Chicks hatched from Royal Gray Broiler hen's eggs.

[Jax-stcroix]

 

[Jax-stcroix]

Has anyone hatched eggs from a broiler hen? I didn't mean to keep this one around, but life finds a way I guess... She's about two years old now and huge and seemingly healthy. She's been reliably laying eggs and I decided to hatch a few out for science I guess? The chicks just made 6 weeks and are significantly larger (at least x2) than their hatchmates from other breeds. The rooster in the first picture would be the father of the chicks below. I think he's a red sex link of some sort, don't remember which.

 

[FunClucks]

I've hatched ginger broiler eggs from Ginger Broiler hen and roo. The roo is mean, and has trouble catching anyone but the GB hen (she's 3x the size of anyone else and slower). Fertility of the eggs I set was low, because of the roo. The hen was a mediocre / bad layer and would only give 3-4 eggs a week, often double yolkers or shell issues. Got 6 chickens total out of 24 eggs that I set in two incubations. It was a fun experiment, but I think I'll try a true dual purpose bird bred to provide meat next. Got my eye on New Hampshires from Freedom Ranger Hatchery - heard good things about those.

Your chicks look so cute! They're all roosters, unfortunately, I think. Do you plan to eat them or keep them/trade them?

 

[Jax-stcroix]

I've hatched ginger broiler eggs from Ginger Broiler hen and roo. The roo is mean, and has trouble catching anyone but the GB hen (she's 3x the size of anyone else and slower). Fertility of the eggs I set was low, because of the roo. The hen was a mediocre / bad layer and would only give 3-4 eggs a week, often double yolkers or shell issues. Got 6 chickens total out of 24 eggs that I set in two incubations. It was a fun experiment, but I think I'll try a true dual purpose bird bred to provide meat next. Got my eye on New Hampshires from Freedom Ranger Hatchery - heard good things about those.

Your chicks look so cute! They're all roosters, unfortunately, I think. Do you plan to eat them or keep them/trade them?

They absolutely are all cockerels. Oh well. I had similar fertility issues with these eggs as well. Only three out of eight hatched last batch. I'm thinking about potentially crossing them into my Naked Neck project to beef them up a bit if they grow out well. I set a dozen more of her eggs, worst case scenario I butcher so it's a win-win.

 

[FunClucks]

They absolutely are all cockerels. Oh well. I had similar fertility issues with these eggs as well. Only three out of eight hatched last batch. I'm thinking about potentially crossing them into my Naked Neck project to beef them up a bit if they grow out well. I set a dozen more of her eggs, worst case scenario I butcher so it's a win-win.

Yeah, I was only wanting to eat mine, but it was such a pain to get so few chickens for the same amount of work, and the roo is ticking me off, so I might try his offspring or a different breed. Tasty though.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I hatched eggs out of and Asian Black and others fertilized by an Asian Black, which seem bred for meat judging by how large and fast my rooster grew. The ones hatched from eggs laid by my female appear to be fine, but my pullets from my rooster never make it to laying age.