[redspookycooky]

Hi i know you have to stop turning eggs in the incubator ready for hatching, but do you turn them for the last time on day 18 or stop turning at the end of day 17, am determined to do everything right so was just checking which was right.

[Helenaj]

My incubator has an automatic turn - it stops turning as day 18 swaps to day 19. So from Day 19 onwards there's no turning at all. At the moment, I have 6 Australorp eggs in the incy and a Warren that's suddenly turned broody, so I'm very tempted to put the eggs under her since Mum can look after her babies far better that I can!

Hope this helps!

[redspookycooky]

Hi thanks for the advice.
We had broody hens last year and the year before but unfortunately we lost all our chickens with this really bad winter just gone, so we are playing mother hen!
It was so much easier and less stressful when the hens did this themselves, i`m a stressed mess trying to make sure i do everything right

[Helenaj]

The best thing to do is not fuss with them much. The temptation is to candle them at every opportunity to see what's happening. As long as the humidity and temperature are okay and if you have a manual turn they are turned regularly, all you really need to do is just sit back and enjoy the hatch. This is my third batch in the incy since Christmas and I never get tired of watching them hatch. I currently have Ixworth chicks in my kitchen (6 days old) and the weakest one who had to be helped out of the shell (14 hours trying to hatch), is now the bossiest one amongst the lot!
I'm going to keep an eye on my Warren and if she continues to sit on the dummy eggs for the next few days, then she can look after my Australorps.

Good luck with the hatch!

[jinty1911]

My incubator has an automatic turn - it stops turning as day 18 swaps to day 19. So from Day 19 onwards there's no turning at all. At the moment, I have 6 Australorp eggs in the incy and a Warren that's suddenly turned broody, so I'm very tempted to put the eggs under her since Mum can look after her babies far better that I can!

Hope this helps!

That sounds great but can you just put due to hatch eggs under a newly turned broody?  Would she not be expecting to sit for 3 weeks and wonder where these chicks had come from?  

[Casey76]

It is possible to introduce new chicks to a broody, but it has to be done carefully!  It is better if the broody has been sitting on some eggs for a few days, at least just to check that she is going to stay broody.

It can be easier if you let the hen hear the chicks cheeping before you do the introductions.  She should start bokking.  you can then start to take the eggs away, one at a time, and replace with a chick.  I have had success with tucking the chick under her wing, and seeing how she reacts.

I would only do this with a few though, not lots.  And the broody must be watched carefully for the first few hours, in case she takes a dislike to the chicks.

I did successfully introduce three chicks to a broody who had been sitting for 25 days - but that has been my only personal experience.

[joyfull]

I managed to introduce newly hatched chicks to one of my broodies after a young hen hatched them in the field, bought them back, then didn't know what to do after that. Luckily one of my best broodies (the very first chick I ever hatched) Claudette who was sat being very grumpy and broody accepted them - all I did was slide 1 hand under her - removed an egg and with my other hand introduced 2 chicks. She made a little attempt to peck them so I gave her a little tap on her beak whilst the chicks crawled under her wing.
After a few minutes she was rosey away to them so I repeated the process (no longer needing to tap her beak) and introduced the other 6 chicks. I only attempted this with her as she is a very experienced broody.
But the only problem with using her as a broody is that she sleeps in the trees and as soon as the chicks are old enough she goes back  to the trees taking the young with her (it makes catching to cull the cockerels very difficult  ).

[orchardlady]

As you reach under the broodie to swap a crock egg with a chick try to use your hand to protect the chick, so if new mum does peck she will peck the back of your hand rather than the chick. Ye it is a little painful but it's only a chicken, you will not be hospitalised.

OL

[joyfull]

if you are going to attempt to introduce chicks to a broody always make sure you have a brooder box set up ready just in case she doesn't accept them. I didn't have one set up as mine was an emergency situation, however I always know that Grannie Annie has one available just down the road so had my broody not accepted the chicks it would have just been a short trip to hers  .

[Helenaj]

I had two Barnevelders go broody last year under which I placed fertile eggs. Both did the job of hatching very well, but disaster struck one when my neighbour's polecat managed to get in and killed all but one of the chicks (long story!). After a few days I placed three other chicks under her after she had settled and she is now a proud mum to an Orpington, Faverolle, Crested Legbar and a Gold Laced Wyandotte. My Warren has been broody for the last five days and her broodiness co-incides with the amount of time my Australorp eggs have been in the incy, so I'm now going to sort out a broody box for her and let nature take it's course.