wabbitswayer
Junior Member
Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
Posts: 69
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Post by wabbitswayer on Feb 8, 2004 17:51:27 GMT -5
Is it recommended or intelligent to have a good setter sit on other breed eggs? Like one that doesn't set well would lay the fertile eggs whereas the good setter would hatch them and take care of them. Is this common, is it smart, is it even worth trying? What if I like one breed of bird for the feathers but they are crappy parents but have a decent mother who would take care of the young? Rabbits don't do foster kids well....
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Post by Kickingbird on Feb 8, 2004 22:29:41 GMT -5
I love using setting hens to incubate eggs! You can't beat mother nature, she knows her business. I use a setting hen every time I get a chance, most of the time they will hatch 99% of their eggs.
Having said that I almost NEVER have a hen set on her own eggs. I collect eggs several times a day and when a hen goes to setting I wait until it is dark and I put a clutch under her. I then put an egg card on the pen that has the pedigree of the eggs under the hen, when they were set, how many were set. When they hatch I toe punch the chicks then I either leave them with the hen or I brood them myself. If I'm in need of incubator space I'll take the eggs at 18 days and put them in the hatcher and put another clutch under the hen. She will just continue to sit until I either break her up or she has chicks.
A hen will take any eggs you give her if you do it as I described. Good luck.
KB
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Post by Jigs on Mar 17, 2004 10:53:22 GMT -5
just think you can hatch duck eggs, geese eggs ,pheasent eggs,peafowl and guinea fowl under chickens too!, although with the duck and geese eggs you still need to mist them at least once a day because a chicken doesnt have the humidity that duck and geese eggs need to hatch
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