Advice anyone?

[Sandstorm495]

We are most likely going to be breeding some chicks in August or later in the year. Can anyone give me advice? We haven't bred chicks before, and if anyone could post their advice it would help heaps. For a start can anyone tell me the average of how many eggs a chicken will lay in one clutch?

 

[Aime137]

I think the average is around 10.

 

[sumi]

Are you going to let your hens hatch chicks for you? My hens, if I let them, usually collect a clutch of 12 or 13 eggs before sitting, but you could let them hatch any amount they can cover comfortably. You will need a willing broody hen to do the work for you though and unfortunately hens are very unpredictable. Some will go broody all the time and some never does and it always happens overnight and never when you really want them to! One day they will be running around happily and the next they will be fiercely guarding their chosen nest box and threatening to take your hand off if you bother them! But if they get it right they are lovely though and broody hatches are the best IMO. We have a wonderful thread here on broody hen hatches with loads of information that I think you will enjoy:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ody-hen-hatch-a-long-and-informational-thread

 

[ozarkmomma]

might want to reconsider your timing depending on where you are located. I tried to set eggs last July/August and it was so hot that I had a very poor hatch rate. I think the heat either killed the eggs or decreased the overall fertility. Also, I have learned that my chicks do better if they are a little older going into cold weather.

 

[Sandstorm495]

Thanks for the info everyone.
Ozarkmomma- I live in Darwin, where it is quite hot, so we might have to reconsider breeding in August.

 

[Sandstorm495]

Are you going to let your hens hatch chicks for you? My hens, if I let them, usually collect a clutch of 12 or 13 eggs before sitting, but you could let them hatch any amount they can cover comfortably. You will need a willing broody hen to do the work for you though and unfortunately hens are very unpredictable. Some will go broody all the time and some never does and it always happens overnight and never when you really want them to! One day they will be running around happily and the next they will be fiercely guarding their chosen nest box and threatening to take your hand off if you bother them! But if they get it right they are lovely though and broody hatches are the best IMO. We have a wonderful thread here on broody hen hatches with loads of information that I think you will enjoy:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ody-hen-hatch-a-long-and-informational-thread

Yes, we were going to let the hens hatch the chicks for us. We have four hens, and no rooster but if we do breed, we might borrow one. The hens are around 3 years old.