So I have a broody who's been sitting on eggs three weeks now. I'm expecting chicks tomorrow. She happened to go broody the very day I started a batch of eggs in my incubator and I have one egg in there pipping just now. So her eggs are imminent.
However, just this afternoon I went out to collect the eggs from other hens and The original broody was sitting on the next nesting box. Alpha Hen of the Pen is now sitting on her eggs. It's just gone dark and I went to check and she is in full broody mode.
Advice?
I can see some options being....
1)take Alpha broody off the eggs and try to put her on a roost for the night and if she is determined to stay broody put some more eggs under her...
2) Take eggs from my incubator and put them under the original broody and let them all hatch and raise chicks together...
3) do I take out the eggs from under Alpha hen and put them back under the original broody?
Any ideas? Fortunately I have two dozen eggs ready to hatch if I need them.
Will the Alpha hen accept chicks that hatch after only a day of sitting? or was that her conniving plan?
its that time of year isn't it?
However, just this afternoon I went out to collect the eggs from other hens and The original broody was sitting on the next nesting box. Alpha Hen of the Pen is now sitting on her eggs. It's just gone dark and I went to check and she is in full broody mode.
Advice?
I can see some options being....
1)take Alpha broody off the eggs and try to put her on a roost for the night and if she is determined to stay broody put some more eggs under her...
2) Take eggs from my incubator and put them under the original broody and let them all hatch and raise chicks together...
3) do I take out the eggs from under Alpha hen and put them back under the original broody?
Any ideas? Fortunately I have two dozen eggs ready to hatch if I need them.
Will the Alpha hen accept chicks that hatch after only a day of sitting? or was that her conniving plan?
its that time of year isn't it?
