What is easier, slipping in fertal eggs or borrowing a roo?

[kiya4jah]

For a broody hen, and if I want a few more chickens, is it easier to find ferile eggs and give her a few or should I borrow a roo and have nature do it's thing? I wouldn't mind slipping in a guinea or two as well. What are your thoughts and experiences?

 

[arlee453]

Slip in the eggs.

If you bring in a roo, it will take some time for him to integrate into the flock and being fertilizing the hens. Then you have no way to know if and when your hens will go broody again.

I'd just get eggs and slip them under the broody.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I would just do the fertile eggs too and slip them under her....

 

[speckledhen]

Agreed. Never bring in a strange bird without quarantine. You could be exposing your flock to disease without knowing it.

 

[kellim]

Yep, I agree with just adding fertile eggs. I haven't added a new Roo, I have had the same one for over a year and I raised him from a baby with his girls. We introduced a new male Blue Swedish Duck to my females and it has taken almost a month to get fertile eggs. It actually took over two weeks for them to let him be a part of the group.

 

[Yogiman]

I just yesterday completed hatching the last two of five broody hens. I did not have a roo with them so I brought in fertile eggs and set them. It works fine and is a lot less hassle than having a roo. Plus you can pick and choose the breeds that you want to hatch if the eggs are available to you.