3 days left in the incubator and got a hen that decided that she wants to be a momma

[Hensofthehill]

That’s a good set up. It’s wonderful she’s top dog. It’s shake things up a bit removing her then adding back with chicks. However she’s well equipped to protect her chicks and make sure they aren’t bullied.

I can’t recall a rooster ever joining hens in a nesting box. That sounds unique to him.

Is that the actual coop (inside space)or does that include the run too? Could be a bit tight for 15 birds. Might be time to expand the run or consider downsizing numbers. Especially with chicks hatching.

Thank you so much @UThobbyfarmer , she is the top dog, was pretty intersting to see her dominate my huge rooster, he is lavender orpington. The coop is 8x8, the run is 15x15, they freerange 100 of the time except when it rains and they have to be in the run that has a roof over it. They only go into the coop to sleep and lay eggs I will need to build another coop for those new chicks, thats a project for later this month should be so much fun.

The rooster joins my hens in the laying box quite often. Wondering if he is so friendly that he wants to give them company not only when he mounts them but also when they lay fertile eggs?

 

[SueT]

Thank you so much @SueT , I think I will take some eggs out of the incubator as I have exact 3 days left and stick them under her. How many eggs is it safe to put under her? She is a decent size black australorp.

Oh gosh, I don’t know. I had a bantam sit on 4 large eggs, and later on 6 bantam eggs. I’ve never had a large breed broody but have read here on BYC that 12 is a good number, but some people have given their hens up to 15. You might try a search....

 

[Hensofthehill]

Oh gosh, I don’t know. I had a bantam sit on 4 large eggs, and later on 6 bantam eggs. I’ve never had a large breed broody but have read here on BYC that 12 is a good number, but some people have given their hens up to 15. You might try a search....

Sounds good, will do some searching. Thank you so much for all those suggestions. Quick question... does hen need a bit of light at night through the growing process so she can feed the chicks or they will be fine all night without any feed and water?

 

[SueT]

Sounds good, will do some searching. Thank you so much for all those suggestions. Quick question... does hen need a bit of light at night through the growing process so she can feed the chicks or they will be fine all night without any feed and water?

The chicks will sleep all night. In fact, chicks in your brooder will sleep all night if it’s kept dark. I use a ceramic heat emitter in my brooder (reptile bulb) and the chicks all sleep at night as it puts out heat but not light.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

How many eggs or chicks you add depends on how comfortable you are risking those. Which is why I suggested 3 or 4. As a full size hen she can easily take 10-12 eggs. Some hens hatch significantly more than that. However if it does go pear shaped what’s an acceptable number of chicks to risk? Only you can answer that.

Our Dark Brahma bantam hen hatched 14 of her small bantam eggs! That was my first experience with a broody too. I wish they were all that good.

 

[NatJ]

18 days ago I loaded the incubator with 48 fertile eggs bit today I discovered that I have a hen that wants to be a momma and is sitting on about dozen eggs for about a day. Would that be a good idea to swap the eggs she is sitting on with eggs that have 3 days left in the incubator?

A hen normally sits for 3 weeks before she raises chicks.
If the chicks hatch when she has only been sitting for 4 days, she might not be ready to be a mother yet.

Different hens are different, so I cannot be sure about your hen. She might be fine this soon, or she might only be a good mother after 3 weeks of sitting, or she might never be a good mother. You just won't know until you try it.

 

[Fallenone05]

So I had a momma hen who was sitting eggs but my eggs in my incubator only had a week left. I gave them to her and she hatched them, but she didn't adopt them, and this is a hen that's taken in chicks she didn't hatch herself but took them as day-olds. It's all VERY dependent on the chicken. Have a back up brooder set up just in case.

 

[Hensofthehill]

Quick update @SueT @UThobbyfarmer @Fallenone05 @NatJ I've taken all egs from that hen and put them into the incubator, I swapped the eggs with 6 from the incubator. 1 chick hatched and got glued to her vent feathers. Was a bit of a challenge to find him as she is so fluffy and protective. The eggs that I took from her are in the incubator now, I might let her sit on them after those 5 remaining under her hatch. So far 3 chicks hatched 2 from the incubator and one from underneath her. Pic attached. Any suggestions on my setup?

 

[NatJ]

So far 3 chicks hatched 2 from the incubator and one from underneath her. Pic attached. Any suggestions on my setup?

The brooder setup looks fine, assuming you've got the warm area at the right temperature, and that there is enough cool area.

But I'm puzzled: do you want the hen to raise the chicks, or do you want to raise them in a brooder? If you want the hen to raise them, they should be under her right now. They do not need supplemental heat in a brooder if they are being raised by a hen.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

How’s she’s doing today? I’ve never had one stick to the hen before. It makes me wonder if your humidity was a tad high for incubation.

Set up looks good. I don’t see the heating element. The walls look to be cardboard. Be very careful if you’re using a heat lamp. It can, and will, start a fire given a chance.