Too many eggs for Mama hen

[shishimarie]

I got 15 eggs under my orpington hen right now. but I worried that might be too many. I can take some out (5-7) and incubate them. If I do that could I reintroduce them to mama hen after they hatch. I believe she would accept the new chicks with the ones she sat on. Any thoughts?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You may get a poor hatch rate with too many eggs as there's too many to turn correctly. Anything over 8 seems to be too much.

 

[shishimarie]

You may get a poor hatch rate with too many eggs as there's too many to turn correctly. Anything over 8 seems to be too much.

That’s what I’m thinking. But if I take some from her and incubate them can I return them to her after they hatch? So she would sit on 8 and I would incubate 7

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That’s what I’m thinking. But if I take some from her and incubate them can I return them to her after they hatch? So she would sit on 8 and I would incubate 7

You can if she takes them. She should be able to brood them all, but definitely keep an eye on such a big group.

 

[alexa009]

The bigger the hen, the more eggs she can brood. My cousin's buff orpington hen had a hatch of 12 chicks with 13 eggs.