Chicken Hatch 2014

[1876 Farm]

For the last 2 years I have let a hen go broody and hatched 6-7 chicks each time. The 1st year, 7 of the 8 eggs hatched and the second year, 6-8 eggs hatched. I was thinking that this coming year, I might do it a little differently. Using my ceramic eggs, I will wait until a hen goes broody (as I have done the last 2 years), but was thinking as soon as I thought I had a broody hen I would put 7-8 eggs in the incubator. After 4-5 days, if my hen was still broody I would swap the ceramic eggs with the fertile eggs and let the hen hatch them. (I don't like removing the eggs from the hen once they are under, so I never check if they are fertile, they just either hatch or they don't. So I thought, if I started with the incubator, I could check before I put them under the hen.)

Has anyone tried this method? Does it work or will the hen reject the eggs?

Any help is welcome.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I swappe'm back and forth and don't have a problem. I have put chicks in brooder that hatch out before the others and then when they are done hatching put them all under henny. it all goes smooth. or in the summer I will incubator hatch as she is setting, take her eggs give her babies put hers in the incubator then when it is night slip everyone in. I even did this when one chick was already 2 weeks of age,

 

[1876 Farm]

Thank you Gimmie Birdies.... Now just to wait until spring arrives and a hen goes broody.

I'm going to have a hen hatch some Easter Egger eggs (which are EE hens crossed with Black Copper Marans rooster). I read that when you cross a blue egg with a rooster that has brown eggs, you will end up with hens that will lay sage green eggs.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have 2 hens like that. they are the same color as a green olive.

this is June she is one of my hens that lays olive eggs- this one is skiddish. My other olive egg looks like a delaware with lighter black bars and she is friendly, I call her Angel.

 

[wolfandfinch]

Cute!

 

[LTygress]

I am always putting eggs under my hens from the incubator. They don't reject them at all.

I actually had one hen who lost her eggs recently to a raccoon, just three days before hatch. She tore HERSELF up trying to fight him off, but he got the eggs anyway (thankful to say, Raccoon has since been eliminated). And just three days before hatch - they were so close!

But I had eggs in the incubator that were due to hatch just two days LATER than hers were. So I put them under her, and got five little fluffballs!

 

[1876 Farm]

I have 2 hens like that. they are the same color as a green olive.

this is June she is one of my hens that lays olive eggs- this one is skiddish. My other olive egg looks like a delaware with lighter black bars and she is friendly, I call her Angel.

I love the green olive eggs... I am so hoping to get some one day. I really like June, your hen, she is so pretty!!

 

[1876 Farm]

I am always putting eggs under my hens from the incubator. They don't reject them at all.

I actually had one hen who lost her eggs recently to a raccoon, just three days before hatch. She tore HERSELF up trying to fight him off, but he got the eggs anyway (thankful to say, Raccoon has since been eliminated). And just three days before hatch - they were so close!

But I had eggs in the incubator that were due to hatch just two days LATER than hers were. So I put them under her, and got five little fluffballs!

This is very encouraging.. I may do this, this coming spring. Sorry about your 1st hatch though, but glad you had success with the second.

 

[luvmypets]

I am always putting eggs under my hens from the incubator. They don't reject them at all.

I actually had one hen who lost her eggs recently to a raccoon, just three days before hatch. She tore HERSELF up trying to fight him off, but he got the eggs anyway (thankful to say, Raccoon has since been eliminated). And just three days before hatch - they were so close!

But I had eggs in the incubator that were due to hatch just two days LATER than hers were. So I put them under her, and got five little fluffballs!

i read your thread about that sooo sad, but as i get more envoleved in this hatching buissness i realize, there is a lot, of loss, and recovery.
luvmypets

 

[1876 Farm]

i read your thread about that sooo sad, but as i get more envoleved in this hatching buissness i realize, there is a lot, of loss, and recovery.
luvmypets

I agree! In general, there's a lot of predators and illnesses that can afflict our chickens. It seems like a constant battle keeping them safe.