Hatching eggs.Best way in this circumstance

[farrellyred]

Hi i am new to BYC and i was wondering if any of you's could help me out here. I hatched chickens (via incubator) last November. I am considering hatching more. I bought a few hens to boost up my collection and they are all roughly 20-30 weeks old (bar the RIR I don't know how old they are).I was wondering what is the best option for hatching them? Are my chickens old enough for brooding yet?. I have 6 nests that they lay in but they only really lay in 3 or maybe 4. I am wondering that if I hatch them via incubator how old before I can put them in with my other chickens. If I hatch them the natural way, how do i feed them and would the poor ratio of nests to hens affect it in any way.I am also wondering do hens lay eggs when brooding?My collection of hens is as follows:
2 RIR
2 Black cochins
2 White sussex
3 Brown sussex
3 Red sussex
2 Australorpe.
All are hens but am going to buy Silkie rooster to fertilize eggs.

Any tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated

 

[ChestnutRidge]

I am a newbie, but I'll try to answer some of your questions until someone with more experience arrives.

Hens won't usually "go broody" until they are at least a year old. Also, some breeds are more likely to become broody than others. I think cochins and sussexes may brood. However, it's not something you can plan; the hens will either go broody or not, usually in the spring. When they do, they will stop laying eggs and will sit tight on a nest. They will become defensive when you try to approach or reach underneath them, pecking and scolding.

At this point, you should put some golf balls under the hen to see if she is serious. Will she sit tight or give up after a few days? If she seems serious, move her to a small enclosure where she is separated from the rest of the flock. This way, no other hens will add late eggs to her clutch, she won't return to the wrong nest, and other chickens will not attack hatched chicks. Make her a nice nest, put in your fertilized eggs, and set water and chicken scratch nearby. She won't eat and drink much, but will get off of the nest about once a day to eat, drink, and defecate. You feed her scratch instead of regular food so that her poop will be less runny if she poops on the eggs.

Some will not stick with it; they may poop on or crush eggs, peck at hatched chicks, etc. Others will become wonderful mothers.

When the chicks hatch, you will make sure that there is water and chick starter at their level available to them. Some people find a way to cover the chick food so that the hen does not eat it. I am not sure about integrating them with a flock. Anyhow, this is what I've gleaned from reading, not experience. Hopefully someone will be along shortly to offer more help.

Good luck, and

 

[sheila3935]

This is just my experience since I have a broody momma right now. She is a BA about 10 months old. She started setting March 14 and hatched her babies all but 1 which is in the incubator cause when she got out of the nest to do her business someone laid an egg in there about a week later. She is being a great mom. Some dont their first time around, but I have been lucky. They will not lay again til they give up their chicks uo around 9 weeks. I let her eat the chick starter same as the chicks cause I figure after setting for a month not eating right she needs the extra protein and since she is not laying doesnt need the extra calcium. When she went broody I knew right from the start. She was fluffed up in the nest with a far away trance like look about her. She didnt leave the nest for the first 24 hours then when she did only long enough to eat drink and poo and then right back on.

 

[farrellyred]

thanks

I think I will incubate them seen as I already know how and brooding seems alot of hastle and i won't be able to brood them until next spring. If somebody knows about adding chickens (esp. roosters!!!) to a flock can you please tell me