Just put eggs under my broody*SHE IS NOT VERY NICE* Please help! PICS

[magoochie]

I have had a broody for about 2 1/2 weeks now. I kept taking the eggs away from her because I have 2 incubators full and dont really want anymore chicks.

She has been pecking at me and just being a NOT VERY NICE CHICKEN! lol. She even drew blood one day when i wasnt wearing gloves.

So one of my incubators was set to go into lockdown today at noon. I put 6 of those eggs in with her this morning. They are a barnyard mix from my flock. Including some of her eggs.

She was not happy that I opened the lid to even look at her, let alone try to give her a few eggs. She pecked at one egg pretty hard, so I hope she didnt break the shell.

Has anyone ever tried this before? Sticking eggs under a broody just a day or 2 before they are due to hatch?

Advise is appreciated!

 

[Happy Chooks]

With leather gloves, I'd lift her up with 1 hand and slip the eggs under her with the other hand, then lower her on the eggs.

 

[srsmith69]

I've had success and failure. It depends on the hen. I've had them hatch the eggs for me and be great moms. Its always my preference to have a live brooder than an electric brooder.

I've also put purchased/shipped/ delaware eggs that I had begun incubation and really wanted to hatch under a broody. Had two out of 12 hatch. Broody pecked and killed both. Year passes and I put just hatched chicks under a broody that's been sitting for couple weeks. She tucks them under her wings everything looks fine. Go back in a couple hours, and she has pecked and killed three of 10. I think its the same broody that killed my delawares. Why didn't I make notes of this. Think she is also my egg eater since I've found no broken eggs in the nest boxes since she has been broody. She will be chickenn soup by this weekend.

 

[magoochie]

She has settled over the eggs and pancaked herself out nicely. I just hope that when they hatch she doesnt kill them. Time will tell.

I have 13 eggs left in that incubator that are due to hatch as well, so I wont be too upset if something happens. But I will be interested to see how she does with them.

 

[Pinky]

It's usually the mean broodies that make the best mothers

 

[magoochie]

That encouraging!

I just hope she is ready. Those little ones should start popping out within a day or 2!

 

[Pinky]

When they hatch take some photos for us

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've done that very successfully. Often it is easier to work under a broody at night and don't use much light. They are often calmer.

Let me tell you a long messy story from last summer. You may get something out of it.

I had a hen go broody just as I put eggs in the incubator, so I put six eggs under her. In about a week, a black snake ate the eggs out from under the broody but left the plastic eggs I put under her. I let her keep setting on the plastic eggs. I was also down at the coop every half hour for the next two weeks, looking for the snake and gathering all the eggs. The snake did not get anything else to eat and quit coming around.

When the incubator chicks hatched, I put four under her about 10:00 at night, a black, a yellow, and two reds. She woke up the next morning with four chicks under her and accepted them no problem. She stayed on the nest with them that day and the next night, then brought them off the nest early the next morning. I put her in a prepared place and put those four chicks in a box and added 10 more that had hatched in the incubator. I dumped that box of 14 chicks in the prepared area with the hen. She took them all.

In the meantime, I had a chick that I had shrink-wrapped getting the first four out of the incubator but it was still alive. I helped it hatch and let if dry out. Then I put that one chick in the enclosed area, still during daylight, just after lunchtime. She immediately took that chick in. That broody raised all 15 chicks with the flock and never lost one.

Not all broodies will accept chicks like this. I would not have been shocked if she had rejected the last one, but she did not.

With two incubators full, you will probably have many more chicks than that broody can raise, but if you want to slip a few under her at night after hers start to hatch, I think the odds of her accepting them are very good. Just do it at night and realize there is some risk.

Since we like pictures, here is the broody and some of those chicks.

 

[magoochie]

Quote:
Will do!

 

[magoochie]

Well I checked on the broody today again. Looks like 2 of the 6 eggs hatched. 1 egg partially hatched, and then she squished it and killed it. The other 3 I cant tell if they have pipped or not.

She keeps stealing the other hens eggs and putting them under her. I wish I would have moved her before giving her these eggs. I guess I will remember to do that next time.

Here is a few pictures of the crabby mama. Maybe her feather will grow back now that the roosters arent going after her all the time!