Separate broody and chick from remaining eggs?

[LazyOakes]

I've had a broody hen siting on a large clutch of eggs. A few of the other hens have added eggs over the past few weeks, so unfortunately, they are not all the same age and I did not mark the original ones. I was just about to give up on her eggs as she was not on the nest last night when I closed up the coop for the evening, but I found her with a single chick this morning and she is back on the nest with the chick. I planned to move her and any chicks to separate them from the rest of the flock once they hatched, but am wondering how long I should wait. I'm assuming that she was off the nest last night because this chick hatched and moved, and I just didn't notice her sitting on it.

Should I give it another 24 hours and see if anything else will hatch? If she did not stay on the nest last night, will any remaining developing embryos have died? Should I move her with the remaining eggs? Would it be possible for more to hatch within the coming weeks, and if so, would she take care of those chicks too?

Thanks!

 

[donrae]

I'd leave her alone until she leaves the nest with the babies to show them food and water. This is usually 2ish days after the first chick hatches. she may go back to the same nest to brood her chicks or she may pick a different spot, either way she's not usually on the nest enough to give the remaining eggs the heat they need to finish developing. Once she leaves on her own, I'd take the remaining eggs and do whatever you plan to do with them, incubate or dispose of them. I've had okay luck adding late hatchers I incubated back to the hen for a few days, after about 5 days she wouldn't take any more chicks and the ones that hatched after that I simply brooded.

Is there a reason you need to separate her from the flock? I've had broodies raise chicks in the flock all the time and it's gone well.

And I'm sure you've figured this out by now, but next time mark the clutch you want her to incubate. Check under her every day to remove donated eggs and you'll have all your chicks hatch at once, instead of this staggered issue.

 

[LazyOakes]

Thanks for the advice. This hen started setting while I was in the hospital having a baby, and so I was a little late to notice that she was even broody, and subsequently more preoccupied than usual to keep close track of her nest. I will definitely be marking the eggs next time.

I have never let a broody raise chicks with my flock, so I don't know how they will react and if the chick will be safe. A few hens were investigating the nest this morning and mom was very protective and the hens backed off, but I just don't know how things will play out. Additionally, I use electric net fencing outside, and the holes in the fence are large enough for a chick to fit through. How close an eye will mom her chicks once she starts taking them outside? Since I'm busy enough with my own new baby, I would be happy to keep the chick with the flock and let mom take care of it, but also don't want to endanger the baby.

 

[donrae]

I also had a hen go broody while I was in the hospital (not having a baby, though!) and when I came home I thought she'd died, cause I couldn't find her. Thankfully, she made her nest in a secluded place where the other hens didn't lay, so all her chicks hatched around the same time. All my other broodies tend to want to set in the most popular nest box, so I have to pull eggs out every single day.

In my experience, the broody momma does a great job of protecting the chicks. If she's the absolute Omega in the flock you might have some issues, but otherwise the other hens learn quickly to leave her and her littles alone. I've never had a rooster attack chicks either, in fact my roosters are always protective of the chicks and love finding food for them. It's one of those "you have to try it and see how it goes" things. I do agree the electric fence will be an issue, though. Chicks will run right through that. At first the hen will keep them close, but even by a few weeks they're ranging a fair distance from momma.

Congratulations on your new baby

 

[song of joy]

I let my broody hen raise chicks with the flock. They have access to a fenced chicken yard, with the openings in the fence being 2 x 3". The chicks move in and out of the fence but stay within a couple feet of mom until they're at least 3 weeks old. Even then, they quickly dart through the fence when she calls them and typically stay within 5 to 10 feet of her.