Natural egg hatching with hen

[fjrepi]

OK, I'm not seeing what I need. We have 16 hens and an amazing rooster, Giovanni. He is the most impressive individual I have ever known. We have a broody on a bunch Boggs (12 +), who will not be moved and attacks my hand when I attempt to relieve her of some of the eggs.
We've decided to leave her alone. My questions:
1. Will chicks hatch and be cared for, or must I remove them right away?
2. If it's OK to leave them to be raised among the others, what precautions must I take?
3. If I must remove them, when and how? I know how to raise chicks on their own.
4. If the chicks are in danger if left in the main coop, what is a simple home made incubator?

I've been raising them for 2-years, enjoying the fresh eggs. They live in a professionally made, large coop, eat organic feed in the coop, and free range pastures around the coop most of each day. They are locked up at night and protected from predators, even though Giovanni would attack a 609 pound bear if it threatened his flock.

Thx for help.

 

[bobbi-j]

I have a broody setting on eggs right in the main coop with the rest of the flock. She hatched and raised her chick within the flock last year and it worked out great!

You might want to put on some gloves, though, and take the eggs she is currently sitting on and mark them. That way you can remove any extras laid by other hens. Otherwise she may end up with too many to cover properly, resulting in a poor hatch. You would also have what's called a staggered hatch - chicks in different stages of development. The hen usually stays on the nest for 24-48 hours after the first ones hatch, then leaves the nest. With a staggered hatch, that would leave a bunch of partially developed chicks to die.

 

[Sandy001]

I currently have my second bantam hen for the year setting on 7 Barred Rock eggs. When I first noticed she was getting broody I watched her daily for a couple days to see if she was truly going broody, by watching I mean how she acted when the other hens would come near her while setting on her nest, she wasn't happy when they would approached her and her nest, that's when I then gave her a couple fake eggs to set on for a day or so just to make sure she was commented to the nest before I placed the 7 fertile Barred Rock eggs under her, all in all she set from last Sunday, April 23rd until this passed Friday, April 28th on fake eggs at which time I placed the 7 Barred Rock eggs under her, I like knowing when they are to hatch and if all goes will she should hatch all the eggs on Friday, May 19/2017. This hen is in an area 2' x 8' of the main coop that is fenced off from the rest of the hens. I changed her feed from layer to chick grower and finisher and she has access to fresh greens daily and grit. & fresh ACV water daily.

 

[fiddle chicken]

Hi there i have 6 buff eggs that my Silkie is hatching they have around eleven days until they hatch i have taken my chicken away from it's bed outside because i didn't want my other chickens to get the eggs. My question is, is it ok for the chicks to hatch at room temperature? They are under her but what will happen when they hit room temperature air? And also will she keep them warm herself? Thank you so much

 

[bobbi-j]

Hi there i have 6 buff eggs that my Silkie is hatching they have around eleven days until they hatch i have taken my chicken away from it's bed outside because i didn't want my other chickens to get the eggs. My question is, is it ok for the chicks to hatch at room temperature? They are under her but what will happen when they hit room temperature air? And also will she keep them warm herself? Thank you so much

I'm not quite sure what the question is... If she's still on them, they hatch while underneath her and she keeps them warm once they've hatched.

 

[fiddle chicken]

If i keep them indide when they have hatched will they need a heat lamp

 

[bobbi-j]

If i keep them indide when they have hatched will they need a heat lamp

If you take them from the mama, you'll need a brooder and heat lamp for them. At some point you'll have to figure out how to integrate them into the flock. I prefer to leave them with the hen so she can keep them warm and teach them how to be chickens.