How many chicks for a broody?

[junior67]

I set eggs in my incubator and a couple days later had my Light Brahma go broody. I have let her sit on fake eggs. She is in the coop with the others, which is how my last 3 broodys. If someone else goes in her box while she is out she will go in another box but with in a few min of that hen leaving she will go back to her own box... I am planning on giving her 4 eggs to hatch on Sun, due to hatch Wed or Thurs. Part of the reason is those 4 eggs are a different breed so I want to be able to mark them.

I would like to give all the chicks after they hatch. I have 18 eggs going strong right now. Is this too many chicks

 

[Egg Snatcher]

I set eggs in my incubator and a couple days later had my Light Brahma go broody. I have let her sit on fake eggs. She is in the coop with the others, which is how my last 3 broodys. If someone else goes in her box while she is out she will go in another box but with in a few min of that hen leaving she will go back to her own box... I am planning on giving her 4 eggs to hatch on Sun, due to hatch Wed or Thurs. Part of the reason is those 4 eggs are a different breed so I want to be able to mark them.

I would like to give all the chicks after they hatch. I have 18 eggs going strong right now. Is this too many chicks

Is your Brahma a bantam or standard?

 

[junior67]

Is your Brahma a bantam or standard?

Oops Standard.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Oops Standard.

She’ll be able to take care of that many. I’ve had standard hens take care of 20.

 

[junior67]

Here is her in the nest box. They are 18".

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Here is her in the nest box. They are 18".

When the chicks hatch you’ll want to make sure she doesn’t try to leave to take care of the chicks that have hatched so the remaining eggs don’t die.

 

[junior67]

When the chicks hatch you’ll want to make sure she doesn’t try to leave to take care of the chicks that have hatched so the remaining eggs don’t die.

They were all set the same day. I will give her 4 of the eggs to hatch, mark those 4. Then give her the other chicks after they hatch in the incubator. But they should all hatch around the same time. My last 10 I hatched were all within around 13 hrs of each other.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

They were all set the same day. I will give her 4 of the eggs to hatch, mark those 4. Then give her the other chicks after they hatch in the incubator. But they should all hatch around the same time. My last 10 I hatched were all within around 13 hrs of each other.

That’s good! Hopefully you have a good hatch!

 

[junior67]

That’s good! Hopefully you have a good hatch!

Thanks!!! I am hoping. They are shipped eggs. But my last batch from this seller I got 12. Had 10 start to develop and 10 hatch. This time I got 22. 18 started and so far on day 14 all 18 are doing great.

 

[Chickengirl2671]

My speckled Sussex had 19 chicks though only four of them were ones she hatched. She gave up when they were four weeks old.