Should I Let Her Hatch Eggs?

[danielkbrantley]

AHHH!!! HELP!

My broody is still with the fertilized egg, but...she's not exactly laying ON the egg. She's kind of leaning up against it. This is day 18, so maybe she's just smarter than I am and realizes how to keep it the perfect temp without actually being on it, but I need to know if I should take the egg and try to finish it in the incubator, let her finish up and see what happens, or go buy a day-old chick and slip it under her at night.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[aart]

AHHH!!! HELP!

My broody is still with the fertilized egg, but...she's not exactly laying ON the egg. She's kind of leaning up against it. This is day 18, so maybe she's just smarter than I am and realizes how to keep it the perfect temp without actually being on it, but I need to know if I should take the egg and try to finish it in the incubator, let her finish up and see what happens, or go buy a day-old chick and slip it under her at night.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

I'd leave it be...let her finish.

What is your climate?
Putting your location in your profile can help folks give better answers/suggestions.

 

[danielkbrantley]

I'd leave it be...let her finish.

What is your climate?
Putting your location in your profile can help folks give better answers/suggestions.

I'll do that. And I'm in Cleveland, Tennessee (gonna update my location immediately - didn't think of that perk). It's been warm lately - in the high 70s/low 80s, but it's topping out at 70 today.

 

[danielkbrantley]

I'll do that. And I'm in Cleveland, Tennessee (gonna update my location immediately - didn't think of that perk). It's been warm lately - in the high 70s/low 80s, but it's topping out at 70 today.

And thanks so much for the response and help!

 

[danielkbrantley]

Today's a big day - day 20! I've just got one more question. How long should I let her sit on the egg? If it doesn't hatch tomorrow (day 21), do I give it another day? 2 days? Week? I'm really hoping this egg will hatch, but if it doesn't, I'd like the surrogate mother to get back to laying. I'll go buy a day-old chick and slip it under her if needed. Just curious when to end the drama (assuming it goes past tomorrow).

 

[aart]

Today's a big day - day 20! I've just got one more question. How long should I let her sit on the egg? If it doesn't hatch tomorrow (day 21), do I give it another day? 2 days? Week? I'm really hoping this egg will hatch, but if it doesn't, I'd like the surrogate mother to get back to laying. I'll go buy a day-old chick and slip it under her if needed. Just curious when to end the drama (assuming it goes past tomorrow).

Already answered ;-)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1101564/should-i-let-her-hatch-eggs/10#post_16963117

She most likely won't start laying again until after she weans the chick...could be a couple weeks, could 8 weeks....you won't know until you see an egg.

 

[danielkbrantley]

Already answered ;-)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1101564/should-i-let-her-hatch-eggs/10#post_16963117

She most likely won't start laying again until after she weans the chick...could be a couple weeks, could 8 weeks....you won't know until you see an egg.

So much info on here! Thanks for repeating it though. Hahaha...

All the best

 

[danielkbrantley]

So...checked the egg this morning. It's just an egg. No pipping... I know you said wait until Wednesday to see if it hatches out, but if it doesn't pip this afternoon/evening, should I go ahead and secure a chick to slip under her tonight late? And regardless of how the chick gets there, how do I make food available to the chick? Keep the chick and mom isolated a while and have starter feed available and regular for the hen?

 

[aart]

So...checked the egg this morning. It's just an egg. No pipping... I know you said wait until Wednesday to see if it hatches out, but if it doesn't pip this afternoon/evening, should I go ahead and secure a chick to slip under her tonight late? And regardless of how the chick gets there, how do I make food available to the chick? Keep the chick and mom isolated a while and have starter feed available and regular for the hen?

You could stick a day old chick under there tonite...timing can be important...the chicks must be only 1-2 days old (the younger the better) so they will bond to the hen, any older and it might not stay under the hen.

I'd get more than one chick, because if the hen won't accept the chicks you'll have to brood them in a brooder and it's hard to brood just one....it would NOT be happy alone.

I hope you're reading up on this in other place than this thread...there are many ways to handle it....reading some others experience would be helpful.

The hen can eat starter.....I feed all my birds starter/grower/finisher/ what ever without calcium and provide oyster shells for the layers.

 

[danielkbrantley]

You could stick a day old chick under there tonite...timing can be important...the chicks must be only 1-2 days old (the younger the better) so they will bond to the hen, any older and it might not stay under the hen.

I'd get more than one chick, because if the hen won't accept the chicks you'll have to brood them in a brooder and it's hard to brood just one....it would NOT be happy alone.

I hope you're reading up on this in other place than this thread...there are many ways to handle it....reading some others experience would be helpful.

The hen can eat starter.....I feed all my birds starter/grower/finisher/ what ever without calcium and provide oyster shells for the layers.

Thanks a million! I have indeed been reading and talking with folks. Trying to get as much info as I can so I can be either educated well or confused. Hahaha...