was totally unnecessary. The mom and chicks have their own nest on the floor and food and water, she takes them outside when she thinks it's time, and I have taken measures to secure fences so chicks don't get under as easily.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I am fortunate to have three coops and a nice tractor that is 4 x 8 only two in use most often Silky cannot go outside but in their tractor we have three great outside cats that are great hunters Bob, Curly and Moe..... silky coop and tractor are cat proof this I know