Hatching chicks 10 days apart

[KaylaMaxey]

I have my first broody hen she’s been sitting on 3 eggs since October 1st. She added another 3 eggs on October 11. Will she stay and incubate the later 3 eggs while the original 3 have hatched? Should I let her keep them or incubate them? Can I give them to her at a day old while the other chicks are 10 days apart if I incubate them? I really want her to keep all of them so I don’t have to raise 3 by themselves without mama.

 

[Debbie292d]

She may have not officially been sitting on those first 3 eggs. They do not lay eggs once they are sitting on them to hatch them.

Could those have been from a different hen or your sure they were hers?

If she truly was sitting on those first three, she will never stay sitting there another week once those first ones hatch. She's got to get her chicks to food and water.

If you wind up incubating some, you can try give them to her, but that far apart in age might not fool her.

 

[KaylaMaxey]

She may have not officially been sitting on those first 3 eggs. They do not lay eggs once they are sitting on them to hatch them.

Could those have been from a different hen or your sure they were hers?

If she truly was sitting on those first three, she will never stay sitting there another week once those first ones hatch. She's got to get her chicks to food and water.

If you wind up incubating some, you can try give them to her, but that far apart in age might not fool her.

They weren’t her eggs specifically. She was my only broody hen she’s and EE and she’s sitting on blue eggs. So sounds like my option is to incubate and separate?

 

[Debbie292d]

They weren’t her eggs specifically. She was my only broody hen she’s and EE and she’s sitting on blue eggs. So sounds like my option is to incubate and separate?

If you want to save them, yes. You could wait until the first ones hatch. She'll probably stay there up to another day before wanting to take her chicks to get food/water.

Next time, if you know one is sitting on eggs, you can mark them on both ends with a sharpy or pencil. I say both ends so that you can easily see them if you have to search for any added eggs. Remove any that get added, then hers will all hatch at the same time.

Again, you could try giving the late chicks to her, but first I'd wait until they're about 3 days old so they are able to keep up with them.