Should I or shouldn't I?

[briana1975]

I have a broody Buff Orp. She has been broody for 2 weeks now, but it has been so cold in Michigan I didn't want baby chicks hatching in Febuary. Well now it's Febuary and by the time they hatch it will be March, which is starting to warm up but still cold. I have brooders in the basement that could be ready to go for them. Well like the title said should I or shouldn't I let her hatch some eggs? Has she already been broody to long and will she leave the nest to early? Help me decide I have never hatched anything before.

 

[a2ms4chickens]

Being addicted to chickens, as most everyone here is, I say let her hatch some eggs!

It is really a fun experience to see them hatch. If she is a good mama, I'd put her in a separate pen (animal crate, etc) and let her raise her chicks and only use the brooder if you need to. You could also attach a heat lamp onto the pen if it is too cold. The chicks will crawl under her to keep warm.

Good luck!!!

 

[paddock36]

My buff did the same thing and the first bunch of eggs were duds and it seemed I just couldn't break her from being broody. She was determined to hatch those eggs so I got more eggs and she hatched them. I just tried to give her food and water. I say tried because I never saw her eat it except when I was trying to break her from being broody and would take her out of the nest. So to drag out my answer even further I say sure give it a try.

 

[rancher hicks]

Personally I have a Dominique on the nest and I would rather not upset the applecart. I'm going to let her hatch, last I saw was two eggs, so what's the big deal, I say. I want to have broodies so I figure I can move her and/or the chicks at hatch to a brooder. I did that w/ a bantam first timer. She squashed one and I took the other. I just don't want to upset their metabolism. I have plenty of hens for eggs. What if they don't go broody again? I'm not doing so good w/ the incu, so I say let'em brood. You can always stick eggs of your choice of breed under her and take the ones you don't want. I had a Frizzle bantam hatch some Delware eggs. She didn't seem to mind.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

100% absolutely go for it.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

DO IT!!!

 

[Mahonri]

If she has already been setting for 2 weeks I wouldn't do it. 5 weeks is too long for a hen to brood. She may actually give up on the eggs after two weeks.

 

[briana1975]

Quote:
This is the one thing I was worried about. I do have another Buff Orp that is trying to decide if she is gonna go broody or not. Sometimes she will sit for a day and sometimes she won't. She has started to pluck her belly feathers to line a nest box. The thing is last time she was broody for almost 3 months( I couldn't break her) on a fake egg. But she was always getting confused at which nest box to go back in after I would take her out. So she may not be a good canidate to take the eggs over if this on stops sitting.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

I have had many broodies that I have tried to break and ended up giving them eggs and they were fine. I would go for it.

 

[duckluck]

Hatch em, I say!