Giving a broody hen shipped eggs

[Tuhmu]

Update - Forgot about this thread. I ended up having 2 broody hens this year and gave them both shipped eggs.

Broody #1 is a LF dark brahma and I had originally planned on giving her all 12 eggs(LF) but realized they didn't all fit, so I gave her 6 and I put 6 in my incubator. Got to lockdown with 3 of hers developing and 1 developing in the incubator.

I put all the viable under her on day 18 and she ended up hatching 3. Wasn't the greatest odds, but those eggs looked like they had a rough trip.

Broody #2 is a LF blue cochin and I gave her 13 white silkie eggs. She ended up going to lockdown with 8. As soon as they started hatching though, she flipped out and killed the first one!

So I ended up putting them in my hatcher and got 5 silkies.

 

[Tuhmu]

If I get a broody again, I will pay more attention to the individual eggs. As in keeping anything with a rolling air cell or w/e condition where it would need to be upright; in the incubator and give mama hen the good eggs. On lockdown I will give her everything that's developing (assuming she can cover all of them).

Not sure why it didn't occur to me to do this the first two times, sometimes those details just escape us until we go through the experience ourselves I guess.

Best of luck to all your broodys with imported fuzzbutts!

 

[dgh]

I always stick "stranger" eggs under my bantams!! works like a charm. they are the best mothers.