How do I know if my pullet's ready to start hatching eggs?

[beritbeth]

Okay, this may be a dumb question but I'm new to chicken raising and I can't seem to find the answer in anything I read. My copper maran mix pullet just laid her first little brown egg today! She's about 6 months old. I'd like to eventually have chicks, and I've seen my cockerel mating with her several times. How do I know if my pullet's ready to start hatching eggs? Does she need to be broody to do so? How do I know when she's broody? How do I know if the eggs are really fertile? Would her first egg even hatch anyways? Haha sorry for all of the questions but if anyone can answer one or all I'd really appreciate it. Thank you!

 

[beritbeth]

 

[n8ivetxn]

Hi there

I did have French Marans for a while, loved them... I had black and blue coppers, and a blue wheaten... great birds! To answer your questions, if the cockerel is mating with her, most likely the eggs are fertile. Her first egg can be hatched.... she does need to be broody to hatch eggs. My Marans were a broody bunch, those girls raised a batch of chicks every year

You will know when she's ready! Most hens will get aggressive and peck at you if you try to take the mornings egg, some hiss and raise their feathers to make themselves look bigger - its all quite funny, really! Others will just run away, make a nest and hide - I thought I'd lost one to a predator one time, but one morning after a deluge, I went out and opened the coop to let the flock out, and she came running out of nearby bushes - poor soul was soaked to the skin! I searched around and found a HUGE stash of eggs in that bush

I think the latest I ever had one go broody was in September, I remember they hatched toward the end of the month.... I would expect your pullet may hold off until next spring.... Good luck with your flock!

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi there

I did have French Marans for a while, loved them... I had black and blue coppers, and a blue wheaten... great birds! To answer your questions, if the cockerel is mating with her, most likely the eggs are fertile. Her first egg can be hatched.... she does need to be broody to hatch eggs. My Marans were a broody bunch, those girls raised a batch of chicks every year

You will know when she's ready! Most hens will get aggressive and peck at you if you try to take the mornings egg, some hiss and raise their feathers to make themselves look bigger - its all quite funny, really! Others will just run away, make a nest and hide - I thought I'd lost one to a predator one time, but one morning after a deluge, I went out and opened the coop to let the flock out, and she came running out of nearby bushes - poor soul was soaked to the skin! I searched around and found a HUGE stash of eggs in that bush

I think the latest I ever had one go broody was in September, I remember they hatched toward the end of the month.... I would expect your pullet may hold off until next spring.... Good luck with your flock!

Agreed. As a pullet, she may not actually go broody soon - it can take a while before the broody hormones kick in.