Thinking of letting broody hen hatch fertile eggs

[ArizonaNessa]

I have never hatched eggs and I would be a nervous wreck if I even attempted to do the incubator thing. I do however have a very broody standard cochin and I was thinking of giving her some fertile eggs. If I were to purchase fertile eggs, do I need to do anything special to the eggs before I place them under her like let them rest for a time period or can I just open the package and put them under her and hope for the best?

 

[unionwirewoman]

I'll tell you my only experience on this . My banty turken is VERY broody , so my sweet hubby decided to put an egg under her . She hatched it out......we actualy had to intervene because it wasn't pipping through the shell like it should . Long story short..We took it away from "momma" because she was freaked out by it . It lasted about 2 weeks....not sure why it died...it did have diahrea the last day though . I would try hatching them out under your broody. I plan on doing it since we built our new area . I think people forget sometimes that chickens CAN actually hatch thier own chickies ....as long as they're in a safe place ! Put your broody in a nice comfortable spot...wait for about 21 days , and see what happens . JMHO . Good luck if you try it !

So sorry....I didn't read your whole post before I replied . Just set them under there . Nothing better for hatching a chick than the real chicken ! Just make sure to mark down on the calendar when you set them in !

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Thanks! I gave her a day old from my shipment from the hatchery some time back and she was the best momma ever. I was so proud of her but now the chick is all grown up and gone and she is broody again and I don't have any shipments coming anytime soon and I don't like the feed store ones. I think I am going to get some eggs and try it. I mean whats the worst that could happen? They don't hatch? Well she didn't have any to start with. I guess you can't lose what ya don't have. LOL

 

[hatchcrazzzy]

buy eggs locally you will have better luck try craigs list

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Actually I was thinking of ordering them from my pet chicken so I would know what they were. Do you think that is a bad idea? I don't mind looking on Craigslist. Do you think I should skip the shipping thing and just go pick them up instead?

 

[unionwirewoman]

The worst is losing what you don't miss...the best is getting chickies that your hen hatched out by herself !!! How cool is that !!! I lived in Phoenix for a year completing my assc. degree in HVAC , then moved to Flagstaff to work for 8 months . How can you stand the heat down there ?!!

Sorry...kinda got off track..I'll have to post pics of the brooders we have set up ( actually I posted a thread up here a couple weeks ago ) We have a 10'x12' coop that we built a brooder/new chickie area . It's sectioned off as to where we can slide a bord to give them the whole area , or keep it seperate .

PS...I LOVE Sedona....too bad it's all older people who live there , ans they don't sell land there anymore . My inlaws live in Yuma and are heading up here next weekend . SNOWBIRDS !

 

[ArizonaNessa]

The heat is not bad if you are equipped! Must have green screen, misters, fans, ice, water, evap cooler AND most importantly AIR CONDITIONING!!!! After all that 120 degrees in the shade don't seem so bad.

 

[dancingbear]

Shipped eggs often have damaged air cells. That can make them difficult or impossible to hatch. They often won't hatch if set horizontally, like a normal egg would be under a hen. If you want to put eggs under a broody, I'd try to find some locally, so you can avoid shipping damage.

Besides all that, once you pay for the eggs, and pay shipping, you're looking at anywhere from around $15 or a lot more, for a dozen eggs. I have some shipped eggs in the 'bator now, it doesn't look like any are going to hatch at all. They all had bad air cells, from the shipping.

 

[allaboutdemchicks]

I think it's important to find a breed you really want, find someone who knows how to pack well, and just give it a whirl if you can't find someone local.

Broody hens are the best incubators to be found, and when the eggs hatch, you don't have to worry with a brooder box either. And, watching that momma with those little babies, well, that's just priceless.

Claudia