Moving Duck Eggs from Incubator to Newly Broody Hen

[CTBirdGirl]

Has anyone ever moved incubator eggs to a broody hen? I have duck eggs at Day 14 (1/2 incubation of 28 days) and my very dedicated bantam Cochin went broody yesterday. I know she will do a much better job than my incubator but I’m wondering if the ‘stress’ of taking the egg from the incubator and moving it under the hen will be too much for it? I’m weighing the pros and cons of the temporary disturbance of walking it out to the chicken nesting box vs leaving it in the artificial incubator.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've never done that with duck eggs but I have with chicken eggs. Are you sure that Cochin is broody? I usually wait a couple of days to make sure. She is a bantam, can she cover all the eggs?

As long as you don't juggle or bounce the eggs to where you shake them, it should not matter. You should be fine.

 

[Cheery]

Has anyone ever moved incubator eggs to a broody hen? I have duck eggs at Day 14 (1/2 incubation of 28 days) and my very dedicated bantam Cochin went broody yesterday. I know she will do a much better job than my incubator but I’m wondering if the ‘stress’ of taking the egg from the incubator and moving it under the hen will be too much for it? I’m weighing the pros and cons of the temporary disturbance of walking it out to the chicken nesting box vs leaving it in the artificial incubator.

Yes lots of times! Yes easy! Do it at night! She will have no idea the eggs are different. She’ll come off the brood when they start to hatch.