CAN YOU HATCH THE SMALL EGGS WHEN A HEN STARTS LAYING

[mcdze]

generally hatchrate will be lower and hatch problems higher outside the 'ideal' fertility time of chickens which imo is about 4 or so months after they start laying to about 2 years ..

 

[Ridgerunner]

But didn't really know if these little first eggs would be viable.

I've hatched the small pullet eggs. Is your question will they hatch at all or are you asking is you will get as good of results as you would by waiting? Two different questions.

For an egg to hatch it has to be pretty close to perfect in what you can see and some things that you can't see. When they first start some pullets have glitches in laying them. Susan mentioned a few but there are many more possibilities. I'm amazed at how many get all those things right from the first egg. Truly remarkable.

When they first start the eggs are typically smaller than they will be later. That's nature's way of protecting the pullet when she starts with an internal egg making factory that may not be fully mature. The earlier they start to lay the smaller they tend to be. To me, this is a different thing compared to something wrong with the egg.

So what kind of results have I had? Sometimes great, sometimes horrible. One time I set 5 small eggs from one pullet and 6 from another. I could tell the difference because of eggshell color. All 6 eggs hatched from one pullet, zero eggs a hatched from the other. I suspect the rooster had not fertilized one pullet's eggs but I do not know for sure. I had about an 80% hatch rate from the other eggs from grown hens in that hatch.

Usually my hatch rates with those small pullet eggs aren't that dramatic. I've had some really good hatch rates from them, comparable to the rate from full sized eggs. Sometimes the hatch rate is not as good as the one from the full sized eggs that are incubated together. They certainly can hatch.

Since the eggs are small there is not enough nutrition in the egg for the chick to grow as big as they would with larger eggs. The genetics are the same, that doesn't change, but it's a good thing as there is not enough room in that shell for the chick to grow big while in there.

Regardless of what size eggs they hatch from the vast majority of my chicks that hatch live, grow, and thrive. Occasionally one will die though, whether in a brooder or with a broody hen. That's just something that happens with living animals. They are most susceptible to that their first day or two but a few die later. I find that if one dies it is a little more likely to have been hatched from a tiny pullet egg. Not all of them are from those small eggs and most do live and thrive. As active as those chicks are I think it may have more to do with birth defects due to an abnormality in the egg than the strength and vigor of the chicks.

Can they hatch? Yes. Will your hatch rate and survival rate be as good as with chicks from larger eggs? Maybe, maybe not. Often they are not that much different but sometimes they are. I find that if I wait for about a month after the pullet has started laying to collect eggs to incubate that most of these differences seem to go away.

I typically have a February hatch so I don't run out of chicken meat in the freezer in early summer. My egg selection can be limited so I often put pullet eggs in with the other eggs if that is what I have.

As long as your niece can manage the chicks I'd set some eggs and see what happens. But try to not make any promises to her.

 

[Companihen]

T

I can answer from my experience with quails. I have a hen who lays small eggs (like a new layer.) Her eggs never caught up with others. So when I incubated them, the thing I noticed was that all of the chicks from her eggs were malpositioned and one had developed a wry neck because of it (The neck was in the shape of V because the head was turned against the pointy end of the egg and had no room). Meanwhile other eggs hatched themselves, I had to help out all from the smaller eggs as they were stuck. The chicks were about the same size of the others, so not much difference there. Except the wry neck one, they were also

I've hatched the small pullet eggs. Is your question will they hatch at all or are you asking is you will get as good of results as you would by waiting? Two different questions.

For an egg to hatch it has to be pretty close to perfect in what you can see and some things that you can't see. When they first start some pullets have glitches in laying them. Susan mentioned a few but there are many more possibilities. I'm amazed at how many get all those things right from the first egg. Truly remarkable.

When they first start the eggs are typically smaller than they will be later. That's nature's way of protecting the pullet when she starts with an internal egg making factory that may not be fully mature. The earlier they start to lay the smaller they tend to be. To me, this is a different thing compared to something wrong with the egg.

So what kind of results have I had? Sometimes great, sometimes horrible. One time I set 5 small eggs from one pullet and 6 from another. I could tell the difference because of eggshell color. All 6 eggs hatched from one pullet, zero eggs a hatched from the other. I suspect the rooster had not fertilized one pullet's eggs but I do not know for sure. I had about an 80% hatch rate from the other eggs from grown hens in that hatch.

Usually my hatch rates with those small pullet eggs aren't that dramatic. I've had some really good hatch rates from them, comparable to the rate from full sized eggs. Sometimes the hatch rate is not as good as the one from the full sized eggs that are incubated together. They certainly can hatch.

Since the eggs are small there is not enough nutrition in the egg for the chick to grow as big as they would with larger eggs. The genetics are the same, that doesn't change, but it's a good thing as there is not enough room in that shell for the chick to grow big while in there.

Regardless of what size eggs they hatch from the vast majority of my chicks that hatch live, grow, and thrive. Occasionally one will die though, whether in a brooder or with a broody hen. That's just something that happens with living animals. They are most susceptible to that their first day or two but a few die later. I find that if one dies it is a little more likely to have been hatched from a tiny pullet egg. Not all of them are from those small eggs and most do live and thrive. As active as those chicks are I think it may have more to do with birth defects due to an abnormality in the egg than the strength and vigor of the chicks.

Can they hatch? Yes. Will your hatch rate and survival rate be as good as with chicks from larger eggs? Maybe, maybe not. Often they are not that much different but sometimes they are. I find that if I wait for about a month after the pullet has started laying to collect eggs to incubate that most of these differences seem to go away.

I typically have a February hatch so I don't run out of chicken meat in the freezer in early summer. My egg selection can be limited so I often put pullet eggs in with the other eggs if that is what I have.

As long as your niece can manage the chicks I'd set some eggs and see what happens. But try to not make any promises to her.

Thanks again... great advice.

I guess in a way I was asking both questions so thank you for providing both answers... yes eggs are fully developed and may hatch... but results may be more mixed than with older hens eggs.

I'll give it a try... my niece won't know until chicks come!

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Ive been hatching pullet eggs for years never had an issue I have pullet eggs in my bator right now for this next gen lol

 

[ksmom74]

Ok. I know I'm a weirdo but I set puller eggs and 10/11 hatched and are healthy adults. What I would say is, weigh them first and don't set anything too small. Pullet eggs vary a lot. I feed mine a lot of protein too so they grow well and faster before laying.

how small is too small? i have pullet eggs here (they have been laying about 2 months.) they range in size from 45 - 54 grams. my older hen is wanting to sit again, and I would like some more easter eggers...

 

[Ridgerunner]

The grams do not mean anything to me. Mature Sebright hen eggs weigh a whole lot less than a Leghorn pullet's first eggs. It is relative to the size the pullet is.

If they have been laying for two months I'd try it. They should have worked out their kinks form starting to lay. I'd expect you to get a pretty good hatch.