I've got a cochin bantam hen brooding six Silkie eggs. I also set six matching eggs in an incubator 1 day after giving the first six to the bantam. I wondered if it were possible to give the incubator chicks, assuming any of them hatch, to the bantam hen to raise along with the ones she is hatching. If the incubator chicks hatch out within a day or two after hers, can I successfully fool her into thinking the incubator chicks are hers, too?
How might I best do this and is there anything critical to success? Sneak them in at night? Get them under her as soon as they are fluffy and up and walking?
How might I best do this and is there anything critical to success? Sneak them in at night? Get them under her as soon as they are fluffy and up and walking?