Struggling with hatching eggs and broody hens

[Lulu-vt]

I have 3 broody hens. Between the three of them we let them keep 24 eggs. One hatched 3 days ago. It had been 24 days.

We put one of the hens with the chick in a separate area (still in the coop) so she could mother the chick and have accessibility to food and water easily. The other two broodies are still sitting on eggs in the nesting boxes.

They are not going to hatch now, right? It’s been so long.

I am in contact with someone that is incubating eggs ready to hatch and who also has new chicks. I’d love to substitute a couple of the eggs they are currently sitting on for good fertile eggs so they can hatch their own. (I realize there are risks and it may not happen). Alternatively, I could get some chicks and slip them in and hope that they take them in as their own.

I know this sounds crazy but I want to feel successful.

Please tell me if this works or doesn’t and what the pros and cons are. Do you have experience? Would it work if the new chicks were just born?

 

[Ridgerunner]

If the fertile eggs have been incubated for a while and are scheduled to hatch in another 10 days, you can put them under a broody. She will probably remain broody that long though with living animals I can't give you any guarantees. I'd try that but not if the eggs won't hatch until later than 10 more days.

Pro - Most broodies will stay broody that long and accept chicks that hatch under them.

Con - On rare occasions a broody may not stay broody that long.

Still no guarantees with living animals but if the chicks are less than 3 days old, if you slip them under a broody hen at night after it is dark that has been broody as long as yours have it usually works. I've done that several times. You want the chicks as young as possible.

Pro - Most broodies will accept them.

Con - Occasionally one will not and you have to raise them yourself.

In both cases I think it is worth the risk.

 

[Lulu-vt]

If the fertile eggs have been incubated for a while and are scheduled to hatch in another 10 days, you can put them under a broody. She will probably remain broody that long though with living animals I can't give you any guarantees. I'd try that but not if the eggs won't hatch until later than 10 more days.

Pro - Most broodies will stay broody that long and accept chicks that hatch under them.

Con - On rare occasions a broody may not stay broody that long.

Still no guarantees with living animals but if the chicks are less than 3 days old, if you slip them under a broody hen at night after it is dark that has been broody as long as yours have it usually works. I've done that several times. You want the chicks as young as possible.

Pro - Most broodies will accept them.

Con - Occasionally one will not and you have to raise them yourself.

In both cases I think it is worth the risk.

Thanks for your reply. We’re going to try it! Fingers crossed.