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I tried slipping my Dominique eggs under a broody. (I thought I'd save her 2 weeks of incubation.) She was unsettled by me moving her into the broody box & abandoned the eggs. I found them covered with poo & cold the next morning. I turned the incubator back on & one actually hatched - well over 24 hrs late.
In some tough hatches, a broody can have a higher hatch rate. My bantam orp did much better hatching bantam eggs than I did with the incubator. However, I must admit that I was very upset with the other broody for killing some of my Dominique eggs.
The temperature is not a big deal for a broody. If it were me (& she was strongly brooding), I'd give her 1 egg & then slip the rest of the chicks under when they hatch. I believe the mama's hormones change as she feels the eggs hatch. Mama also talks to the chicks as they hatch, so it helps them bond. I have slipped a few chicks under a hen during the 1st 24 hrs with no problems. When I tried to do it at day 4, the hen tried to attack the new chicks to protect her own babies.
Speaking of broodies, my own had a rough day. Her chicks went to their new home. She was calling for them. Then the other hens tried to pick on her, a roo wanted to mate, & a giant hawk kept making fly bys. I had to lock her up inside the broody cage for her own safety. On the other hand, her chicks had no problem with the separation. I gave them a nice warm, dark box and put a microwavable pad under the box. They snuggled in & fell asleep. It was a very quiet ride. (I was expecting a lot of peeping for mama.) I had a nice visit with chickendreams24 then drove to Great America to enjoy Fright Fest.
I believe there actually is a reason for their mean picking. In the wild, a sick/ weak bird will attract the attention of predators, which endangers the whole flock. If they all gang up, kill the sick one, & move on (...or at a minimum abandon it), the the safety of the flock will stay strong. Blood attracts all kinds of trouble, so a small injury can become all out dangerous within the flock. That's why you must treat & camouflage the red. It's just something in their survival instinct.Awww poor girl, hopefully she will be back to her old self soon. And why do the other hens pick on the poor friend who is in distress? All mine did the same thing with Coco when she was having a hard time breathing. I don't understand that at all and I just wanted to scold them all!
In reality, I do understand. But, you look at the little friendships that are made between them. The ones they spend all day with in their little group, then all of a sudden they turn on their best friend! I understand it, but just wish they were more like dogs or elephants, loyal friends that would stay with their friend in their time of need. I guess that is the one thing that I do not like about chickens.I believe there actually is a reason for their mean picking. In the wild, a sick/ weak bird will attract the attention of predators, which endangers the whole flock. If they all gang up, kill the sick one, & move on (...or at a minimum abandon it), the the safety of the flock will stay strong. Blood attracts all kinds of trouble, so a small injury can become all out dangerous within the flock. That's why you must treat & camouflage the red. It's just something in their survival instinct.