ARE 6 MONTH OLD HEN'S EGGS TOO YOUNG TO ATTEMPT A HATCH?

[bwalden]

I HAVE WELSUMMER HENS 6 MONTHS OLD AND I'M ITCHING TO HATCH SOME OF THEIR EGGS AND ADD TO MY FLOCK. THEY HAVE BEEN LAYING PRETTY REGULARLY SINCE JULY 1ST. DOES ANYONE KNOW OF ANY PROS OR CONS TO SETTING EGGS FROM HENS THAT YOUNG? I COULD WAIT UNTIL THE SPRING I SUPPOSE IF IT'S JUST TOO EARLT TO THINK ABOUT USING THEIR EGGS. I WILL HAVE SOME BLACK COPPER MARAN HENS THAT SHOULD BE LAYING BEFORE TOO MUCH LONGER , THEN I COULD JUST HATCH SOME OF BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.

 

[Kevin565]

Brooding can take it's toll on the birds body. I personally would not allow a 6 month old bird to sit.

 

[suki'smom]

If you're using an incubator I say go for it. The babies will be a bit smaller from pullets but they will be fine.

 

[bwalden]

Brooding can take it's toll on the birds body. I personally would not allow a 6 month old bird to sit.

Sorry didnt clarify. I would be putting the eggs in my incubator. I dont have any broody hens. Well at least not yet anyway.

 

[Kevin565]

If you mean just using pullet eggs I wouldn't see a problem. Most people just suggest you just don't use the very first ones because those are the best for hatching.

 

[bwalden]

Ok the first eggs are long since gone. (Ate them =). Most of my hens have been laying since July 1st so the eggs they lay now are a little larger than their 1st eggs of course. Just wondering if anyone had tried hatching "pullet" eggs before and what kind of sucess they have had.

 

[yo burrill]

They will hatch. If your birds have been laying for two months they are probably mature enough to set the eggs. The issue with setting small eggs is you end up with smaller adult birds from those eggs who will tend to lay smaller eggs.

 

[bwalden]

I see. Sounds like I would be better off to wait until they are a little closer to a year old or so and like I mentioned above I'll be able to hatch some og my FBCM eggs along with them. Thanks for the input.

 

[bwalden]

I have some older welsummer hens also. I have some of their eggs in the incubator now along with some black copper marans egg I bought from a private breeder.