How many chicks to put under broody BLRW?

[shenderson]

I have a BLRW sitting on 8 eggs due to hatch on Thursday, May 6th. I have a friend hatching out some Mottled Java's on Wednesday and I want to get some from him and put under her on Thursday night. I did not candle the eggs she is setting on so I will be happy if she hatches 4-5 of the eight. My first hatching was under a Silkie in February this year and she only hatched two of 8 eggs and I put 5 Silkie chicks under her and she never blinked an eye.

How many chicks should the BLRW be able to raise (assuming she takes the new chicks)?

 

[JanieMarie]

I had my first broody blrw hatch 4 eggs last Tues. I also had some in the incubator due to hatch the same day. I slipped these chicks under her 2 at a time at night and she now has 11 chicks under her! She accepted them without any problem and just looks so happy and content!

 

[Fergie]

What is a BLRW?

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte

 

[trilyn]

Quote:
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte

Oh, so they do go broody?? If so, I am very excited, I've got some hatching out!

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte

Oh, so they do go broody?? If so, I am very excited, I've got some hatching out!

Mine go broody waaaaay too often. I've got 3 right now setting on empty nests. At one point last summer I had 5 at one time.

 

[trilyn]

Quote:
Oh, so they do go broody?? If so, I am very excited, I've got some hatching out!

Mine go broody waaaaay too often. I've got 3 right now setting on empty nests. At one point last summer I had 5 at one time.

LOVE IT!!!! I am sooo glad to hear that, much rather have a broody hen, than stressing out over an incubator. I just had a wheaten Ameraucana go broody and hatch out five chicks, 3 of which are BLRW's and right now, I've a BR sitting on eleven!! I swear, is there anything cuter than a momma and babies??!! lol Today, my BLRW's from Sue Ozslo are going into lockdown along with a dozen of my EE/Lav Am crosses.

Katy, just wanna say that your birds are stunning....will be keeping my eyes peeled for your auctions, bators will be free!

 

[shenderson]

Update: Well I ended up getting 4 Java chicks and 7 BLRW chicks to put under her the evening of 5/6. The next morning, when she got up she only had 3 unhatched eggs under her and no new chicks. We knew that eggs were disappearing since we were pretty sure we had put ("we" being my husband who said that he put about 12 or more under her.......see story below(*) around 12-13 but assumed they were bad and were breaking and getting absorbed into the straw nest). Anyway, we took the remaining 3 eggs from the nest the next morning and none were viable. Around noon on 5/8, when I went to check on the chicks one was missing AND in addition I found a 6' king snake in the pen. Mystery solved! I grabbed up the chicks and Mom and moved her to a safer spot and the snake was relocated to a remote location. (No pictures as I was just too freaked out to think about the camera, although now I wish I had).

This is my 2nd shot at having a broody and while my hatch rate has been really poor, each time I learn more and more. In both cases the Mom's have done a great job raising the surrogate chicks. (We did lose one this morning for some reason so she currently has 5 of the 7 BLRWs and all 4 Javas.)



(*) Life at Spring Lake Farm - Conversation between myself and husband (HB)....stands for Hillbilly as he is from WV:

HB (during the middle of the day): Well, honey, I moved the BLRW to the brooding pen.

Me: I thought we were going to do that tonight so that she would be more likely to stay settled in the new place.

HB: Well I went ahead and moved her.

Me: OK......so then tonight, if she seems settled, we can put the eggs under her.

HB: Nope, already did that.....

Me: Oh, how many eggs?

HB: A lot.

Me: "A lot" like 7-8 or "a lot" like 20 or so.

HB: More like 12 or more.....

Me: Awesome.....well thanks for your help, hon.....

HB: No problem.