Never had fertile eggs for my Broody hen before.

[DEBRA56]

She has been Broody for 1 week now & I usually take her off the nest to drink, eat & poop at least once a day. Want to get fertilized eggs from my friend today to try & have a few chicks, no more than 4. What are your experiences with this. I have 5 hens total and they are approaching 5 years old. Will others peck chicks to death? I know it take 21 days for eggs to hatch. Thoughts please? Thank you

 

[SueT]

She has been Broody for 1 week now & I usually take her off the nest to drink, eat & poop at least once a day. Want to get fertilized eggs from my friend today to try & have a few chicks, no more than 4. What are your experiences with this. I have 5 hens total and they are approaching 5 years old. Will others peck chicks to death? I know it take 21 days for eggs to hatch. Thoughts please? Thank you

You don’t have to take her off the nest, she’ll do it by herself just fine, as needed.
Do the others try to bother her in the nest? Or is she able to keep it to herself? When you get the eggs, mark them, so you’ll be sure which are the ones you want to hatch. In case anyone else sneaks an egg in there, remove it.
I have separated new moms with their chicks right after hatching and given them their own ‘apartment’ for a while. But if she is high enough in the pecking order, maybe she’ll protect them just fine. Whether the others bother them or not just depends.
Youll have to make sure your area is ‘baby proof’ by having waterer they can’t drown in, feeder they can access etc.
I have a broody that I am allowing to stay w flock. She’s pretty high in the pecking order, so I think it will work out. She’s on day 11.
Good luck! Keep us updated!

 

[DEBRA56]

You don’t have to take her off the nest, she’ll do it by herself just fine, as needed.
Do the others try to bother her in the nest? Or is she able to keep it to herself? When you get the eggs, mark them, so you’ll be sure which are the ones you want to hatch. In case anyone else sneaks an egg in there, remove it.
I have separated new moms with their chicks right after hatching and given them their own ‘apartment’ for a while. But if she is high enough in the pecking order, maybe she’ll protect them just fine. Whether the others bother them or not just depends.
Youll have to make sure your area is ‘baby proof’ by having waterer they can’t drown in, feeder they can access etc.
I have a broody that I am allowing to stay w flock. She’s pretty high in the pecking order, so I think it will work out. She’s on day 11.
Good luck! Keep us updated!

Thank you for that Sue T. Now my worry is that there might be roosters in eggs I get from a friend, don't want that...

 

[Chickenwingwing]

Thank you for that Sue T. Now my worry is that there might be roosters in eggs I get from a friend, don't want that...

Give them away, sell, eat, many options!

 

[SueT]

Thank you for that Sue T. Now my worry is that there might be roosters in eggs I get from a friend, don't want that...

There will definitely be males, probably half of them. Here’s another option. When she’s been broody about 3 weeks, buy some day old baby chicks (Pullets) and slip them under her at night. Hens will usually adopt chicks at this point.

 

[DEBRA56]

You don’t have to take her off the nest, she’ll do it by herself just fine, as needed.
Do the others try to bother her in the nest? Or is she able to keep it to herself? When you get the eggs, mark them, so you’ll be sure which are the ones you want to hatch. In case anyone else sneaks an egg in there, remove it.
I have separated new moms with their chicks right after hatching and given them their own ‘apartment’ for a while. But if she is high enough in the pecking order, maybe she’ll protect them just fine. Whether the others bother them or not just depends.
Youll have to make sure your area is ‘baby proof’ by having waterer they can’t drown in, feeder they can access etc.
I have a broody that I am allowing to stay w flock. She’s pretty high in the pecking order, so I think it will work out. She’s on day 11.
Good luck! Keep us updated!

I have the 6 fertile eggs now in a nice nesting box & her in a separate enclosure and she is PISSED. Will wait for tonight to make sure she is on that nest. I hope anyway...

 

[DEBRA56]

There will definitely be males, probably half of them. Here’s another option. When she’s been broody about 3 weeks, buy some day old baby chicks (Pullets) and slip them under her at night. Hens will usually adopt chicks at this point.

I wondered about that. Have you done that and did it work???

 

[SueT]

I have only read about successful adoption stories here on BYC. To increase the odds of it working, the hen should be broody for the whole 3 weeks, and the chicks as young as possible. But it’s good to have a plan B just in case.
Well you’ve got the eggs, good luck!

 

[DEBRA56]

You don’t have to take her off the nest, she’ll do it by herself just fine, as needed.
Do the others try to bother her in the nest? Or is she able to keep it to herself? When you get the eggs, mark them, so you’ll be sure which are the ones you want to hatch. In case anyone else sneaks an egg in there, remove it.
I have separated new moms with their chicks right after hatching and given them their own ‘apartment’ for a while. But if she is high enough in the pecking order, maybe she’ll protect them just fine. Whether the others bother them or not just depends.
Youll have to make sure your area is ‘baby proof’ by having waterer they can’t drown in, feeder they can access etc.
I have a broody that I am allowing to stay w flock. She’s pretty high in the pecking order, so I think it will work out. She’s on day 11.
Good luck! Keep us updated!

So I started with Six fertile eggs but now have 3. You think she did this for a reason? Thanks

 

[SueT]

So I started with Six fertile eggs but now have 3. You think she did this for a reason? Thanks

Did what? What happened to the other 3?