Getting a hen to "adopt" a fertilized egg?

[TeenageRooster's Dad]

I have a fertilized egg in the incubator for 7 days now and progressing well.

I would rather sneak it under one of the girls and let nature take its course. I only had one hen, Yvette, go broody last few months and she hatched a baby successfully. "Evil" baby was born...

Is there any "technique" to have a hen "adopt" the egg and make sure it doesn't "roth IRA" away?

Thank you!

 

[R2elk]

I have a fertilized egg in the incubator for 7 days now and progressing well.

I would rather sneak it under one of the girls and let nature take its course. I only had one hen, Yvette, go broody last few months and she hatched a baby successfully. "Evil" baby was born...

Is there any "technique" to have a hen "adopt" the egg and make sure it doesn't "roth IRA" away?

Thank you!

View attachment 1523110

The hen has to be broody first. There is no way to make a hen go broody just because you want her to be broody.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The beginning of wisdom in the chicken keeping biz is to first realize that it is the chickens who are in charge, we humans..... well not so much.

 

[TeenageRooster's Dad]

Harsh but fair. I'll keep a closer eye on the incubator and act like a hen when things crack.

Thanks.

 

[LaurEliz]

All of the above is true, but, for future reference, if you do have one that is already broody, I've always had good luck with just sticking whichever eggs I want to hatch under her. She always just rolls them under her if I put them anywhere near her. You might've already known that that was a possibility with an already-broody hen, but just in case you (or anyone viewing this later) didn't, I thought I'd put it out there.