Putting guinea AND chicken eggs under a broody hen

[joker468]

I have a broody hen (just went broody in the past two days). I have some guinea eggs I want to hatch and also want to hatch some chicken eggs. I'm thinking I should put the guinea eggs under her first, wait about 6 or 7 days then put some chicken eggs under her.

While I'm here.....
How long does a hen usually sit on the eggs after the eggs first begin hatching? Let's say she hatches half the eggs over say 2 days and then I see her off the nest with the chicks, will she go back and sit on the eggs and finish hatching? Or is it a clue, she has left the nest with the chicks, she is finished sitting? If the latter is true I could take the remaining eggs from the nest, candle them for signs of life then place them in an incubator? Or does she know the eggs are not going to hatch?

 

[Odelia]

She usually will only sit 1-2 days more after the first chick hatches. Yes you can take the rest of the eggs and put them in an incubator when she leaves the nest. If they are all chicken eggs started at the same time then the likelihood of hatching is low but some will still hatch. If they are not all started at the same time or have different incubation times then you should have better luck hatching more of the clutch. The chicks have the last of the yolk when they are born and can hang out for a day or two when they hatch waiting for their siblings to arrive. After that they need to be taken care. The needs of the hatched chicks out weigh the possibility of hatching more of the clutch. So no she won't generally go back to sit on the nest.

 

[joker468]

Well it's really getting complicated now! another hen went broody on the nest adjacent to the hen I put guinea and chicken eggs under. I was very excited! I have more guinea eggs to incubate. As I gave the second broody eggs I found she had already been given eggs from the first broody. Now I don't know what is going to hatch when? I marked most the eggs is some way under the first hen but not under the second, my bad. I suppose we live and learn. I took all the chicken eggs from under them both and placed them in incubator. My plan now is to candle both nest in about a week and give the most advanced eggs to the first broody. Will they continue to swap eggs with each other? Now knowing the hen will only set maybe 2 days after first chick hatches, will they both leave the nest after the first chick hatches? Or will second hen sit her nest until her first eggs hatch? It looks like I'm going to be sleeping in the chicken hut for about a week when this all starts to fall into place or apart, whichever the case maybe.
Any and all suggestions appreciated.