How soon after hatching 3 chicks could a hen go broody again?

[ClareScifi]

One of my eggs didn't hatch, and I really wanted a chick from that hen, and it was her only one under my brooding banty. The eggs were staggered, and she did hatch the first two days' worth of eggs, but not the final day's egg. How soon will she be able to be broody again, under optimal conditions, protecting her health? I'm still hoping she could hatch one of the other hen's eggs? This time I think I would put all 3 eggs (that's all she can accommodate because of her tiny size) from the one hen under her, to enhance hatching probability.

 

[sourland]

It all depends upon the individual hen. Some will go broody as early as a month after hatching - some wait longer. Next time give her all 3 eggs on the same day. You can hold fertile eggs up to 10 or 12 days with little loss of fertility. (I have held them far longer.)

 

[Judy]

It'a a matter of when her hormones change her to a broody again. It could happen in a few weeks, or not til next year, or even never. Some breeds are much more likely to go broody than others. Usually they take maybe 4 or 5 weeks to raise chcks, then lay for a while, maybe only a short while , maybe longer, before they go broody again.

Here's hoping she goes broody soon for you!

 

[ClareScifi]

Thanks, Judy! She's a Banty (Silver-Laced Sebright), so she probably will go broody. They tend to, I have heard. Problem is, she always stops laying right around the first day of summer, and then she doesn't start again until February (characteristic of this breed), so if she's going to lay eggs and go broody this summer, it will have to be soon. Perhaps I should just get an incubator. What is the easiest brand to operate successfully, in your opinion?

 

[Judy]

I've never used an incubator in my life, lol.

If someone else doesn't answer you, if I were you, I'd just start another thread with that question.

 

[blucoondawg]

I have a Farm Innovators circulated air incubator with a turner, it is one of the Styrofoam incubators similar if not identical to the Little Giant, I got it for around 90 dollars on sale for the whole setup. It will hold 42 eggs in the turner. I have had good luck with it so far. I just set my second full load of eggs yesterday. It works good for me but I set it with a full load of eggs every time I find it is easiest to regulate the temperature when full, If you don't want to incubate 40ish eggs at a crack I would look for something smaller as I think all incubators are going to run best at close to full capacity unless you have a self regulating one which are expensive. I am going to build a cabinet style incubator for next spring hopefully.