How Long??

[GAGE]

What is the soonest that you can incubate (with success) a new egg layer. This is strictly a hypothetical question, as we want to enjoy our eggs for a while before they go into the bator . If they are old enough and laying, are first time layers fertile and yes, we have a mature rooster but I am not around enough to watch them breed.
This is something that I was thinking about today.

 

[LarryPQ]

It depends more on your hens than you roo. Hypothetically speaking, the eggs could be fertile as soon as they start laying: assuming the rooster is covering the hens.

However, just because an egg is fertile, it does not mean they are hatchable. Many times the eggs are weird-shaped, double-yolkers, not forming "right" consistantly.

STILL: I have hatched eggs from new layers, ones that have only been laying a few weeks. I have also had sizzles who started laying, laid 8 eggs, went broody, and hatched the eggs they were sitting on. I have also had hens who's eggs did not become "hatchable" until they had all the "kinks" worked out of their system.

ETA: In short: 8 to 10 months old would be the earliest I would waste incubator space on.

 

[PepsNick]

I think that maybe this should be in the incubating and hatching eggs section...

 

[LarryPQ]

Quote:
It could go either way

If we are talking about the hens, then sure, I defer to you. If we are talking about the roo doing his job, then the OP got it right

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
It could go either way

If we are talking about the hens, then sure, I defer to you. If we are talking about the roo doing his job, then the OP got it right

Good point.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I'd wait until the eggs are a good size for their breed. I wouldn't try to incubate eggs that are too small, either.