[BjornBee]

If you have a laying infertile hen, can you place hatching eggs in her nest and have her raise them?

Thank you.

 

[G3farms]

you can place them in her nest, now if she will sit on them is another question. What kind of chicken is it?

Banty and games tend to be more broody than others. Most chickens will not sit on eggs it has been breed out of them. If she is sitting on the eggs good chance she will hatch and raise them, watch out as she will get to be defensive.

Some people are on the look out for larger varities of birds that become broody.

G3

 

[Iddee]

The answer to your question is YES, but you have to catch her at the time she starts to brood, and place the eggs under her at that time. She will not set on them just because you put them in the nest. It's an anatomical change in her body that tells her to begin brooding. Same as heat in a mammal.

 

[Bitty Bee]

Also, if she is a breed that will go broody, then you can trick her into going broody by leaving a fake egg or golf ball in her nest box. Her instinct is to hatch it, and with all her determination that is just what she will try to do!

 

[BjornBee]

Thank you guys.

The chicken type is Buff Orpington.

I don't have them yet. Were hoping to get some chicks, and maybe expand beyond that. I may want to get some eggs but not invest in the incubator down the road. So I'm thinking of just letting the chickens do it.

 

[G3farms]

Incubators are not that expensive, check CL for a used one. I have a hova bator still air with the turner and it works great.

G3

 

[BjornBee]

Incubators are not that expensive, check CL for a used one. I have a hova bator still air with the turner and it works great.

G3

So how much is yours.... :lol: Sounds like the price may be right... ancing:

I've seen some for around 40-50 dollars. Money is not the issue...it's just the spending of money on things I absolutely do not need too .... :thumbsup:

Thank you.

 

[G3farms]

I gave $60 for mine and it looked brand new.

G3

 

[brooksbeefarm]

Thought i'd let you know that sometimes you will find a little egg about the size of a robins egg in the nest. Don't try to hatch it, grandad said the rooster laid that one and it won't hatch. :mrgreen: Jack

 

[Bitty Bee]

Buff orpingtons are good chickens.
If the dogs hadn't eaten all my hens I'd send you eggs!
We probably won't get anymore chicks till' we know for sure if we have to go MO this year.

 

[CentralPAGuy]

If you have a laying infertile hen, can you place hatching eggs in her nest and have her raise them?

My grandfather was famous for putting all sorts of eggs under his hens. I remember when the hen hatched out duckling and the ducklings all thought the hen was their real mom and she thought that they were her chicks.

It would be interesting as an adult to see if the ducklings ran to her when she gave out warning clucks.

 

[BeeHunter]

My chickens arent at all broody.The wife heard that banty's are prone to be broody. Dont know for sure. We have buffs and I like their personality. They are real mellow calm hens. Tend to get picked on bythe honery ones but get away ok. We just got back from town w/ 4 buffs, 4 austrolorps and 2 ducks. The mess starts again!!! but after about a month they tend for themselves. We have 13 chickens,2 guinnes,3 turkeys now but want to start hatching our own eggs too. We have a friend that has an extra incubator. You might ask around. Maybe someone has oneto borrow for a month? or make one heres a link http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/v ... p?id=43984

 

[BjornBee]

Just set 10 eggs this morning in the incubator. We have another 10 chicks coming in a couple weeks. I guess I need to get that chicken coop worked on sooner or later...

 

[Bitty Bee]

One of our bantam hens went broody a week before we left for MO. I put more bantam eggs under her then they hatched while were gone! Fortunately, our critter sitters were kind enough to take of them for us. However, I still haven't seen them yet. I have to build a brooder before dad will let me go get them.

I have a different broody hen sitting some buff orpington/ rhode island reds. they should hatch in a couple weeks now. I can't wait to see what they look like!

 

[brooksbeefarm]

An old friend of mine (dead now) ran over a wild turkey nest while cutting hay, it had four eggs in it, he put them under a bantam hen that went set. He would laugh when he told about that bantam hen chasing and freting over those baby turkey when they took to the field to catch grasshoppers. :mrgreen: Jack

 

[Bitty Bee]

:lol: I've heard of bantams hatching ducks, pheasants, and guineas, but not turkeys! That would be a sight. Thanks for the Idea Jack! I might just try that some time.