Rotating fertilized eggs under broody

Ladyerat

Chirping
Nov 21, 2015
30
8
69
Pennsylvania
Need some advice from all you seasoned folk. This is our 5th successful year in egg production and I have a nice little flock of 14 hens of various ages and breeds. We've lost a few along the way over the years and each spring I'd buy a peep or two (or 9-chicken math got me bad last year). We also have 2 Cayuga and 2 Pekin ducks who live happily with their sisters.
Late last fall, a friend offered us her young 7month old roo (there was bad blood between him and his father). A handsome EE cross, we named him Handsome Jack. He was already a very big boy when we got him and tho he had never crowed while under the Dominion of his dad, once he realized he was in his own new flock, his pride came thru...LOUDLY. Lol, within the 1st hour of being in his new home. Needless to say, there were a few ruffled feathers as our lead hen, Goldie, was having none of it.
Things have settled quite nicely as the new pecking order has been established and in late winter Jack turned his, ahem, attentions to his ladies. He's bred almost all of them and I can tell which are his favorites. Their saddles give evidence. I don't think Goldie has deigned to allow it yet.
After all that here's my question...
I waited until the last of winter was well gone before I tried leaving any eggs out. We knew for sure he'd been successful when we started finding the random blood spot or bull's eye. Out of all the girls I've only got one broody. Evana is taking her job seriously. A few of the hens are still laying what I hope are fertilized eggs. I'm keeping the white and green eggs under her (5-6total)but I have eggs I'd like to put under her but they are 2-5days old. My friend suggested pulling the ones that Evana has been setting and stick the new ones under her until the days match up and then put the original batch back in with the new batch so they all hatch together.
Is this possible? This is our 1st year for fertilized eggs so this part is still very untried territory. If it is, what should I be doing with the previously incubated eggs? All told we'd only have about 12 new babies and that's assuming a 100% hatch.
 
Need some advice from all you seasoned folk. This is our 5th successful year in egg production and I have a nice little flock of 14 hens of various ages and breeds. We've lost a few along the way over the years and each spring I'd buy a peep or two (or 9-chicken math got me bad last year). We also have 2 Cayuga and 2 Pekin ducks who live happily with their sisters.
Late last fall, a friend offered us her young 7month old roo (there was bad blood between him and his father). A handsome EE cross, we named him Handsome Jack. He was already a very big boy when we got him and tho he had never crowed while under the Dominion of his dad, once he realized he was in his own new flock, his pride came thru...LOUDLY. Lol, within the 1st hour of being in his new home. Needless to say, there were a few ruffled feathers as our lead hen, Goldie, was having none of it.
Things have settled quite nicely as the new pecking order has been established and in late winter Jack turned his, ahem, attentions to his ladies. He's bred almost all of them and I can tell which are his favorites. Their saddles give evidence. I don't think Goldie has deigned to allow it yet.
After all that here's my question...
I waited until the last of winter was well gone before I tried leaving any eggs out. We knew for sure he'd been successful when we started finding the random blood spot or bull's eye. Out of all the girls I've only got one broody. Evana is taking her job seriously. A few of the hens are still laying what I hope are fertilized eggs. I'm keeping the white and green eggs under her (5-6total)but I have eggs I'd like to put under her but they are 2-5days old. My friend suggested pulling the ones that Evana has been setting and stick the new ones under her until the days match up and then put the original batch back in with the new batch so they all hatch together.
Is this possible? This is our 1st year for fertilized eggs so this part is still very untried territory. If it is, what should I be doing with the previously incubated eggs? All told we'd only have about 12 new babies and that's assuming a 100% hatch.
If she’s if she’s been sitting on them for a few days they have already started forming. They take about 21 to hatch.
 
Understand what you mean, I wouldn’t risk it, either stick with the ones she’s on now or pull and discard for the new batch. 2 to 5 days is a big gap, 1 or 2 days might have been fine just to add the extra eggs. Hope that’s helpful
 
I believe the eggs start develop at around 3 days of incubation. Taking them out from under the broody won't halt development. If the eggs get too cold for too long the embryo will die.

As @Jenngee has stated, you have to either go with the eggs that are under her now or switch all of them out for new ones. You don't want a staggered hatch under a broody; either the early hatched chicks get ignored as she keeps sitting or she abandons the last eggs to care for the chicks.
 

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