Hatching pullet eggs

[RedReiner]

I have read on here that pullet eggs are hard to hatch. So when do they become a hen and at what point can you consider hatching their eggs? Are pullet eggs just usually not fertile or is it something else that makes them hard to hatch?
I have one that started laying about 2 weeks ago, her first 3 eggs were Jumbo then the next 3 or 4 were oval and hard to tell the big end from the small end. They are pretty normal looking large eggs now.

 

[HHandbasket]

I have a bantam EE pullet egg (one of the first two or three eggs she laid) in my bator now. I candled last night, day 4. There are clearly defined chick embryo and vascular patterns forming inside. Of course, that's no guarantee it's going to hatch, but it's growing! We shall see what happens.

 

[onthespot]

I hatch pullet eggs. I would not sell them without disclosing that they are pullet eggs. The chicks that do hatch are smaller at hatch and are at a disadvantage if they are in with larger chicks, more likely to get injured, harder for them to get a good start, but they generally even out when they are older. Also, fertility may not be as high in pullet eggs due to them not always submitting to the roosters.

 

[RedReiner]

so if its fertile there really isnt any reason to not hatch them?

 

[rnorris1234]

I have bantam cochins and i just hatched out one little pullets first 4 eggs. All hatched, all healthy, no problems. But, she was also almost 8 months old before she laid those eggs (cochins are sometimes slow starters). It may be different with a breed that lays younger, I don't know.
Good luck.

 

[gumbii]

i got some trios with an older pullet and a younger one... out of about 60 eggs, about 14 of them were infertile... also i got a lot of blood rings... only 17 made it to lock down, and 12 hatched right now... it's day 22 and i'm about to take out all of the chicks that hatched on day 20... these are all my eggs, none of them are shipped eggs... also DIY fridgebator, but my levels never fluctuated or never had any problems with it...


so horrible hatch, but at least some are hatching...