Hatching eggs?!?

[JillZaHulk]

Our one hen finally laid an egg. (We have 3 Drake's) The hen is separated with one Drake. They can all see each other and socialize but not get to each other. There a good chance this egg is fertilized (if being her first egg ever laid is possible to be fertilized) is it possible to hatch this one? She had dug down under the straw and laid it on the cement floor. When I found it this morning it was very cold. I put it inside the house in a warm area while I had to run to a meeting. On the way home I'm going to pick up what I can for an incubator. Is there a point in attempting hatching this egg?

 

[TelfTheElf]

You can try...but don't be disappointed if it doesn't work!!!

 

[Ratchnick]

It might hatch. You can store a fertal egg for a week with out any problems.

 

[Skippersnh]

I never try to hatch a hens first egg

 

[FortCluck]

You can try to hatch it. I wouldn't recommend hatching only 1 egg though because the duckling will be lonely until it can be with the others. You can try to comfort it with a stuffed animal or what not.

 

[JillZaHulk]

Thank you everyone. I picked up an incubator and candler today. I'm hoping with how much attention she got before they were separated that this egg and the next few are fertile. Really hoping the next couple mornings we find eggs to add to the incubator so we don't have a single hatchling. We are in such desperate need of more girls so I'm REALLY crossing my fingers hard on these first few eggs. I'm sure I'll have more hatching questions as time passes.

 

[JillZaHulk]

I found another egg this morning. Again she dug down to the cold cement even tho I put a bunch of extra straw in there last night. I may lay some cardboard under the hay where she's nesting. Just to keep things a little extra dry, insulated and padded. It got marked and went straight in the incubator with the other. Is there a way to tell if they're fertile before putting them in the incubator so we know which ones to eat and which ones to brood?

 

[Ratchnick]

If you have a drake you can probably eat or hatch any of them.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

I wish there was a way you could tell if an egg was fertile from the outside...

 

[JillZaHulk]

If you have a drake you can probably eat or hatch any of them.

FIRST I'M REALLY SORRY IF I'M SCREWING UP THIS QUOTE THING. NO INTERNET MAKES THE APP SUCK LOL.

We have three Drake's that have been all over her for forever. Two Drake's have been fighting but it didn't get bad till recently so the run and coop got divided up. Pekins on one side Mallard and khaki on the other (4 total. 1 hen 3 Drake's). I figure she's finally de-stressed and relaxed enough now that she's laying. They're all about 10 months old.

I wish there was a way you could tell if an egg was fertile from the outside...

EGGSACTLY! We want to eat our eggs but we also want to hatch as many as we can to get as many more hens as possible to eventually rejoin all the ducks back to one coop and run. I feel like dividing their space has really limited them. But they're not fighting and she's now laying so they must be happy with the set up... Right?!

Seriously tho fertile eggs should just come out with like an extra groove or a slightly different color lol it would just make dividing them between the kitchen and the incubator much easier lol