Q? Can I do a little broody egg swapping?

[Mama2B&D&...Chickens]

I have a broody momma on almost day 14 and then one broody follower (I have the broodiest bunch of chicken EVER) who's slightly a baby to me trying to sit and I tried taking her eggs (they were too small anyways, she lays really small eggs and I try not to let them develop) to see if she was just confused but OH no, she's now sitting also....

Question is, theres 8 under momma 1, can I take two and leave her four and let baby hatch out her other two? We don't need ANY of these chicks so I'd rather get this whole broodiness over with. Lol
Also, will they be ok hatching them out together? Get along? get confused over chicks?

Thanks, still new with all this!

 

[Judy]

You can certainly swap eggs; they won't care that the number, size or even species is different -- you can hatch guinea eggs under a chicken, etc. Leaving them in the same pen can be a bit trickier. I've done it, but they may very well switch nests, return to a nest with no eggs, or swipe eggs from each other. Non-broody hens will also add their eggs to the nest, so marking eggs for hatching is a necessity, so you can remove added ones. When I let broodies set on eggs in the coop with the rest of the flock, I was checking on things several times a day, often rearranging chickens or eggs to keep hatching eggs under broody hens.

 

[Mama2B&D&...Chickens]

Thanks so much! I have the eight marked and was going to make a make shift box for the girls to lay in the other part of their coop so I can separate these two moms out better at least.

Before I've at least had one box free so they'd just lay there but now I'm thinking I better make something temporary for my other 4 girls...THKS...hoping it worked! I gave her one egg last night to see if she would sit and accept it and she did so far and doesn't mind that it's only one I might sneak another in just so well have better odds of at least ONE of those hatching for her. Ugh, crossing fingers! Thanks again!

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Mama2 - Wish you lived closer, like next door. I have a Broody Hen who was sitting on 19 eggs, 4 hatched so far. But at least 6 eggs are only a week & a half old. Need another Broody Mama to finish hatching these eggs when my Broody Mama decides to get off the nest. Did not realize the other hens were laying eggs on top of her.

 

[Mama2B&D&...Chickens]

Ugh, I feel you! I had that happen last hatch and only had one hatch out 6 were behind and I didn't every know...I learned my lesson this time though and marked all these thankfully! I would give you my broody girl for sure, out of only 6 chickens I must have the broodiest group around!