Two Broody Hens!

[farm&countrygirl]

I don't really understand how to use this website, since I just joined. But if I think I know what I'm doing, which is posting?, then I have a few questions. I have always had chicks but I have always gotten them from someone else or ordered them. Just this summer I got an incubator and hatched 17 little babys. Unfortunetly they all were all recently killed by what we think to be a coyote. I was just thinking about ordering some when 4 days ago I found a broody hen. Coincidently the day before I found her I seperated the Rooster from the hen due to just being mean and abuseful to all the hen, so most likley her eggs are unfertile.Now today I found another hen sitting broody in the box with the other hen. At first I was gonna stop them because the eggs arent furtile but then I thought if I couyld use this to my benefit By having them either hatch me some fertile eggs or being a mother to ordered babys. I know from reading that broody hens should be removed from non-broody hens or the rest of the flock, But do broody hens need to be seperated from other broody hens? Also if I do remove the two hens and let them be broody, should I order fertle eggs and have them hatch them or let them think they are hatching the unfertile eggs and then at night on the correct date swap young ordered chicks for the eggs? Please reply, I would very much appreciate your input

 

[Imp]

First off Welcome to BYC.

I gotta say I have never hatched eggs, so my info may not be accurate.
I believe that I have read that eggs are fertile for weeks after a rooster is removed.

Some people do move broody hens to a seperate area.

You may want to ask this same question in the hatching forum, you might get more hatching people to notice. Or click the report button and ask a staff member to move this thread to that forum.

Glad you are here.

Imp

 

[farm&countrygirl]

Thank you, I think I got it all pretty well understood now