Was gonna try giving my incubated chicks to broody but....

[Wingin It]

So I had a missing hen, thought something had got her since mine are all free range. I had put eggs in the incubator and some have hatched in the past couple days. But about a week after I put them in the incubator my husband found our hen in the hay pile being broody! So I was excited she was found but also that she was broody. And was thinking how awesome it would be to give her these chicks to raise. So just this mornin I tried moving her to a new nest because the hay pile is a bit high for chicks and she wasn't happy about it. She ended up back in her original nest but during her freak out I brought 4 of the eggs in to candle, these eggs were dirty with yolk and feathers stuck to it, picked it off gently best I could. One was at a later stage than the others and I'm not sure what to do about that. There were also 4 eggs that were not dirty that I left out there because she ran off and I was scared I broke her broody and she wouldn't come back to no eggs. So I'm seeing my options as maybe trading these live chicks for her eggs and incubate to see what happens to the ones she's sitting on, or to just raise these ones inside myself and let her continue to do her thing and hope she gets some babies. What do y'all think?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

If they're hatched, I'd give them to her right away. You'd want to keep a close eye on her like you would with any broody to make certain that she doesn't mistaken them for something else. Either way, placing eggs or chicks, you'd want to make certain that your happy were she is.

 

[Wingin It]

One just now hatched in the last half hour, do I take that one to her still wet? The first one hatched Tuesday, then 3 yesterday and now one today. I don't know what's going me so nervous. Do I just pop them in the best by her and see what happens. Then I was thinking I could move them and her to a new nest after instincts kick in? It's chilly where I live so I think that's what has me most nervous.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I'd slip them under her as is. Just remember: Watch her closely! I've had a broody kill her own chicks before, so for the first few hours, or until you know that your broody is good with the chicks, watch her. If you see any pecking of the chicks within the first few hours remove them all immediately. If she's good with them, and isn't pecking them, then they're all good. Once the chicks are older, the broody will punish naughty chicks which is fine as long as she's not being too rough. I put a seven week old Barred Rock pullet under a broody once and she accepted it as if it had just hatched. I like to sneak the chicks in so she'll think that she hatched them. Once you've added the chicks, I wouldn't add any more after a day or two when she's left the nest and is teaching them to eat. Any chicks after she's left the nest might be seen as intruders and get pecked to death.

 

[Wingin It]

Thank you! I've decided to keep the incubated chicks inside because the broody is still sitting on eggs so I will just see if they hatch and how she does with them!