Hachability of older chickens

[[email protected]]

What is the oldest chickens can be and still hatch eggs or have them hatched by an incubator?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You said 'oldest chicken' - Do you mean how old the eggs or the breeders?

 

[[email protected]]

The chickens, im trying to find out what is the oldest my chickens can be and still have their eggs hatched. not sure if its worth getting an incubator over.

 

[Glenmar]

Hopefully someone will know. I would think that if they are still laying you would get at least 50% viable even with older birds, but that is just a guess.

 

[KWAK]

Quote:
X2

 

[guard278th]

How old is your rooster, he will be the one to worry about if the hens are laying then the eggs will be Ok as long as your rooster is still fertile

 

[[email protected]]

Not sure the exact age some where between 5-7 years their all the same age, (one roster 8 hens). we cracked an egg a couple of weeks back and seen the black fertile dot, not sure if that means the will hatch for sure or not under the right conditions...

 

[centrarchid]

Hens can be older than 10 years of age and still produce eggs that hatch. Number of will be reduced and hatch rate for older hens will be reduced. Chicks hatching for such old hens and older roosters as well do not seem to be on average as vigerous as those coming from a younger parent.