Letting a hen take care of chicks??

[aart]

I just lost my rooster and my hens have just started laying. I haven't found another RIR rooster and have read that the hens carry the sperm for 3 to 4 weeks. I was thinking about getting a small incubator and hatch some eggs. I was wondering about they hens accepting the chicks after they are hatched and introduced to the flock. My hens are not broody and after reading what you've said I'm re-thinking that!

If a hen is truly broody she could hatch the fertile eggs for you..... or if hen has been broody for a couple weeks they might accept day old chicks
But if no hen is broody by the time the eggs hatch in the incubator you will have to raise the chicks in a brooder and integrate them into the flock when they are big enough.