Is it OK to let my broody work a double shift?

[jeepchick]

Is it OK to let my broody hatch her eggs....take the chicks when they are hatched and give her a new set of eggs or is that too much sitting and waiting for her? She does a good job with eatting and drinking and I see her take breaks everyday just don't know if that will screw with her head too much or if it is bad for her physically.

The eggs they were sitting on were for some reason not devloping at the same rate. The first chicks are about 4 days old and the rest of the eggs are hatching nowish. She has one chick under her and 2 pipped. I had already taken the couple chicks that she had to begin with and gave them to the other momma because she started picking them up by the neck fluff and shaking them violently. So basically right now I have 1 hen with all the babies but 1 and one hen hatching the late bloomers. I would like to start her hatching a new batch when these other 2 come out but not if its going to be bad for her.

 

[Judy]

I wouldn't do it myself. I imagine you'd have trouble getting a broody to sit on eggs when she hears chicks peeping.

 

[Roree-23]

I tried to do it few years ago and the hen quit at day 19 and would not go back at all. It might work, and she might be fine physically but I wouldn't want to risk it myself.

 

[wingsofglory]

I found the hen dead on the nest nearly at the end of the second hatch. No predator violence or anything - just dead, lalid over.

 

[Sjisty]

I think it would be too much for her.

 

[deerman]

Alot of us peafowl breeder use ,broody chicken hens to set on peafowl egg for 3 months, change out eggs weeky. I use game hens, as long as the hen are eating, less stress on them than egg laying for months.

now in your case , if she hear chicks hatching ,yes they may leave the nest.

 

[jeepchick]

She seems to be a good sitter and less of a good mom...the chick she has under her I havent seen her take it up to the food or anything. She is keeping it warm and not being mean to it but just seems to be more attentive to the eggs still under her.

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
Usually mine won't take the chicks to food or water unless all are through hatching. As long as she has peeping coming from the eggs she will sit until they hatch. Usually the chicks are fine without food for a couple of days. If it is really hot, I put the water where she can reach and she will try to get the little ones to drink before all are hatched.

I don't let mine set on more than one clutch, within 2-3 months. It is hard on the birds physically to do one, and am afraid doing several back to back would be too much.

 

[Nestled Chickens]

I can't get my broody hens to stop sitting on eggs... That's all they do all day long. They are free to come and go when they want and sometimes they nest hop, but most of the time they just sit, sit, sit... so I stick eggs under them.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Usually mine won't take the chicks to food or water unless all are through hatching. As long as she has peeping coming from the eggs she will sit until they hatch. Usually the chicks are fine without food for a couple of days. If it is really hot, I put the water where she can reach and she will try to get the little ones to drink before all are hatched.

I don't let mine set on more than one clutch, within 2-3 months. It is hard on the birds physically to do one, and am afraid doing several back to back would be too much.

Hens setting is not physially, more of a resting time before chicks hatch. The egg laying is the time that is physially on a hen. Chicken not like mammals, they are not carring their young, having to feed them.