Giving eggs to broody hen?

[Hessk]

Tomorrow I’m picking up some fertile eggs for my girl. She was broody last summer for about three weeks (laying on no eggs). She’s serious about wanting to be a momma! She’s in one of the nesting boxes that no other hens use. I have a small flock of 5 and no roosters. All my chickens are very friendly with each other and have so much room that no one ever bugs one another. I was wanting to put the eggs in her current nest then maybe around day 18/19 move her into the brooder box. I’m worried about moving her to the brooder box right away and then having her become uninterested because she’s never been away from her fellow ladies before. Do you think moving her later would be okay or should I just do it the first day?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Move her after most or all have hatched. Most are fine at that time. Moving them before they hatch may cause your hen to abandon them. So either move her before you give the eggs, or after they hatch.

 

[Hessk]

Move her after most or all have hatched. Most are fine at that time. Moving them before they hatch may cause your hen to abandon them. So either move her before you give the eggs, or after they hatch.

My original plan was to allow them to hatch in there before moving but I thought it would be frowned upon haha. I think she would be most comfortable doing it that way. Thank you!

 

[sylviethecochin]

And, of course, you've read about marking your eggs so that she doesn't mysteriously go from eight eggs to seventeen, all of them due to hatch on different days? (Just making sure.)

 

[Hessk]

And, of course, you've read about marking your eggs so that she doesn't mysteriously go from eight eggs to seventeen, all of them due to hatch on different days? (Just making sure.)

They are all due to hatch the same day. I didn’t think to mark them because my other girls use a different nesting box outside the coop, but I will just to make sure. This is my first time so any advice is very much appreciated!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Also hopefully you are around on hatch day. Sometimes chicks jump out early. So watch them or try to confine them in the nest box during hatch.

 

[Hessk]

Also hopefully you are around on hatch day. Sometimes chicks jump out early. So watch them or try to confine them in the nest box during hatch.

Oh yes! I’m with them everyday lol. After I move them to the brooder box should I have the heat lamp on or are they okay since they have mom?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Oh yes! I’m with them everyday lol. After I move them to the brooder box should I have the heat lamp on or are they okay since they have mom?

No heat lamp is necessary. Mom will keep them warm, and show them food and water. Mom will also scratch the food all over so be prepared for that.

Hopefully your hen is a good mom. Sometimes they have no clue what chicks are so watch them all carefully and remove chicks if she gets aggressive with them.

 

[Hessk]

Three have hatched! A fourth is working on it

 

[Hessk]

A question to anyone who can help. The first chick hatched yesterday morning. The fourth has been hatching for the last 15hrs but is making progress. I think the remaining two eggs are duds but I’ll leave them in there for a few days just Incase. Because the mom is still hatching eggs the chicks are not being introduced to food or water. How long until I intervene and show the babies where the food and water is?