From Incubator to Broody? Before or After Hatch?

[3KillerBs]

I'm thinking that if I can't sell my determined biting broody Mottled Java, Mocha, before the eggs in the incubator hatch next weekend I'll let her try to raise some of them. My question is,

Should I give her the eggs just before they're due to hatch or should I give her the hatched chicks?

The reasons I hadn't let her try to hatch them herself are:

A. I'm trying to sell her as part of my flock refocusing,
B. Every time I've tried to transfer her to the maternity ward she's been broken instead of grafting to the new nest,
C. She doesn't always return to the same box after she takes her daily break.

Advice?

I'm setup to raise chicks without any problems, I just thought it might be more convenient to let Mocha do the work -- as well as not having to break her AGAIN.

She'll need to make a ground nest with her babies once she leaves the box with them -- which is waist-high on me -- but the coop is more than big enough and has ample bedding. I can even set up some additional clutter to make sheltered nooks that might look like a good place to a hen's mind.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Give her the chicks after hatch. Let them sure up their legs for a day then put them under her. I've heard some will do it at night but I've just placed chicks in front of a broody and she'll raise up a little making noise to them and they run under her.

If your ramp to coop door is not too steep of a slope the chicks will follow the mother up it. Usually the first night or two I have to help them in but that's it. My coop is waist height also. The broody will sit with chicks for a day or two then take them outside for feeding. You could just place food and water by her for good measure until then. I let them be once I've witnessed her accepting them.

 

[3KillerBs]

Give her the chicks after hatch. Let them sure up their legs for a day then put them under her. I've heard some will do it at night but I've just placed chicks in front of a broody and she'll raise up a little making noise to them and they run under her.

If your ramp to coop door is not too steep of a slope the chicks will follow the mother up it. Usually the first night or two I have to help them in but that's it. My coop is waist height also. The broody will sit with chicks for a day or two then take them outside for feeding. You could just place food and water by her for good measure until then. I let them be once I've witnessed her accepting them.

Thank you.

My coop isn't waist-height, my nests in the coop are waist-height.

That's not quite the current setup for the mobile coop furniture, but you can see how the nests are arranged.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Agree with @Egghead_Jr to let them hatch and find their legs. I have though limited experience. I gave 2 chicks to a broody when they were 3 days old and already eating and drinking. I watched them closely for several hours to make sure she would accept them and not hurt them.

 

[3KillerBs]

That's what I'll plan on then.

I was wondering if she'd do a better job with the late quitter problem I've had but also concerned that she'd fail to come back to the correct nest if I put eggs under her.