Putting fertile eggs under a brooch hen questions

[karlamaria]

I would love a different breed of chicken, and I was wondering if I put a fertilized egg under my buff orphington when and if she or her sister go brooch will they hatch the eggs? If so will she raise them in the coop along with the other females or will I need to raise them until they get big then re- introduce the chicken when it's. Pullet. I know these must sound like dumb questions to you all, but I'm new to chickens. I have 5 pulleys soon to lay. 2 buff O and 3 asterlorps . we plan ones-doing the coop this fall and making it twice the size it is now.

 

[kuntrygirl]

If you place fertile eggs under your broody hen, she should happily accept the eggs and the fertile eggs should hatch. I usually slip eggs under my broody at night. They have always accepted more eggs. Buffs are great mothers. You mention something about raising them in a coop with other females? What other females? Broody hens? I never put my hens and newly hatched chicks with any other chickens. I don't risk the possibility of the other hens getting jealous and trying to steal or injure the new babies and you don't want the new mother to be nervouse or jumpy around the other hens being around her babies. If she feels that her babies are threatened, she will attack the other chickens or any other animal. If you have a separate brooder or another place to house the mama and babies, I would advise you do that. The broody hen will raise her babies.

I hope that this helps you.

 

[chickenlips1954]

I've always left my broody hens in the coop with all of the chickens when their eggs hatch. That way the new chicks are integrated into the flock and are not picked on as "newbies" if they were to be added later. My broody mamas are always very protective and they make sure the other hens stay away from their chicks. The one thing that I always do when I know the eggs are hatching is move the mama and eggs (or newly hatched chicks) into their own wood box (on it's side/straw in it) on the floor and turn it halfway towards the back corner so that the mama has some privacy and the chicks are semi out of sight for a few days. This way the other hens can hear the chicks, but leave them alone. I also put a small waterer and feeder next to the box for the mama and chicks. By the time the mama brings the chicks out to explore the coop and outside, in 4-5 days, the other hens are used to hearing them and leave them alone.
As far as broody hens hatching out eggs, my broody hens motto is "the more the merrier!" They will sit on any size and any color egg and happily hatch out standard or banty chicks as their own. I've had standard hens hatch out banty chicks and banty hens hatch out standard chicks.

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree with the above post, chicks under the protection of a broody hen, become part of the flock. Both the layers and the chicks get wise. This has been critically important for me this time. I let my flock free range and a predator got my broody hen.

Normally you could not have a flock of laying hens, and 4 week old chicks together. The older hens would harass and kill the younger chicks. But as they are already a flock, there has been no problems. I do have hide outs in my run, I do have roosts, and obstacles in my run, so that the chicks can get away, but they are seldom bothered.

Raising chicks with a broody hen is a wonderful way of doing so, and if you keep her with the flock there are NO integration issues. Itegration problems of new birds to an established flock make up a large percentage of the posts here.

MrsK

 

[kuntrygirl]

I wish that I could leave my broody hens with the others but it has proven be a catastrophy in the past.

I have too many chickens (100+ (and ducks and turkeys and geese - almost 200 animals)) and the flock all share nesting boxes. They would get in the nesting box with her and disturb her and lay eggs in her nesting box and I would have to go in and remove those eggs every day and disturb her even more. Once the babies were hatched, the other hens would try to steal the babies or kill them. One broody hen would not be able to take on a flock of 100 chickens to protect her babies and herself, so this is why I have made special individual brooders that I place my broody hens in when the go broody, so they have peace of mind. As the chicks grow older, they are placed in a grow out pen along with the mama. Once they get older and are able to care for themselves, they are allowed to mingle with the other flock. There are really no problems when they integrate. They free range on 2 acres of land so they have enough room to roam and do their own thing.

I have a different and unusual set up being as though the nesting boxes are inside of a large chicken house with no run and the roosts are in another location, so the chickens go back and forth.

I think everyone's situation will be different and we will hear different opinions about what works.

 

[Mrs. K]

without a doubt 100 hens is going to be different than my dozen.

Without stealing the post, I am curious, are they one large flock, or do they split into groups.

100 hens! wow that is serious chicken math!

MrsK

 

[triplepurpose]

I recommend readin this article: http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

 

[kuntrygirl]

Mrs. K :

without a doubt 100 hens is going to be different than my dozen.

Without stealing the post, I am curious, are they one large flock, or do they split into groups.

100 hens! wow that is serious chicken math!

MrsK

Yes, I do have a few split groups. And yea, it's serious chicken math. It's crazy!