Different people do it different ways. That does not mean there is a right way and a wrong way, just different ways.
Hens have been hatching chicks with the flock for thousands of years, ever since there have been chickens. I don’t know how long people have been isolating broodies, probably since they were first domesticated. The ancient Egyptians were incubating eggs themselves, bypassing the broody. Sometimes bad things happen when you isolate them, sometimes bad things happen when they hatch with the flock. Usually bad things do not happen either way. They are living animals, they do not come with guarantees.
If you decide to let her hatch with the flock, mark the eggs so you can tell which belong. I use a black Sharpie, others use different things. Every day after the other hens have laid, check under the broody and remove any eggs that do not belong. As long as you remove the eggs every day you can still use them. There is nothing wrong with them. If you leave them two days you might get a surprise when you crack it.
The rooster is the least of the worries. A good rooster takes care of his flock. He wants the eggs to hatch so he can have offspring. That’s the way nature works.
The other hens are not likely to cause much of a problem either but if you do have a problem it will come from the hens. Most broody hens are OK with another hen laying in her nest but occasionally you get a broody that will try to keep other hens out. There might be a scuffle where the eggs get damaged. Most hens will leave the broody and the chicks alone but it is possible to get a hen that goes after the chicks when they hatch. I’ve never had one of those but people I trust on here tell me they have. Different things are possible but they are pretty rare.
Your biggest problem is likely to come from the broody herself. If another hen is on her nest laying an egg when she comes back the broody might go sit on a different nest. She gets confused as to which nest is hers. Most get it right but I’ve had that happen a few times. When I see it I just put the broody back on the right nest. A few years back I found a broody on the wrong nest and her eggs were really cold to the touch. I put her on the right nest and she later hatched 11 chicks out of 11 eggs. When this happens it’s not a good thing but it is usually not the end of the world either.
Hens have been hatching chicks with the flock for thousands of years, ever since there have been chickens. I don’t know how long people have been isolating broodies, probably since they were first domesticated. The ancient Egyptians were incubating eggs themselves, bypassing the broody. Sometimes bad things happen when you isolate them, sometimes bad things happen when they hatch with the flock. Usually bad things do not happen either way. They are living animals, they do not come with guarantees.
If you decide to let her hatch with the flock, mark the eggs so you can tell which belong. I use a black Sharpie, others use different things. Every day after the other hens have laid, check under the broody and remove any eggs that do not belong. As long as you remove the eggs every day you can still use them. There is nothing wrong with them. If you leave them two days you might get a surprise when you crack it.
The rooster is the least of the worries. A good rooster takes care of his flock. He wants the eggs to hatch so he can have offspring. That’s the way nature works.
The other hens are not likely to cause much of a problem either but if you do have a problem it will come from the hens. Most broody hens are OK with another hen laying in her nest but occasionally you get a broody that will try to keep other hens out. There might be a scuffle where the eggs get damaged. Most hens will leave the broody and the chicks alone but it is possible to get a hen that goes after the chicks when they hatch. I’ve never had one of those but people I trust on here tell me they have. Different things are possible but they are pretty rare.
Your biggest problem is likely to come from the broody herself. If another hen is on her nest laying an egg when she comes back the broody might go sit on a different nest. She gets confused as to which nest is hers. Most get it right but I’ve had that happen a few times. When I see it I just put the broody back on the right nest. A few years back I found a broody on the wrong nest and her eggs were really cold to the touch. I put her on the right nest and she later hatched 11 chicks out of 11 eggs. When this happens it’s not a good thing but it is usually not the end of the world either.
