Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[stonykill]

have you ever give chicks to a hen who already has chicks?

all the time. The way I said above. At night when her chicks are 3 days old or less.

 

[Johnn]

Im going to have to make a decsision on if im going to do ducklings or hens, it depends if i loose any hens before hand. If i have to hens on eggs, i will give one ducklings and one chicks

 

[Johnn]

all the time. The way I said above. At night when her chicks are 3 days old or less.

Thats great i wonder if a hen can tell the difference between a duckling and a chick...

 

[stonykill]

Thats great i wonder if a hen can tell the difference between a duckling and a chick...

quite a few on this thread have hatched ducklings with chicken broodys and done well.

 

[Johnn]

Yeah but im thinking if i decided to hatch both chicks and ducklings with a hen would she notice the difference and reject the ducklings?

 

[stonykill]

Yeah but im thinking if i decided to hatch both chicks and ducklings with a hen would she notice the difference and reject the ducklings?

ducks take a week longer to hatch so you would need to start the duck eggs a week earlier

 

[Johnn]

Oh thanks, i never knew that i thaught it was 21 days....

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I can move the rooster until the babies hatch and are a few days old, and then switch her to the tractor. It has to be done eventually, shes not in a good place for me to be able to feed and water easily, plus she cannot currently get out to run with the babies.

That's what I would do, don't risk moving the mama at this point. When she's done hatching it might be alot easier after she's bonded with the chicks.

 

[Kassaundra]

I just discovered my one lone broody raised nn chick also definately carries the scaleless gene!!!!

Now I need to get more eggs to hatch since I just have the one scaleless chick.

 

[farmer boy]

day 17 this is taking forever ... first time hatch with broody hen ... i hope most hatch out .. how many eggs can a bantam have ??