Egg laying

[sammy56]

I am seeing now for 1 week my young pullets comb and wattle r getting deep red and today my rooster bred her for the first time and my question is in how many days will she lay an egg and will her egg be fertillesed.

 

[aart]

Probably won't be long, tho I wouldn't try and estimate 'how many days'....and yes, probably will be fertile.
Not a good idea to hatch pullet eggs tho, in case that was in your plans.

Here's how to tell if an egg yolk is fertile when you make breakfast.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

 

[sammy56]

So which weeks of my pullets egg can I hatch

 

[aart]

I don't know if there's hard and fast age that pullet eggs should be hatched.
You can hatch them anytime....but the birds hatched may be undersized and may stay that way, producing smaller eggs and chicks, but I don't have any first hand knowledge.

 

[speckledhen]

You'll get differing opinions on that. I've never noted any size difference at maturity in birds hatched from pullet eggs over eggs from older birds, but I do not hatch too-small eggs. I wait until the egg is of a good size, at least a medium, so a chick can reasonably grow in it and maneuver to hatch. Some do not hatch eggs from any bird under a year old, but I've never held to that rule myself.


To the other question, just because she's being mated doesn't necessarily mean she'll lay immediately. Could be weeks. And it should be fertilized when she does begin laying, provided the rooster is doing the job properly.

 

[aart]

Agreed SH.... friend wanted some eggs for a broody late this summer, gave her some pullet eggs(laying 1 week and 3 weeks) along with some hen eggs. Hatch rate was about the same for both, but the pullet egg chicks were noticeably smaller, tho they also came from a young Welsummer cockerel while the hen eggs were sired by a large Dark Brahma mix rooster. Last I saw them, at about 2 months old, they were still smaller.... but only time will tell how it works out in the long run.

 

[speckledhen]

Agreed SH.... friend wanted some eggs for a broody late this summer, gave her some pullet eggs(laying 1 week and 3 weeks) along with some hen eggs. Hatch rate was about the same for both, but the pullet egg chicks were noticeably smaller, tho they also came from a young Welsummer cockerel while the hen eggs were sired by a large Dark Brahma mix rooster. Last I saw them, at about 2 months old, they were still smaller.... but only time will tell how it works out in the long run.

Very true, no hard and fast rule for how they turn out, really depends on many factors, I'd say. I've just never noted any smaller birds here from pullet eggs, but I've rarely just grabbed one of a pullet's very first eggs to hatch, either, not unless it was an extra big egg for a newbie layer. Many breeders will wait until that pullet is at least close to a year old before hatching her eggs. I'm a rebel, LOL.