Got my Frist Egg!! What's next?

[FeHosting]

Hello Everyone,

Today the wife and I wake up, Go let the babys out of the coop/run and my older roo and two hens come out before the babys. Babys are now 13 weeks old, For the past two weeks I seen my Roo mate with one of the hens he has with him. Only two! for one roo... He did his thing with her about 4 time's that I seen. So with that I have been checking the coop that the hens sleep in and today I see a Green egg!! YAY

so with this egg what is next for me todo or will the hen do what she needs with it?

Today she has not been in the coop all day, She is running out side with the roo and babys Dose she need to sit on it? Should i put food in the box for her to eat? How long dose she need to sit on it? I need some type of help This is my frist time dealing with chickens..

Thanks Mike.

 

[chloezoebob101]

Congatulations! and she does not need to sit on it unless of course u want it to hatch!! just collect it. and no feed in the box. it could make them lazy and get fatter bc they are sitting all day eating that food and clog their vent.

 

[FeHosting]

Hey thanks for the tip's. Yeah i want it to hatch So why dose she not sit on it? It's not that big I can get a pic of it to show yall.. And i think my babys will start to lay when they are 6 months am i right?

Thanks again for the help.
Mike.

 

[KrisH]

they will want a clutch of eggs to sit on before they go broody (if they go broody) probably more than 12 eggs. and I have heard pullit eggs being smaller are not the best to hatch.

patience grasshopper (said with oriental accent)

I have little practical experience, just a book jockey

RobertH

 

[KrisH]

how soon they lay depends on many factors.
season, Breed of chicken etc etc
RobertH

 

[gryeyes]

A lot of people think all hens lay eggs and sit on them all to hatch them, that we steal their "could be babies" from the hens. Not so!

The majority of hens lay their eggs and walk away, with no desire to hatch them. The "broody" tendency has been bred out of them in favor of egg production.

Egg production is STOPPED when a hen begins to brood a clutch of eggs to hatch out chicks. That takes 21 days. Then the hen raises the chicks and does not lay eggs during that time, which can take from 3 to 8 or more weeks. So we're talking about a minimum of six weeks without any eggs from that hen. Hatcheries are in the business to sell eggs, and egg farmers are in the business to sell eggs. Broody hens muck that up. So many breeds have had the "broodiness" bred out of them in favor of egg production.

An awful lot of chicken owners NEVER have a hen go broody. You don't need a rooster to get eggs, just chicks.... and if the hen isn't broody you still won't get any chicks (unless YOU incubate them artificially in an incubator).

So gather those eggs and eat 'em, sell 'em or incubate 'em yourself until - and IF - you get a hen who goes broody. Then she'll hatch the eggs.