when do I put ordered fertile eggs under my broody?

[okiecountrygirl]

My eggs will be here in 2 days do I let them rest or put them under my broody right away?

I have 10 more coming in 2 more days I will be putting 1/2 under another broody and 1/2 in a bator I have running right now to stabilize.

If I remember a thread I read... it said to let shipped eggs rest for 1 day before placing them in bator.
Is that correct?

Thank you all so much for your advice..I dont know what I would do without you..

 

[meriruka]

Yes, let them rest for a day pointy side down.

 

[okiecountrygirl]

ty so much Meriruka

 

[Cetawin]

Some say let them rest pointy end down for 24 hours...others say 4 - 6 hours. Speckledhen and I discussed this very issue...just a few hours and especially if the eggs are cold to the touch...let them warm to room temperature and sit a couple of hours to settle/rest. then put them under her....you should be fine if they were packed really well.

 

[okiehen]

This is what I did with my broody and shipped eggs.
The eggs came in the mail 10am and I set the eggs under broody at 11 pm. I had 11 of 12 hatch . You have to set them at night so this worked out good.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
You don't have to set them at night. A broody hen will happily take eggs anytime you put them under her. Some will steal more eggs from other nests. You can give the eggs to the broody anytime you want, after they set for a while to settle, and warm up to room temp.

If there are any other hens around that can get to the nest, make sure you mark the eggs you give her, so you can remove any eggs added later by the other hens.

 

[Laurieks]

I posted this in another thread with no reply as yet. This thread looks more fit to the question.
I have hatching eggs arriving soon.
If I swap them out with the cross bred eggs under a broody (at night, right?), will she stay with them? I know this will vary. She's a super protective hen.
I will give the cross bred eggs to the 3 elder hens, who are sitting on a few 'aged' eggs for all they're worth. They insist on staying in a less protected area, and I want to give the purchased eggs the best spot.
The other option is to remove the 4 week old chick with the broody's broodier sister and try to get her to re-brood.
Ideas?
Thanks!

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
I'd do what you said first, give the eggs she has now to the older hens, and give the new shipped eggs to the hen in the best spot. Are the "aged" eggs all way past when they should have hatched? If so, get them out of there, before they start exploding. If you just meant they're near hatch, you might put them all under one hen, put the moved eggs under another, and give the new eggs to the hen in the best spot, the newest broody, I guess.

You can swap out the eggs at night, if you want to, but it really doesn't matter. Broody hens want eggs. They don't care which eggs. They'll accept them at any time, day or night. They don't care what time it is. Just make sure they aren't very cold when you put them under her. If you can get them a little warm, first, that'll help. Mark the eggs when you place them, so if other hens add more, you'll know which ones, and can remove the intruders' eggs.

The hen with the 4 week old chick, I'd just leave her alone and let her be a mom. Taking the chick away won't automatically make a hen go broody again. But I don't know your hen. Have you seen her do that before? I mean, go broody again right away if a chick is removed? I've never seen a hen do that, myself, but I have had some extreme brooders, and it wouldn't surprise me if I heard of a hen that easily triggered to brood. I had a banty hen once, who would darn near go broody at the mere sight of eggs in a nest.

 

[Laurieks]

Quote:
I think those older eggs have been sat on for 6 or 8 weeks, so they're definitely going 'away'. The marks are faded but still there.

Thanks a bunch for your answer. I can relax a little now

 

[Lelanae]

I know this is an old thread--but how many shipped eggs can I squeeze under big broody? (English Orpington) Thank you!