Eggs under broody

V

valeriebutterley

New member
Joined
Nov 23, 2010
Messages
891
Reaction score
1
Location
N.W. Surrey
Can anyone help, please, with this question?
Is it possible (or advisable) to remove eggs already in an incubator for 10 days, to under a broody hen to continue hatching them?
I have a young and newly broody Pekin, and wondered if it is a shame to waste her talents or not?
The chicks-to-be are Sablepoots, 5 eggs all seem fertile and OK.
What do you think folks?
Also in the incubator I have 6 black Minorca eggs, will this be too much for one Pekin?.
 
Well in theory it should be fine Valerie, if the hen isn't surprised by them hatching 10 days early? Wouldn't put more than 5 under her though and I would start with introducing pot eggs every hour or so until you have 5 just to be sure she is seriously broody. We have broodies that just want to sit; the eggs seem unimportant in the process and they will sit happily on nothing with eggs alongside them! Only then if you are satisfied change them one at a time. It is a risk if she is under two years old. Our 12 month old Orpington sat on 10 the distance then ate the chicks as they hatched!

Of course you have split the new flock then and have potentially more introduction problems.
 
maybe you could do both , seeing that its the birds first time give her just 2 eggs and keep 3 in the inccy just to be safe .
i had 3 eggs under each of my 2 broody bantams and each hatched a chick but the other eggs were not fertile but at the time on good advice before i knew the eggs were not fertile i gave one mum both chicks which she adored but then the other mum stressed big time until i gave her the other eggs for a further few days but of course it was not meant to be but i was given some more eggs as i didnt want the risk of one chick being male [ would be culed } and having just one chick on its own and i gave this other mum this lot of eggs and my god is she happy or what yes shes been broody for to long but shes eating well and drinking i make sure of that and i dont go near her as she thinks i am taking everything away she just flips this is her first time and it really surprises me on how badly she wants babies but not long to go now .
 
Pop them under her at night, she will be fine, and will save on electricity bill! :D
 
I've just done this with 9 hamburgh eggs - they were in inci 11 days then I had a silkie x go broody and so I utilised her - they all hatched and she is a great little mum!:D I split her off in a broody box with a few random eggs and moved her to a pen just to see if she was happy enough and was actually going to sit, then I stuck the inci eggs under her at night.
 
Many thanks everyone for your input.
I decided to buy 6 lavender Pekin eggs to put under the broody after all, as I did not want to possibly put the pootle eggs at risk by moving them.
The six Minorca were also added as two threes, arrived in different packages, so a bit complicated.
The temperature on the incubator seems to be a bit high too, I keep lowering it slightly, is it related to the unexpected heat, does anyone think?
It's a Brinsea Eco 24 usually brilliant and very stable temp. wise.
 
Quite possibly the high ambient temperature Valerie, but the incubator should compensate. The only difference you should see is the heater switching on less frequently, assuming you have an indicator light that shows you that. Temperature wise a little low is better than a little high.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top