how soon to give broody new clutch of eggs?

[Chickie'sMoma]

i currently have a bantam salmon faverolles pullet that has been brooding over 7 eggs for the last 2 weeks and i am just curious how soon i could giver her some more eggs to brood over. i would assume that she should have some time in between to recuperate from one batch to the next and giver her some time to care for the newly hatched chicks from the first batch. i would prefer her to bond with her chicks but i have more eggs i'd like to finish out under her a couple weeks after she hatches that batch.

would it be ok to give her the second clutch of eggs or just keep them in the bator till they hatch in there?

 

[asher]

Well...the problem would be in the fact that the eggs she is currently on and the eggs that you want to give her are two different ages, right? If so, would you brood the first batch of chicks for her or how do you plan to do that? A hen will give up on eggs after a bit and take care of the chicks that have hatched out. So you are either going to end up losing the eggs or the chicks. After a couple of days, she'll need to either brood the chicks or set on the eggs.

I, personally, do not recommend letting them set two clutches back to back (if they are even willing, which I think would be doubtful for most hens) because most hens basically do nothing except brood when they are on eggs. They do not eat or drink much and it really takes a lot out of them. That is, obviously, my own personal preference.

I also forgot to say, you can't really make a hen go broody and the likelihood of her choosing to go broody again 2 weeks after having hatched a clutch is probably very close to impossible. Plus at 2 weeks old, the other chicks would not be big enough or feathered out enough to fend for themselves and would likely peck at and possibly kill the new hatchlings, if you did get her to accept both clutches by some miracle.

It looks like either way, you will end up brooding some chicks yourself, if you choose to do it OR you will likely lose a batch of eggs.

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

i relented and put the newer eggs into my bator. i'll let her hatch and raise her first clutch and then add the new ones when they hatch. i have another girl that is going broody on me too but when i gave her some eggs i found both girls had switched nests.

i set Chloe up with a water cup beside her basket she's been brooding in and i give her a small cup of food when i go to check on her just to be sure she's been eating something.