I am BRAND NEW with chickens. I bought an entire flock from someone, all different kinds. She had 1 "brooding" orpington who had gone in a cat carrier and refused to come out but wasn't sure how many eggs were under her. I took carrier and all and much to my disappointment when I was able to get her raised up, realized there were no eggs under her. I had about 4 eggs that had been layed by someone else, don't know who, so I just stuck them under my new hen. She took to them immediately. They should be hatched by the end of the month. A couple days later I stuck a few more under her...bigger eggs obviously from a different bird. A day or so later, shoved a few more eggs under her. She is sitting like a champ. Read about the whole "candleing" thing and thought I'd give it a try with the first original 4 eggs. Thought I was going to cry. There are babies in them. But then I realized, having put the eggs under her on different days, when/if the first ones hatch, will she take care of the chicks AND continue to sit on the remaining eggs? If not, what should I do?
Usually if you remove the chicks as soon as they h atch the hen will continue to set. The longer you leave the chicks the less likely she will continue.
Remove them and bring them in the ouse w/ heat right? Don't want to sound TOTALLY stupid, but want to make sure I do everything right.
I agree with the other posts. As soon as the chicks hatch take them away. Do you have an incubator in case she decides to quit on the other eggs? Did you mark the eggs? Just curious?
I am getting an incubator, and I only marked the first eggs, but know that the remaining should be due within the following week. I'm so excited I can't stand it!!
From what I understand the "egg"s are designed to "wait on the hen to lay a clutch. SO until she "sits tight" they wont START up...but if she is sitting tight already and you are still putting more eggs under her each day they will have different Due dates. You can take the chicks as soon as she hatches them and keep them in a safe warm draft free spot with ACCESS to a heat lamp...try not to cook em...a common mistake evidently I made my own self! lol. Then when she is done hatching everyone out, that night quetly slip the other babies back under her, she will already know their little voices hehehe. Good luck! Everyone on here is so good with problems....best place ever to get help!
