VictoriaTemple
Songster
Ok, full disclosure time. I am both mentally and physically disabled and can NOT comb through all the volumes of information on this forum. Raising chickens is my therapy, and I can do it because it's SIMPLE! So if I ask questions that have been answered millions of times, please understand and help if you can.
I have some plans for breeding my small flock toward a personal dual-purpose target hybrid. I have several hens who, despite their youth, are showing broody tendencies. I will NOT use an incubator. I want to leave as much as possible to the hens until the chicks are hatched, and I need a very basic primer on how to get from egg to live chick successfully. My hens are friendly and handleable. One Cochin I hope will adopt young chicks from outside the flock for me, but I have not tried it yet. I have everything I need to set up a brooder if necessary.
The layer I'm most interested in right now is my Black Copper Marans, who has been hiding eggs for a week. She is a Spring pullet, but seems quite serious about brooding. I intend to set her up in a broody pen with her own coop, probably next week after the others are moved into their new coop and yard. Since she is still in the egg-hiding stage, how can I get a better idea of whether she intends to keep the eggs? My Jersey Giant is also clearly interested in brooding, she's 1 year older, but she is laying in the usual place.
This may be a dumb question, but can a refrigerated egg still be viable? Be kind, never attempted hatching before!
Other questions likely to come. Thank you!

I have some plans for breeding my small flock toward a personal dual-purpose target hybrid. I have several hens who, despite their youth, are showing broody tendencies. I will NOT use an incubator. I want to leave as much as possible to the hens until the chicks are hatched, and I need a very basic primer on how to get from egg to live chick successfully. My hens are friendly and handleable. One Cochin I hope will adopt young chicks from outside the flock for me, but I have not tried it yet. I have everything I need to set up a brooder if necessary.
The layer I'm most interested in right now is my Black Copper Marans, who has been hiding eggs for a week. She is a Spring pullet, but seems quite serious about brooding. I intend to set her up in a broody pen with her own coop, probably next week after the others are moved into their new coop and yard. Since she is still in the egg-hiding stage, how can I get a better idea of whether she intends to keep the eggs? My Jersey Giant is also clearly interested in brooding, she's 1 year older, but she is laying in the usual place.
This may be a dumb question, but can a refrigerated egg still be viable? Be kind, never attempted hatching before!

Other questions likely to come. Thank you!