How many eggs can one hen handle

[CibolaChooks]

I have Barred Cochins and buff silkies i was hoping next year i could just let them go broody and hatch my eggs for me. How many eggs can these breeds keep warm and hatch at one time. The cochins are full size foul and not bantams.

 

[donkeyfoal]

I put 9 eggs under all my surrogate standard size girls, and hope that at least 6 hatch, and 5 large eggs under my bantams. This is semi-controlled as I know where their nesting place is. I use surrogate moms whenever I find them. Sad, but I uaually throw their eggs away when I find their nest, and replace them with known male/female combinations. I have so many free range roosters running around there's no way I'd know which rooster fertilized the egg. I'm the local rooster rescue so I receive many different breeds of roosters. As I write this I have approx. 20 roosters running around free.

 

[CibolaChooks]

I put 9 eggs under all my surrogate standard size girls, and hope that at least 6 hatch, and 5 large eggs under my bantams. This is semi-controlled as I know where their nesting place is. I use surrogate moms whenever I find them. Sad, but I uaually throw their eggs away when I find their nest, and replace them with known male/female combinations. I have so many free range roosters running around there's no way I'd know which rooster fertilized the egg. I'm the local rooster rescue so I receive many different breeds of roosters. As I write this I have approx. 20 roosters running around free.

wow. i have read other places where people keep multiple roos and they always say they just find there pecking order and are good to go. have you had much trouble bringing in new guys to the mix. I hope my cochins and silkies go as broody as they say lol. Just not till next year though. haha.

 

[bairo]

My big black cochin went broody 2 weeks ago.. 8 weeks ago I had to take out the nesting boxes and replace it with a community dark box to cure some egg pecking though. Care to guess what the downside is to a community box and a broody? My girl keeps stealing eggs everyone else is laying and is sitting on 16 now. I found a 17th one just outside of her today and had to toss it.

I know that does not answer your question....but she is covering 16 and they all candle good so far. Soooo?? Ill have to get back to you on the hatch rate

 

[CibolaChooks]

My big black cochin went broody 2 weeks ago.. 8 weeks ago I had to take out the nesting boxes and replace it with a community dark box to cure some egg pecking though. Care to guess what the downside is to a community box and a broody? My girl keeps stealing eggs everyone else is laying and is sitting on 16 now. I found a 17th one just outside of her today and had to toss it.

I know that does not answer your question....but she is covering 16 and they all candle good so far. Soooo?? Ill have to get back to you on the hatch rate

pleses do thats awesome