Want to hatch some eggs but my girl isn't broody

[danioklahoma]

I'm new. Hi

The other day my Black Australorp, Ellie, was broody in a bad way. We broke her of it and she's fine now. We think we'd like to buy a few fertilzed eggs (French Black Copper Marans) to hatch.

Question: If she's not broody will she sit on the eggs to hatch them? Once they're hatched do we need to remove the chicks or can Ellie mother them on her own?

Thanks!!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Nope. If she's not broody, they'll never hatch.

If you hatch them in an incubator and give the chicks to her when she's not broody, she'll kill the chicks.

 

[danioklahoma]

Goodness! Thank you.
How often do hens go broody?

 

[coyotesmommy]

Well I am not sure, by Australorp Ling Ling, went broody I got her some eggs, and she was a great momma. The only problem is now she want MORE eggs. She went right back to being broody 2 months after the first eggs hatched. Not sure if it is something YOU can turn on and off but I do know they are the ones that decide if the WANT to. If not she wont sit on the eggs and like Happy Chook said they will kill-em if she is not wanting to mamma.

 

[Happy Chooks]

It depends on the hen. Some never go broody, some go broody once a year, some go broody every few months. There's just no way to know.