Hatching eggs, broody hen vs incubator?

[rehric00]

Hi everyone! I am new to raising chickens. I currently have four adult hens that are laying 2-4 eggs a day. I have some chicks that are 3 weeks old and I also have some that I will get in May that will be a day old.

I have found a great interest in wanting to hatch my own eggs. Not only do I want the experience, but a few of the more rare breeds that I would like to raise are too pricey and hard to find as chicks- so here I am thinking about getting hatching eggs

Here are a few questions I have come across and have not been able to find answers on...

How long can the eggs be at room temp before they are bad? I am concerned about shipping, etc.

Would it be more ideal to have my hens lay on the eggs, or should I incubate them? I would like my hens to be able to hatch them once it gets warmer out.

Can you make a hen "broody" by placing fake eggs for her to lay on, but still take the real ones for consumption?

Can I still go in and take my non hatching eggs while she is laying on the hatching eggs?

Any advice would be appreciated! I would like to wait until the weather is warmer before I start this process, but it is something that's been on my mind!

 

[HEChicken]

Hi everyone! I am new to raising chickens. I currently have four adult hens that are laying 2-4 eggs a day. I have some chicks that are 3 weeks old and I also have some that I will get in May that will be a day old.

I have found a great interest in wanting to hatch my own eggs. Not only do I want the experience, but a few of the more rare breeds that I would like to raise are too pricey and hard to find as chicks- so here I am thinking about getting hatching eggs

Here are a few questions I have come across and have not been able to find answers on...

How long can the eggs be at room temp before they are bad? I am concerned about shipping, etc.

Would it be more ideal to have my hens lay on the eggs, or should I incubate them? I would like my hens to be able to hatch them once it gets warmer out.

Can you make a hen "broody" by placing fake eggs for her to lay on, but still take the real ones for consumption?

Can I still go in and take my non hatching eggs while she is laying on the hatching eggs?

Any advice would be appreciated! I would like to wait until the weather is warmer before I start this process, but it is something that's been on my mind!

You will get the best hatches from eggs that are under a week old, but people have reported good experience hatching eggs even as old as 3-4 weeks. A lot depends on how they are handled by the postal service on the way to you - shipped eggs are notoriously hard to get a great hatch on.

You won't get to decide when a hen goes broody. I had to wait 3 years to get my first broody hen. It helps to have broody breeds as that is a trait that has been bred out of a lot of modern day, highly prolific egg laying breeds.

Leaving eggs out may or may not make a difference. There have been times I went on vacation for a few days so the eggs were not collected daily, but it did not seem to encourage them to brood - they will do it when they are good and ready.

If/when you DO have a hen that is broody, it is best to segregate her so there won't be new eggs laid in her nest - that way you won't have to worry about collecting the non-hatching eggs. Some hens will allow you to move them; others aren't so keen on the idea. Right now I have two hens who let me move them and are brooding in dog houses under my hoop coop, while a third refused to brood in the new location so I finally gave in and placed a small run made of 1x2's and chicken wire, over her and her nest, right in the middle of the coop. It is 2x4 so has room for her nest at one end and bowls of food and water at the other. So there she sits, but she is happy and none of the other hens can get in to lay their eggs so I don't have to disturb Miss Broody.