Size for chicken hatching eggs?

[Kris5902]

I’m going to do a hatch! I’m collecting my own eggs for the first time ever, and was wondering about the sizes. I’ve got some red hyline layers that are 1 1/2 years old laying 70-100g eggs, I’m keeping the best of the 70-80g ones. My Marans has only been laying for 2 1/2 months, but I really want to hatch some of her and my other new layers eggs too. Is 58g way too small? How about with smaller breeds like my Isbars and Sapphires? Is there a minimum size? And are the big eggs too big? Also, what if I accidentally wetted an egg... is it no longer good for hatching? I’m getting 4-5 “good” clean eggs from the older girls a day, how long can I store/collect them for?

Thanks!

 

[Purple_grape84]

This is so exciting!

I made the mistake of cleaning my first 2 batches with water only, not a good hatch rate, but a little water should be fine. I have read now that you are not supposed to wash them. I was washing them then eating some and putting others in the incubator when I felt the urge, in large batches. (I'm a bit of an impulsive person sometimes)

My poor hatch rates could also have been because of size. Looking st eggs in the grocery store mine are small, silkie size. I have a good hatch rates from the silkies, not so much the isbars or americaunas, the brahmas have a medium hatch rate. I have started adding more protein to my home made food. (Rye wheat barley oats and split peas)

I was getting about 6 eggs a day and put in 2 batches of 30 eggs into my home made incubator. So maybe the eggs were 1-2wks old.

5 and 6 chicks hatched, most died right at the end.

Anyways, don't know if any of this helps. But this was my experience with my first two batches they are now 3 weeks and 1week old.

Good luck!

Pics:

Ps
I forgot about the 5 eggs I put in the incubator in March, got 3 that time, those are the 6wk olds in the pic.
Edited to add: Oh and I've hatched other eggs but they weren't my eggs.

 

[Purple_grape84]

Sorry more pics. You will probably get something I guess is my point. Just do it!

 

[Kris5902]

@Purple_grape84 thanks so much for sharing your experience and pictures with me! I’m going to try my best... I’m not sure how well the older girls are being covered by their Roo, But I know all my younger ones are producing fertile eggs... I’m aiming for 40 eggs to go in I just accidentally dunked to one hatching egg with the small ones I was washing, so I’ll try it. I didn’t have a good hatch rate with my Isbars either, but they are really nice chickens, very thrifty, great foragers, and so pretty.

 

[Purple_grape84]

@Purple_grape84 thanks so much for sharing your experience and pictures with me! I’m going to try my best... I’m not sure how well the older girls are being covered by their Roo, But I know all my younger ones are producing fertile eggs... I’m aiming for 40 eggs to go in I just accidentally dunked to one hatching egg with the small ones I was washing, so I’ll try it. I didn’t have a good hatch rate with my Isbars either, but they are really nice chickens, very thrifty, great foragers, and so pretty.

40 is an excellent # to start with. I have to make a few tweaks to my incubator after the duck eggs (khaki Campbell) I have in hatch next week, not getting air circulation on all levels. Then I'm doing a big batch.

Of the isbar I only have 4 hens and 2 roos right now but I'm going to increase that this summer. They are fairly friendly, and so petite and pretty. My favorite hen looks like a manga character, great big eyes.

 

[Compost King]

I can't answer every question but I can share the issue I had with larger than normal eggs. Before I had a decent candler the larger eggs were double yolkers and those never turned out well. I haven't had other size issues myself. I can't answer the wet egg question, I know some people float test their eggs before they hatch them but I can't verify if that was a good or bad idea. I will not hatch out an egg that was wet because I would worry the bloom may be gone after that but I don't know if just getting wet removes the bloom.

 

[Kris5902]

I can't answer every question but I can share the issue I had with larger than normal eggs. Before I had a decent candler the larger eggs were double yolkers and those never turned out well. I haven't had other size issues myself. I can't answer the wet egg question, I know some people float test their eggs before they hatch them but I can't verify if that was a good or bad idea. I will not hatch out an egg that was wet because I would worry the bloom may be gone after that but I don't know if just getting wet removes the bloom.

Double Yorkers from the older girls are usually 100+g, they lay huge eggs. I’m short on active layers, especially my heritage breeds. My first hatch didn’t go as well as I was hoping, and I didn’t get all my requested breeds as eggs... it’s going to be a long process getting the farm chickens healthy, and profitable. But I’m not quite ready to drop another $300-600 on layer stock yet. My primary focus is my meat breeders right now.

 

[CindyinSD]

I’m incubating duck eggs atm (purchased). They arrived dirty and Holderread says they’re usually dirty and if they’re dirty, you must wash them. Says use warm (not hot) water as cold drives the filth inward. I don’t know why that would be, but he’s pretty much the last word on waterfowl so I washed them. I then misted them with half water and half Listerine (the old yellow/gold kind). A guy I follow on YouTube does this for quail eggs... sounded like a good idea.

Chicken eggs are not usually dirty, ime. I’d pass over dirty chicken eggs—wash, scramble, eat. You can so easily collect clean ones for the incubator. The best eggs to set are (from my reading) normal sized for the breed, normally formed/shaped. If your hens are very young and still laying tiny pullet eggs, you might consider waiting... or not. It’s up to you, but from what I’ve read, they don’t always do as well as those from more mature hens.

 

[Kris5902]

Thanks for the info @CindyinSD

Chicken eggs are not usually dirty, ime. I’d pass over dirty chicken eggs—wash, scramble, eat. You can so easily collect clean ones for the incubator. The best eggs to set are (from my reading) normal sized for the breed, normally formed/shaped. If your hens are very young and still laying tiny pullet eggs, you might consider waiting... or not. It’s up to you, but from what I’ve read, they don’t always do as well as those from more mature hens.

I am only taking the clean ones for incubation, but I had them all in one hand and just forgot to pull the one for incubation out before dipping the others to clean. I swear my chickens step in poop before they go to lay on purpose!
Also, I’m not sure exactly what the average sizes really are for my breeds, but I am taking the normal shaped clean ones