Incubated eggs given to mama?

[Martlet]

It's time to start adding to our flock and our hens aren't very good brooders. We have one that sits on eggs, but last year she only hatched one rooster. If we incubate and hatch eggs, is it feasible to give them to the broody mama after they hatch or is that a recipe for disaster?

 

[NatJ]

If we incubate and hatch eggs, is it feasible to give them to the broody mama after they hatch or is that a recipe for disaster?

Yes, it can be done.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
In my experience, it works more often than it fails.

 

[Martlet]

Yes, it can be done.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
In my experience, it works more often than it fails.

Thank you! In our limited experience, hens raised by their mothers are better socially than those raised in a brooder and later introduced. Moreso with roosters.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

If we incubate and hatch eggs, is it feasible to give them to the broody mama after they hatch or is that a recipe for disaster?

It works best when the incubated eggs can hatch close to her day 21 of sitting.. Preferably not before day 14 and also not too much later if possible.

Tucked in all at the same time once hatch is complete, early after dark so she feels them moving and hears them peeping and they also hear her and get bonded.

I've also successfully adopted (sexed) hatchery or feed store chicks under a week old (MAX) to sitting broody hens on several occasions!

Happy adventures!

 

[NatJ]

Tucked in all at the same time once hatch is complete, early after dark so she feels them moving and hears them peeping and they also hear her and get bonded.

I've had good results giving her a few of the early hatchers one night, and the rest the next night, if it's a big clutch. That gives her one night/day to adjust to having chicks, instead of eggs, before she has to spread out more to cover the large group.

With at least one hen, I've been able to add chicks later, too: a small number from one hatch, then a week later another small hatch, and a few more a week after that (the third group may not have been a good idea-- they were more likely to get left behind, because they were younger and slower. They did grow up and seemed healthy, but they had a harder time in their first week or two.)

If you ever want to adding chicks later, I think a few little chicks with a bunch of big chicks is asking for trouble, but a few big chicks with a bunch of little ones works fairly well. And of course it depends on whether the hen will adopt them. I had one that wanted to adopt every chick she could see or hear when she was in chick-raising mode, and she didn't care what size or color they were.

 

[janiedoe]

I do this pretty often. I've also given my hens feed store pullets. I've only had one hen who didn't take the chicks.
I believe its because she had already hatched two of her own. Since then, she has taken several adoptees.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I've had good results giving her a few of the early hatchers one night, and the rest the next night, if it's a big clutch. That gives her one night/day to adjust to having chicks, instead of eggs, before she has to spread out more to cover the large group.

There's always exceptions.

For me later hatchers may not be ready to leave the nest as soon as early hatchers.. And in case mum is ready now, I rather wait and give them all equal chance.

Knowing the hen, how long she's been sitting, etc.. may impact choices.

Many of us can do all kinds of crazy stuff and get away with it. I offered what I thought was the best chance of success. Thank you for sharing your adventures!

 

[NatJ]

There's always exceptions.

For me later hatchers may not be ready to leave the nest as soon as early hatchers.. And in case mum is ready now, I rather wait and give them all equal chance.

I have tended to keep them in a fairly small pen (4 feet by 6 feet, or smaller) for the first few days, so the hen cannot go too far. I have not had trouble with giving chicks over several days. I have done it with multiple hens/hatches.

There will always be variations, between hens and owners and keeping arrangements. But I really do not feel that giving some chicks a day or two later is much of a risk, if the hen has already accepted the first ones, and if the later ones are healthy and dried off already.