My first broody hen....have a few questions.

[Eagles_View]

Thank YOU all ahead of time....

Here is where I'm at...
I bought a broody hen, who has raised several little ones.
She was transported in a cage for 20 min...was not "stressed out"..did peck the old owner
when they picked her up off the nest...the 3 eggs with her, I kept in my lap.

I put her in her own cage 4' by 6' all wire, with a nest box, food and water..(however it sits inside the buildingwith the other hens), but they can't get to her.....she went right to
the nest and sat on her eggs..next morning, there was another egg...now I have 6 eggs. She
gets off to eat and drink, walks around a little bit and then right back to the nest.

My question is.......can I buy some fertile eggs and slip them under her?
Yes I marked the first 3 eggs....old owner said they "thought" she'd been sitting for about 5 days.
Can I just remove the chicks (if any hatch) and put them in a seperate area with heat lamp, just like
you'd do if you bought them? or is it best to leave them with her?
and.......I read somewhere that any egg is fertile for 10 days after a breeding with a roo...so, if that's
true, won't the eggs she is still laying also hatch?

thank you....this is just way too cool...our foster daughter is gonna be soooooo excited! (like I'm not ha!)

-Eagles View

 

[matthewschickens]

Can I buy some fertile eggs and slip them under her?
If you can get ahold of them.. Sure

She'd like it. Though I'd do it at night.

Can I just remove the chicks (if any hatch) and put them in a seperate area with heat lamp, just like
you'd do if you bought them? or is it best to leave them with her?
Yes, you really can do this.. But I'm somewhat against it because she works so hard and then you're taking the fruit of her labor. I would leave them with her

and.......I read somewhere that any egg is fertile for 10 days after a breeding with a roo...so, if that's
true, won't the eggs she is still laying also hatch?
If she was with a roo within the last 10 days.. ya