Help Bringing home Broody with eggs

[Horsegeek101]

Hi,

I am so new and such a moron lately. But, I am bringing home a broody cochin hen, and some fertile eggs tomorrow. I was planning on setting her up in the dog crate on a nest first, maybe put some dud eggs in for the ride. And then I'd like to set her up in a pen with the fertile eggs. I'll be bringing her home in the evening, close to dark. Do I just put the fertile eggs in her nest and hope for the best? This will be my first time with anything like this, at all.

Any and all advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[HEChicken]

I'm sorry I didn't see this before. How are things going?

 

[huppfarm]

if she is broody, she will sit them. i like to keep a broody hen in a quiet pen where she can get off the eggs, get a little sun, use the toilet and get somthing to eat and drink. they get pretty devoted to the nest and will return after her break.
give her a week then go out at night and candle the eggs to see which ones are fertile. dispose of the infertile eggs, it will give her more chances to keep all the eggs nice and warm.

keep her water fresh, even though she wont drink every day.
good luck and have fun!

 

[elmo]

I'd wait until she's settled on the new nest. Once you're sure she's good and broody, go ahead and add the fertile eggs. Usually when they sit through the night on the nest that's a good sign that they've settled in.

 

[Horsegeek101]

Hi!

Thanks for replying all! Raine actually was too over stimulated by the move I think to be broody again, for now I guess. I put the eggs in an incubator, my first time for that too, I'm gonna candle them today, it's day 5.

I think because she can see the other hens too, she was disturbed. I tried to give her a buddy in one of my timid hens, but she didn't want to be away from the flock afterall and started obsessively digging, so I put her back with the flock. Then, yesterday I put my new pair of BLRW in with Raine (the broody). She seemed to be pretty happy with them, and after handing over dominence to the BLRW hen, she seemed to fit with them just fine, even timidly flirting with the roo. What would be perfect is if they will both sit nests. I know wyandottes sometimes set.

I know I'll have crossbred chicks, but I'll still know the babies, because the crosses should have fluffy feet I think. It's ok though, I don't have a breeding flock of BLRW now anyway, though it's one I want to work on.

Thanks lots! Let me know if you have any thoughts about the chances of her going to set again are.