Mixing Broody-Hen-Hatched chicks with Incubated chicks?

[mkhenderson17]

I had my first chick ever hatch today!!! It is an adorable little Millie Flure who was hatched out by my broody seibright hen "Maria". This little one hatched out 3 days early! "Maria" still has 5 eggs she is setting on so I put a feeder with chick feed in the coop and a chick water for the chick. I also have 13 eggs left in the incubator (started with 32

) . This is my second attempt at hatching out chicks (first time was a flop).

So anyways getting back on track, My broody Maria's eggs are due Saturday, my incubated eggs are due Monday. Can I put my Incubated chicks with Maria and her chicks?? Will she take care of them? I have a heat lamp in the cage anyways since they are in the basement, its nice and dry just kind of chilly. All the eggs are from bantams. I don't know how many will hatch out of my incubator, but I have One nice big brooder set up. I kind of did not think this ahead lol.

Thanks!
Mandy

 

[mkhenderson17]

My first little Peep hatched out on my farm! Just thought I would post a pic!!!

 

[BroodCoop]

This is exactly what we have been doing. We have our second batch of chicks with a broody and a third broody setting eggs now. The first time around we made every mistake in the book and invented a few new ones. The second broody hatched six out of eight eggs last week. We added incubator chicks and she has 13 running around the yard with her.

13 pullets from the first broody, one hatchling. They are about 10 weeks old. 13 chicks with the second broody about ten days, six hatchlings. A dozen eggs under the third broody. Should hatch about 4/4.

I posted a link here to a set of articles about working with broodies.

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/broody-hens-1.html