Setting hen

[Farmgirl Ronda]

I have a hen setting on unfertilized eggs. She I break the nest up, find her some fertilized eggs t sit on, or go by some chicks and set them under her?

 

[the_peanut_coop]

I have a hen setting on unfertilized eggs. She I break the nest up, find her some fertilized eggs t sit on, or go by some chicks and set them under her?

If you are williling to have more chicks, the best plan is to buy some fertilized eggs of her breed or similar and let her hatch them.

 

[FuzzyOwlFeet]

I set 10 different breeds of standard sized chicks underneath a bantam and she accepted them even though they were nothing like her. — just thought I'd add my two cents.

I don't know if it's hot where you live, but during summer I prefer to put live chicks underneath a hen instead of eggs so she doesn't get overly hot and kill herself on accident.
I did it at night and put one chick at a time underneath her breast and she instantly started talking to them and tucking them under her.

 

[Farmgirl Ronda]

Thank you. I live in Tennessee and it is hot. I didn’t think about putting them under at night.

 

[FuzzyOwlFeet]

Thank you. I live in Tennessee and it is hot. I didn’t think about putting them under at night.

I figured that way the chicks would go right to sleep under her and imprint on her better than just trying to toss them in there during the day when they want to run around and explore.

Also I dont want the broody seeing me bring chicks, I want her to think she hatched them herself. Don't know if that REALLY matters, it just makes me feel a bit better about leaving them with her.

 

[BDutch]

So you like to have chicks? Then please read more about hatching with a broody.
Are you sure it is too warm for a broody? Then I suppose its better to let stop het broodiness. And go for chicks next early spring.
If its not too warm there’s no reason nog to buy fertilised eggs. Better than chicks by mail IMHo if you like to give them a good start. I would not stack too much eggs under a bantam. But you can let her sit on other breeds. She will accept them as her own. If the eggs are bigger than hers, I would make a nest with 5-8 eggs. You need a quiet place to let a broody sit, mark the eggs. And if the chicks hatch they need quit some space. Best on the floor.

A broody needs to sit a couple of weeks on eggs before you can exchange eggs with day old chicks. I know that some people do this with newborn chicks from eggs they hatched themselves in the night* . But it can be tricky. If the chicks are older she might not accept them and might peck the strange chicks to death.

Is end of June a good time of the year for chicks to grow up where you live. ?

*edited sentence