Need Advice (Incubator + Broody Hen)

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KikiDeAnime

KikiDeAnime

Spooky
7 Years
Dec 29, 2017
4,737
11,564
617
Battle Ground, WA
I'm just about ready to buy some hatching eggs from a local lady who is selling me them. I just finished my incubator.
I need some advice. It looks like our hen went broody on Tuesday so it was the day before I came back from my church's college group summer trip on Wednesday.
I was thinking that when I get the hatching eggs soon for my incubator, I might give her 5 out of the 18 eggs but I'm not sure how long she'll be broody as she already went broody last month and was only broody for a few days with a couple of a eggs I forgot to bring in. She seems to only be broody for a couple days before going back to normal.

She's a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte. (One of the 3 in my profile picture)

I need advice on if it would be okay to put the eggs in the incubator if she decides to no longer be broody. Will it be fine to move them inside very quickly or will that lessen the chance of them hatching?
 
I would be inclined to give her half of the eggs as it sounds as if you have never used this incubator. Both the hen and the incubator are unproven. If she breaks broodiness you can put the eggs in the incubator, and if they are viable they will remain viable if the incubator is operating properly. Good luck. Arrange things so that her flock mates can not interfere with the incubation.
 
With an unproven incubator, I'm not sure..... I would go with the broody hen and see if she sets it through to hatch day, if she stops anywhere before that time you can grab the eggs and throw them in the incubator. The problem with that is you have to keep checking on the hen to see if she ditches the eggs or not, and it possibly could happen overnight. I dunno, I think doing what you wrote will be what I will choose.... a couple for the hen and the rest in the incubator.
 
Shamo Hybrid said:
With an unproven incubator, I'm not sure..... I would go with the broody hen and see if she sets it through to hatch day, if she stops anywhere before that time you can grab the eggs and throw them in the incubator. The problem with that is you have to keep checking on the hen to see if she ditches the eggs or not, and it possibly could happen overnight. I dunno, I think doing what you wrote will be what I will choose.... a couple for the hen and the rest in the incubator.
Click to expand...
Since she's being kept inside during the heat wave, I'd be able to check on her constantly throughout the day.
 
KikiDeAnime said:
UPDATE:
I'm actually going to get her chicks today to raise. I'm getting 2 Blue Wyandottes and 1 Ancona.
Click to expand...
That's cool.... just save your incubator for next time. Actually, can I have your incubator? My hen is currently still laying her clutch of eggs and this is my first time ever..... not sure if my hen will go broody after she's done depositing eggs or I will need to hatch the eggs myself with an incubator. Anyway, I do hope she goes broody because I don't want to lose any eggs due to my inexperience.
 
Shamo Hybrid said:
That's cool.... just save your incubator for next time. Actually, can I have your incubator? My hen is currently still laying her clutch of eggs and this is my first time ever..... not sure if my hen will go broody after she's done depositing eggs or I will need to hatch the eggs myself with an incubator. Anyway, I do hope she goes broody because I don't want to lose any eggs due to my inexperience.
Click to expand...
I'm still going to use my incubator either next week or the week after as I'm currently asking the lady about the eggs I'm buying.
 

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