Egg fertility

[AmandaBraddick]

Will you be collecting some eggs to hatch now that you are seeing a good number of fertile eggs?

Oh yes I've got to give it another try. What's the oldest egg you would recommend incubatoring please? I want to collect a batch but dont want to leave the first egg too long if you see what i mean. My silkies seem fine up to 8 days. Would you say that's about right?

 

[Mellowmalt]

up to 10 days should not affect them if stored cool

 

[My2butterflies]

Oh yes I've got to give it another try. What's the oldest egg you would recommend incubatoring please? I want to collect a batch but dont want to leave the first egg too long if you see what i mean. My silkies seem fine up to 8 days. Would you say that's about right?

I try not to use ones over a week old for best results.
Just date the eggs with their “laid date” so you can see how well newer ones do opposed to older eggs.

 

[AmandaBraddick]

Hi everyone. Update on previous post.. I put some more of my araucana eggs in the incubator and out of 4 only one is fertile (just candled day 9). These were collected over 7 days and the fertile one is the newest. Annoyingly the next egg laid that didn't make the incubator was fertile! How can a chicken lay eggs over a period of 8 days some fertile and some not? I thought on one mating eggs were fertilised for quite a few days. Any help gratefully received.

Second problem... If this egg hatches will the chick be okay on it's own or do i need to source some 1 day olds for it? Obviously it won't be on it's own when it gets a few weeks old but will it need company from the word go? Again any advice gratefully received. Thanks

 

[Weeg]

Second problem... If this egg hatches will the chick be okay on it's own or do i need to source some 1 day olds for it? Obviously it won't be on it's own when it gets a few weeks old but will it need company from the word go? Again any advice gratefully received. Thanks

Yes, you will have to get some one day olds for it. They don't do well on there own.

 

[AmandaBraddick]

Yes, you will have to get some one day olds for it. They don't do well on there own.

I have a broody silkie in my coop.. Could i put this egg under her to complete the incubation and then teach and be company for the chick or would it still need other chicks the same age around it?

 

[Weeg]

I have a broody silkie in my coop.. Could i put this egg under her to complete the incubation and then teach and be company for the chick or would it still need other chicks the same age around it?

How old is your lone chick, or if it isn't hatched yet, when will it hatch? It will need flock mates as soon as possible if its a lone hatching, waiting a month for inaction will take to long.