Ever tried letting a broody hatch out grocery store "fertile" eggs?

[kristenm1975]

My local organic grocery store carries Rock Island Fertile Extra Large Grade AA brown eggs, out of Petaluma CA. The sell by date is May 21st. I'm thinking that means they're pretty fresh.

I have a hen who's broody, has been for two days, and I'd love to try her on a dozen of these. Maybe a dozen is too many though, now that I think of it.

Also, should I try to remove her from the coop with the other girls and give her her own little isolation coop for setting, or just leave her in there until day 20, sneak out at night and take her and the eggs and put them in isolation then, so that if chicks hatch, the big girls won't kill them? (That was the mother of all run-on sentences, I know

)

It's probably quite obvious, but I've never done this before and would love some words of wisdom from those who have experience with this process.

Thanks!

 

[kristenm1975]

What, no one's even been tempted??

 

[Crickett]

You could try it.

As for moving them, "mama" will probably take care of the little ones, I would think.

 

[gabrielle1976]

people have hatched them in incubators I am guessing a broody could do it too. may want to throw in a couple other eggs if you can just in case you dont get any babies.
You need to find the freashest eggs possible and let them get room temp befor giveing them to her. theres a way to read the numbers on the side that tells you how old they are .

 

[Dirt Road]

If you can move her to a "private" coop which will give her enough room to move around a bit when she comes off, that would be ideal. You should move her before you give her the eggs you wish to hatch. Just put a couple of junk eggs under her when you move her to make sure she is going to stay. After a day or two you can give her the eggs you want to hatch, and toss the junk eggs.

Jim

 

[hatchcrazzzy]

go for it