hen laid first egg!!

[Kamokid95]

(since ive had her) lol. the first egg for me. i did have a rooster, but my dog got him a few weeks ago as he was defending his ladies. But i did witness him fertilize the hens. since then i have fenced off the chickens area. anyways, this is my first egg laid at home and i have a few questions:
the egg is very small, could it still be fertile and hatch?
how can you tell if the egg is fertile with out cracking it open?
how long does it take for the egg to hatch?
and if you have any other info for me i would appreciate it greatly

thanks!
-Jordan

 

[texasgal]

A big Texas-sized

Congrats on your first egg. If your rooster has been gone for a couple weeks, your egg may not be fertilized. There is no way to tell at this point without opening it.

Eggs take about 21 days to hatch, but won't do anything unless a hen is sitting on them, or they are in an incubator at proper temps.

If you incubate it for approx 7 days, you should be able to candle it and see if there is any growth.

There is FABULOUS info in the treads at the top of this section. Have fun!

 

[Kamokid95]

thanks!

shes sitting over it but not to much, i think maybe since i live in florida and its 91 degrees outside she may think she doesnt have to be on it constantly or something.

 

[cmom]

Most likely your egg is NOT fertile. I don't incubate my eggs until my boys have been with my girls for at least 3 weeks and I have seen the boys mate with the girls. Also the eggs will start out small. It is a good idea to let them lay for awhile and for the eggs to get larger before you incubate them when they are fertile. There is no way to tell if an egg is fertile without cracking it open. If the eggs are fertile it will take around 21 days. Temperature and humidity can affect a hatch. If the temp runs a little high the chicks can hatch early and if the temp runs a little cool, that can delay the hatch a little. I keep my humidity around 40% to 50% for the first 18 days until I set the eggs for hatching (lock down), then I raise it to 65% to 70%. I'm sure you will get many different answers as incubators aren't necessarily created equal. I have stryofoam and a cabinet incubator. My cabinet incubator definitely holds steadier temperature and humidity than my styrofoam incubator does and is much easier to regulate.

 

[Prisserbabe]

I have read that you hold the egg up to a bright light and if it has a big black circle in the egg its fertile and if its just a normal brown egg its not.
i have never tried this method but i did read it in a chicken magazine

 

[cmom]

Not fertile

Fertile