How do you know what eggs to put in the incubator?

[Isyovi]

I think my young pullets will be broody next year and i want to be prepared in case she doesn't know what to do. How do you know wich eggs are fertile and can be put in the incubator?

 

[nchls school]

If there's a rooster to every 7-10 hens, they should all be fertile. For the incubator, choose normal sized eggs with a normal shape. Check the shells for cracks or other defects. In 4-7 days white/light colored eggs can be candled. Any that are clear of development are discarded. Dark eggs are harder to candle and a longer period may be needed before candling.

 

[Isyovi]

If there's a rooster to every 7-10 hens, they should all be fertile. For the incubator, choose normal sized eggs with a normal shape. Check the shells for cracks or other defects. In 4-7 days white/light colored eggs can be candled. Any that are clear of development are discarded. Dark eggs are harder to candle and a longer period may be needed before candling.

We have 2 roosters on 8 hens, do they only have fertile eggs in the sping and summer or should i be prepared the whole year? I'm new to keeping chickens so sorry for the newbie questions

 

[Sonya9]

FYI if you have a hen that starts sitting ideally you move her nest into a separate pen within the hen house as early as possible so other birds don't lay in her nest or break the eggs. Be sure the hatching eggs all start incubating on the same day and mark each egg with the date so if a new egg appeared it can be removed right away.

If you are incubating the eggs indoors then give her infertile eggs to sit on and still move the nest, she needs a private pen in the henhouse for the chick's first week.

 

[Sonya9]

We have 2 roosters on 8 hens, do they only have fertile eggs in the sping and summer or should i be prepared the whole year? I'm new to keeping chickens so sorry for the newbie questions

Their eggs are fertile all year long but hens usually only go broody in the spring and summer. Most laying hens never go broody (the trait has been bred out of them) but bantams usually do eventually, sometimes only when they are 3+ years old though.

 

[Isyovi]

FYI if you have a hen that starts sitting ideally you move her nest into a separate pen within the hen house as early as possible so other birds don't lay in her nest or break the eggs. Be sure the hatching eggs all start incubating on the same day and mark each egg with the date so if a new egg appeared it can be removed right away.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[Sonya9]

Also if you want you can just buy sexed chicks after your hen has been sitting for 3 weeks, sneak them under her at night and she will raise them as her own. That is a good way to add new breeds to the flock and not have to worry about the excess cockerels.

 

[Isyovi]

Their eggs are fertile all year long but hens usually only go broody in the spring and summer. Most laying hens never go broody (the trait has been bred out of them) but bantams usually do eventually, sometimes only when they are 3+ years old though.

We don't have any bantams, but it's good to know that they most likely are always fertile. Now i hope that the hens will kind of have a idea what to do the first time.

 

[Isyovi]

Also if you want you can just buy sexed chicks after your hen has been sitting for 3 weeks, sneak them under her at night and she will raise them as her own. That is a good way to add new breeds to the flock and not have to worry about the excess cockerels.

I do really want more chickens, but our coop is too small we have 6 brahma's now (three roosters but we are going to sell one), one leghorn and three leghorn x blue polish, i want more variation but my family thinks we have enough. I would really want a ayam cemani though.

 

[nchls school]

Breeds that go broody can go broody after laying just a few eggs. Most of my serama, phoenix, and Yokohama bantams go broody before they are 6 or 7 months old. It is not unusual for serama to have chicks before they are six months old and be grandmothers before they're a year old. All my chickens brood and raise chicks year around.

Brahmas go broody; your other breeds are not likely to do so. A couple breeds you might like are cochin and favorelles' nice big, docile breeds that brood.

If you want to hatch chicks naturally consider silkies as they are usually excellent brooders and moms.