How Many Eggs Could my Hen Fit?

[lmadeline146]

This may br a dumb question since I could just test it tomorrow, but does anybody have an idea on how many eggs my barred rock hen could fit under herself? We’re trying to hatch 5-6 hens (10-12 eggs?) and my hen Pippy just went broody. We’re trying to decide whether or not to hatch from her or an incubator. These are some of the only pictures I have of her atm. (In the second picture shes in the top right)

 

[CCB Chakotay Chicken]

I have 2 of the same breed and one successfully hatched 9 eggs
The other hatched 13 eggs. I would assume it depends on the chickens size and how many she would like to hatch. I would say don't let her go over 12 of her own eggs. And if you would like her to hatch, make sure you take the eggs while she is not looking, so she does not reject the others.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have found that less is more. I have had a big BO hatch 8 /12 eggs. But really I get much better hatches with 8 eggs verses 12. No matter what you do, not all of them will hatch. Really anything above a 50% hatch is considered pretty good.

You mention a incubator - well a hen can manage a lot more chicks than eggs, within reason, and if you are into spring reasonable temperatures. I mean, I have had a hen raise 4 chicks at 20 below zero, but a dozen would not have worked. If the temps are for the most part above freezing, she should be able to handle a dozen.

So give her 5-6 eggs, and put some more in the incubator at the same time, add those eggs either, right before they hatch, or in the dark at night immediately after they hatched.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

Eggs and hens come in different sizes. A bantam hen may be stretched to cover 4 regular eggs. I have no idea how many bantam eggs a full sized hen could cover. So the relative sizes come into play.

The hen needs to be able to cover all of the eggs. I let mine hatch with the flock so I leave enough room for a couple of eggs to be laid in that nest during the day. I typically give my hens a dozen eggs the size that they lay and it usually works out well, but one time I tried that the hen could only cover 10 eggs. The shape of the nest may have had something to do with that.

I remember one hen from my childhood that hid a nest and brought 18 chicks off. We never found that hidden nest so I don't know how many eggs she started with. She raised all 18.

One time I tried to time a broody hatch with when my granddaughter was going to visit. Early in that incubation a thin-shelled egg broke and ruined all the eggs, none hatched. Since then when I give a broody hen eggs I put some in the incubator so she will have some chicks to raise. That paid off one time when a snake ate the eggs out from under a broody hen, she still got to raise baby chicks.

I do not put all the eggs under the broody to hatch. I give the incubator chicks to the broody after hers have hatched. Since you never know how many will hatch I try to hatch several eggs. One time I had a hen raise 15 chicks this way, another time 16 chicks. This was in the heat of summer. It was warm enough that she did not have to cover them all at night. Many slept on or next to her after the first few days. When I hatched in cold weather I limited the total number of eggs to 8.

I don't know where you are located or what your weather is like so I can't suggest a number of eggs.