How many eggs can a (serama) hen hatch?

[chuckachucka]

Ok so I know this question is relative to the size of the hen, but what I mean is how can you TELL how many eggs is the limit for a hen to successfully incubate?

Is it how many can fit under her completely so that you cannot see any sign of the eggs, or is it ok if the eggs can be seen around the edges of her when she is flattened on top of them?

I ask because I have a serama hen (pullet actually) who has just gone broody and I some serama eggs from ebay that arrived today, five of which have good looking air cells.. I also have some of her own pekin-serama cross eggs saved up, and I need to know how many she should be able to incubate properly. The shipped eggs will be priority. Does anyone have experience of broody seramas and how many eggs they hatched? Does 8 sound like too many?

Thanks.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Sounds like a lot to me. You could give her a few and incubate the rest. Once they hatch stick them under her but have a heat source close by.

 

[chickens really]

My Silkie cross Hen can set and hatch 7. If I give her more she pushes the others out and keeps 7...

 

[chuckachucka]

Thanks for the replies. The eggs are very small but I'm thinking seven seems like it might be the maximum. I will try 8 and candle in a few days to see if some dont develop. I'm not really expecting 5/5 shipped eggs to develop anyway.

 

[steve232]

I have given my serama hens as many as 7 of their own eggs to hatch and 6 of them hatched. I've even given them 4 eggs from larger chickens such as Rhode Island Reds and had all 4 hatch. The first picture is the serama that hatched 6 out of 7. I think you can only see 5 babies in that picture. The second picture is the serama that hatched 4 eggs out of 4 eggs. 3 Rhode Island Reds and 1 Black Sex Link. Believe it or not all 4 of these were pullets !!

 

[chuckachucka]

I have given my serama hens as many as 7 of their own eggs to hatch and 6 of them hatched. I've even given them 4 eggs from larger chickens such as Rhode Island Reds and had all 4 hatch. The first picture is the serama that hatched 6 out of 7. I think you can only see 5 babies in that picture. The second picture is the serama that hatched 4 eggs out of 4 eggs. 3 Rhode Island Reds and 1 Black Sex Link. Believe it or not all 4 of these were pullets !!

Aww your Seramas are so cute! Do you think it's likely that the seventh egg didn't hatch because she could only properly cover six? I ended up giving just the six shipped serama eggs to my broody because I worried any more was too many.

I have another question. My serama has been broody since last Sunday. She was coming and going on the nest at first and then seemed to sit almost all day yesterday and today, but she has still gotten up two or three times in these two days. My other breed broodies have always got up only once a day for up to half an hour. I know they can stay off the nests longer if the weather is warm, but it's quite cold weather here (5°c daytime outside). However I am keeping her nest in the house until after the chicks hatch, and it is usually mild temperature inside during the day (around 16-18°c). She has left the nest twice today already and it is only early afternoon. I'm worried because this is the first time she has gone broody. Does this sound normal?

 

[steve232]

Aww your Seramas are so cute! Do you think it's likely that the seventh egg didn't hatch because she could only properly cover six?

I don't think the 7 eggs she was setting on was too many at all. I consider 6 out of 7 eggs to be a good hatch rate. Sometimes theres going to be an egg or two that just don't hatch for what ever reason.

As for how often your hen gets up during the day don't think I would worry too much about that. Chickens usually knows what they're doing and I am a firm believer in letting nature take care of nature. As long as you provide her with a safe place to hatch and raise her young along with plenty of food and water thats about all you can do. Just sit back and let nature take care of itself. After all theres really not much we can do after we provide them with the above and it sounds like your doing pretty much what you can. Hope you have a great hatch.