# Can eggs be swapped and the chicken still incubate



## Ave (30 d ago)

Hello, I have a question about chickens incubating. 
My Mum has two broody chooks, one's been sitting for two weeks, the other one week. She got some fertile eggs to put under the one week chook but didn't manage to get the eggs soon enough. 
Her question is- Will a chook that's been sitting for a week on eggs accept new eggs and continue to sit on them for the 21 or so days they need if the old eggs were removed?
Thanks


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yes. Do that swap now to limit the time the hen will be on the nest incubating the eggs.

Do you have other hens that are laying? If you do mark the fertile eggs so you know which eggs to remove each day.

And take the eggs away from the girl that's been sitting longer. If the two girls are in the same approximate space you might find she's stolen an egg or four from the other hen. 

We're going to need an update on all the new baby peeps you'll have in three weeks.


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## Ave (30 d ago)

robin416 said:


> Yes. Do that swap now to limit the time the hen will be on the nest incubating the eggs.
> 
> Do you have other hens that are laying? If you do mark the fertile eggs so you know which eggs to remove each day.
> 
> ...


Okay, thank you. Mum's swapped the eggs and hopefully they hatch. I'll send photos if they do


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Looking forward to seeing the peeps. 

My eyes are not the best to identify the country of your flag. Are you in the Northern Hemisphere where it's Winter?


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## Ave (30 d ago)

robin416 said:


> Looking forward to seeing the peeps.
> 
> My eyes are not the best to identify the country of your flag. Are you in the Northern Hemisphere where it's Winter?


Southern actually. In the Australian state of Tasmania so it's Summer but the weather is more Autumn like at the moment. Very wet, rather windy and 15c/69f degrees or lower. Lovely weather haha


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Well, you won't have to put a warming station up for the peeps. After the second day Mom wants to take peeps out to start learning the ropes. It helps when it's still warm out.

Southern, I immediately thought of here. We pretty much match as far as the weather.


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## Ave (30 d ago)

Update: Both chooks have eggs hatched. One hatched about two weeks ago now. She's the one in the photos. Two chicks, yellow and black.
The second's ones hatched this Monday and yesterday. She's got four, three yellow one grey. Haven't managed to get photos of them yet.
Question- The second chook's last egg hasn't hatched, which is okay, but she's been rolling it around with her today. Not sure why?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Babies! So glad things worked out for your girls so they could be Moms. 

The one might be looking for a response from inside the egg. When they've internally pipped you can hear them.


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