Will my hen sit on wooden eggs?

[iluvpeeps]

I want my hen to sit on some wooden eggs for two weeks so that I can switch them with chicks. Will she know that the eggs are fake and not sit on them? How do I switch the eggs for the chicks?

 

[tadpole98]

a stubborn broody will sit on rocks, and she will definitly sit on wooden eggs.
when you get the chicks, go in at night (pitch black) and replace them. watch them and make sure she doesnt kill them or reject them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Wooden eggs, golf balls, ceramic eggs, about anything will work.

I find the best way to do it is to wait until the coop is really dark and using as little light and commotion as possible, slip the chicks under her. You don't have to take the eggs away but it's probably a good idea to make more room. When she wakes up the next morning the chicks will have been under her most of the night and she should accept them. You are dealing with living animals so I can't give you any guarantees but this is the way I do it and it has always worked.

Don't worry about matching the number of chicks to the number of eggs. They really can't count. I once had a hen set on 4 eggs and raise 15 chicks. That was in good weather. I don't suggest you giving her that many chicks in the winter. If they are a breed that will be the same size as her, 12 would be my limit and one or two less might be better.

Good luck!

 

[XavCas]

a stubborn broody will sit on rocks, and she will definitly sit on wooden eggs.
when you get the chicks, go in at night (pitch black) and replace them. watch them and make sure she doesnt kill them or reject them.

x2

 

[iluvpeeps]

She is actually raising a chick right now that's about a month old. She should be done with her by April right? I'm getting the three chicks in april.

 

[gryeyes]

HOWEVER, a hen which is NOT broody will not just go broody because you've left wooden eggs for her. Nature triggers broodiness, not people or wooden eggs.

 

[tadpole98]

HOWEVER, a hen which is NOT broody will not just go broody because you've left wooden eggs for her. Nature triggers broodiness, not people or wooden eggs.

x2

 

[Ridgerunner]

The rest of the story comes out.

If you try to give her new chicks when she already has some that age, she will probably kill them. I made the mistake of assuming you were talking about a hen that was setting n a nest, not a hen that was already raising chicks. Please forget everything I said.

 

[iluvpeeps]

I think she will go broody again because she's half silkie which gives her that instinct. Do you guys think so too?

 

[iluvpeeps]

Her chick will be 5 months old by the time I get the new chicks, so by then the chick she has now will be grown up right?