Giving almost hatching eggs to a broody hen?? Will it work?

Carin

Songster
8 Years
Oct 16, 2011
162
32
124
South Africa
I had eggs in the incubator and they are due to hatch in the next 24 hours.
I have a broody since the day before yesterday. She sat now in the nest the last 48 hours. I want to put those hatching eggs under her but I am not sure if this will work. At a previous occasion I did take eggs that was in the incubator for a week and let the broody take over from the incubator for the last 2 weeks but I am not sure this time as she sat only 48 hours and the hatch is due in the next 24 hours.

If breed is of any importance- the hen is a Brahma hen and I wouldn't have tried it if it wasn't she- Spikkels. Spikkels will take all chicks if more than one hen has chicks at the same time. She's a real Motherhen.
She is also just about broody every 2-3 months.

Any opinions on this? Any body with experience and how successful was it?
 
I haven’t done it with a hen that has only been broody that long, not because I’m all that worried about it, just that the opportunity has not come up. Some people on this forum have reported doing what you are proposing and having great success. Some people have reported failures. Some people have had great success with hens that have been broody for three weeks. Some report failures even after three weeks. Some people report a hen killing her chicks even when she brooded the eggs totally by herself. They are living animals. No one can give you any guarantees.

Personally I’d try it, especially if she has proven to be a good mother in the past. I don’t know how many eggs you have, but if you are worried about it, just give her a few viable eggs and see how she reacts when they hatch. That way you only risk a few. If she does OK, just slip the rest of the chicks that hatch under her at night. I’ve done that before and it worked great.
 
I gave her 6 eggs and 4 or 5 were all already peeping inside. I heard one pecking as I put the eggs under her. I plan to add the rest anyway if it is working. She accepts always all chicks, day or night. If she and another hen has chicks more or less the same time she will just take all of them.
Thanks for your opinion.
 
What breed is she?
One chick is out -5 to go for Spikkels. I think the important day will be the day after tomorrow. Is she going to get up when she should or is she going to sit
 

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