My Hatching Plan-Is it good?

[Goatlover09]

Hi. I had my hen in a coop with roosters go broody 2 weeks ago. I decided to let her sit on the eggs but she started the day before our county fair witch I was bringing goats and chickens to. I know I should of moved her so she could hatch the chicks and raise them on her own but I wasent able to and it is too late. My plan for the eggs is to let my broody hen hatch them but then put the chicks in a brooder. Is that a good plan?

 

[Saveria]

I am a little confused. Why can't she keep the eggs/chicks? You can move her after all of the eggs have hatched if the concern is her having chicks with the rest of the flock around.

 

[Goatlover09]

The eggs are all from different days of the week so it will take 5 days for everyone to hatch. She lives with two roosters and I'm afraid they willl get aggresive towards them. i think in the future I would let her keep the chicks but for this timesince it is already so close to when they will hatch it is easiest to have them in a brooder. Plus, I don't plan on keeping all of the chicks. I will probably sell some and keep a few.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Did she start incubating all the eggs at the same time, or were eggs added to her clutch after she began sitting? Does she live with other hens in addition to the two roosters? Other hens actually tend to be more aggressive towards chicks than roosters. But there are exceptions to every general rule, and your broody's rank in the pecking order will help predict if there will be any trouble. Since you are concerned the chicks will be harmed, you could block your broody's nest box from other flock members the day before the eggs begin to hatch (day 19 or 20), then move the family to their own private space after all eggs have hatched. A broody sacrifices all her normal chicken activities to do nearly nothing but incubate her eggs for 3 weeks, and I feel sad for the broody to remove all her chicks as they hatch. But a risk of them being killed by other flock members or predators is no good either, and if raising them in a brooder is safer for the chicks as well as easier and less stressful for you, then yes,it sounds like a good plan.

 

[Saveria]

I would leave her a few chicks. I have had so many broodies that won't quit until there are some chicks under her.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Maybe take the first few, then reintroduce them to the broody after the others have hatched? Alternatively, let her keep the first few and have an incubator ready to take the others?

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Maybe take the first few, then reintroduce them to the broody after the others have hatched?

When I have had the ocassional unintentional staggered broody hatch, or more commonly when i've bought feedstore chicks to place under a broody after she finishes hatching her own eggs, that is exactly what I do. I set up a temporary brooder inside my house with food, water and heat. When the last egg has hatched, I return the brooder chicks to the broody. It is important to return the brooder chicks under the cover of darkness so all chicks spend the night together under the broody hen. I make sure to always leave at least one chick with mom so she doesn't quit her remaining eggs. To make sure she doesn't reject her brooder chicks, it is essential to return the older chicks before she leaves the nest box with the chicks she still has. Otherwise, once she sees her youngest chicks, she may reject the brooder chicks as imposters that belong to "someone else." In your case, the someone else will be you.

Since the most recent hatched chicks won't need to eat and drink the next morn, your broody won't be in a hurry to leave the nest box, but the older chicks will need food and water. To counter this, place the chick feed and water near the broody but just outside the nest box in front of the broody. The brooder chicks will see the food and water and come out to eat and drink. Your broody will be impressed at how smart some of her chicks are, and will leave the nest box later with her entire clutch.