First time for everything...literally

[watchix]

This is my first year raising chickens and my family has had a good time building a nice coop, raising our spring chicks, and two of our 7 girls are laying. I wanted to try my hand at hatching, so I ordered two batches of eggs (shipped, I know I know...), and those are incubating right now.

Of course, my oldest girl (7 months) just went broody yesterday. I have never dealt with this since I'm a newbie, and I feel so bad for her! I've got her up in a wire cage right now because I have no idea if she'd actually stick with eggs/be a good mom, but I'm wondering if I should let her try?

I've got 19 eggs in the bator (Day 4) and I just started turning them yesterday--they're upright in an egg carton that I have tilted. Should I wait til day 7 and put some viable ones under her if she's still broody? Let her sit on golf balls, then sneak any hatched chicks under her? Break her and keep babying these shipped eggs until I know if I'm any good at incubating? Find her some local eggs?

Sorry for the rambling post! I appreciate all seasoned advice!

 

[watchix]

Bump! She's still running to the nest box after another day in the broody breaker.

 

[Honora]

When I have a broody hen I usually give her some fertile eggs to sit on and also put a few in the incubator. Then when/if the incubator chicks hatch I add them to her hatch. The hens usually do a better job of hatching than the incubator.

It works out best if the incubated chicks are the same color as the the chicks hatched by the hen, then she is more likely to accept them. Good luck, I would give the broody a chance!