Not sure of the correct forum, so this is a cross post? How many eggs can a chicken sit on? I have a buff who has quite a few under her. What is the most I can leave for her? Also, can I use permanent marker to write on eggs?
buff what? standard or banty? I would not recommend sharpie or another permanent type. Pencil is safe and will hold up well in an incubator or under a hen. Wax pencil is also ok.
You can use a marker if you want, and depending on the size of the egg, and the size of the chicken covering them the number will vary. I would think at least 15-20 of her sized eggs, as long as she can keep them covered she will sit on them, I try not to let mine overcrowd to the point of eggs getting pushed out from under the hen.
I use the rule of thumb 12 of her own eggs, or the equivalant area for other eggs.. ie 4 goose eggs 9 turkey eggs and maybe 18 to 20 banty eggs.. you will get some people to say that it is ok to use sharpie pens or magic marker.. I am dead set against it.. use a pencil or crayon and be sure.. I only mark with a pencil.. I put the date of hatch... no month, no year.. just the date number .. you will know automatically that it is the next time that number comes up what month and year it is.. I also have made up a tray chart for each tray I have.. I write where each egg is in each tray.. then I do not have to sort through the eggs to find any certain one.. I look at the chart and it tells me it is in row A thru F of tray A thru F and in slot 1 through 12.. I can tell you everything I need to know about any egg.. each tray holds 72 chicken size eggs... this is "must-do" for me as I do a lot of rotational hatching.. ........jiminwisc........
