Question about hatching my own eggs!

[azoh10]

I am hoping some one can help me! I have 15 hens and one rooster. I know he has his favorite hens. And none of them want to be broody, so how

do I know which ones are fertile to use in my incubator? And when or how long can egg sit in nesting box be safe to pick up and put incubator. All my hens lay

I usually have about 12 to 15 a day. So do I just get them out of the nesting box and put them straight in to my incubator? My breeds are Easter Eggers.


Thank you! Again

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Most if not all of your hens should be laying fertile eggs, some maybe more so than others. Keep in mind that some rooster breeds just like some men spread their DNA around more liberally than others. If a potent rooster services each hen once every 3 to 5 days that hen should lay fertile eggs. Any thing less indicates either a health problem or poor nutrition. The only way that I know of to tell if an egg is fertile BEFORE it is incubated is to break the egg out into a cup or saucer and look for the embryo. Unfortunately this has a detrimental effect on egg hatchability.

 

[Sustained]

Most if not all of your hens should be laying fertile eggs, some maybe more so than others. Keep in mind that some rooster breeds just like some men spread their DNA around more liberally than others. If a potent rooster services each hen once every 3 to 5 days that hen should lay fertile eggs. Any thing less indicates either a health problem or poor nutrition. The only way that I know of to tell if an egg is fertile BEFORE it is incubated is to break the egg out into a cup or saucer and look for the embryo. Unfortunately this has a detrimental effect on egg hatchability.

Agreed with chickengeorgeto. Maybe you can take one days worth of eggs and check fertility percentage? That'll give you a good idea of how many eggs to expect to develop out of a batch. Just an idea.

 

[aart]

Just check your eggs for fertility when making breakfast!

Here's lots of examples of what to look for:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

and something for right now:

 

[azoh10]

Just check your eggs for fertility when making breakfast!

Here's lots of examples of what to look for:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

and something for right now:

Hi

Thank you for this it helps!

I guess I question wrong. What I want to know is when my hens lay their eggs and if I don't get to them right away. Lets say at the end of the day after work. Can I still get the eggs from the nesting box and put them in my incubator to hatch? Or is it to late because they got cold?

Thank you!

 

[StephensonC]

Hi

Thank you for this it helps!

I guess I question wrong. What I want to know is when my hens lay their eggs and if I don't get to them right away. Lets say at the end of the day after work. Can I still get the eggs from the nesting box and put them in my incubator to hatch? Or is it to late because they got cold?

Thank you!

That would be fine as long as they don't freeze. You don't want to immediately put them in the incubator though. Put them in an egg carton, with the pointy end down, in your house somewhere for atleast 12 hours. That way your air sac stays in the fat end of the egg. You can even let them sit for up to 10 days, before putting them in the incubator.

 

[DanEP]

If your going to gather eggs for a few days you need to turn the eggs while they wait to go in the bator. The easiest way to do this is to set one end of the egg carton on something a couple of inches thick and switch ends 2-3 times a day till you set them.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hatching eggs should NEVER get below about 40 degrees F. It dose take an hour or two for a fresh laid egg to reach 40 degrees even when the air temperature is a little below freezing.

55 degrees and 50% humidity is the Goldie Locks zone for hatching eggs.

Furthermore the eggs should be turned either 3 or 5 times a day and kept in a dark, vibration free area. Never turn your eggs an even number of times.

Double pointed eggs or other odd or ill shaped eggs taste just as good as a perfectly formed egg but after 21 days in the incubator the ill shaped egg will almost always smell like.... well like a rotten egg.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

If your going to gather eggs for a few days you need to turn the eggs while they wait to go in the bator. The easiest way to do this is to set one end of the egg carton on something a couple of inches thick and switch ends 2-3 times a day till you set them.

I might add a very good and almost fool proof way to turn your hatching eggs. However I like to turn my setting eggs morning, noon, and night. By turning an odd number of times you never return the eggs to the same position and then they remain in the overnight position for a second night.

Watch one of your hens when she gets on a nest full of eggs in order to make a new deposit. The first thing she will do is shuffle her eggs like a Vegas card dealer. Setting hens know instinctively to turn their eggs. We should learn from the hen.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

...What I want to know is when my hens lay their eggs... Can I still get the eggs from the nesting box [Lets say at the end of the day after work].and put them in my incubator to hatch? Or is it to late because they got cold?

Thank you!

Cold is not an even or type of thing.

It depends on the time of day that the egg is laid and the temperature and time at which the egg was held in the nest.

When combined this equals how many cold hours the egg was exposed to at an inappropriate temperature.

lets just say that cold temperatures do your hatching eggs no favors.

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