How many eggs should I get?

[sawilliams]

So the plan is next spring when one of the hens possibly go broody I want to get a few fertile eggs for her. The plan is to raise up 2-3 girls for a friend. So I want to error on the safe side that some will fail, and some might be roosters. But I don't want to go to overboard either. Keeping 1-2 extra ourselves wouldn't be an issue but any roosters will be culled for dinner. So what would be a good number of eggs to try to hatch to hopefully get 3-4 girls out of as few eggs as possible?

And yes I know bad luck can happen if it does and all are roos I'll get to freeze some dinner and try again

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Very unlikely all are cockerels or pullets, for that matter.
I think locally obtained eggs, 10 would be good. If you have LF hens and you're shipping eggs, 13-18 would be better.

What breeds do you have?
Even with broody prone breeds like Silkies, Cochins, Brahmas, Orpingtons, Penedesencas, etc., there are no guarantees.

 

[sawilliams]

Very unlikely all are cockerels or pullets, for that matter.
I think locally obtained eggs, 10 would be good. If you have LF hens and you're shipping eggs, 13-18 would be better.

What breeds do you have?
Even with broody prone breeds like Silkies, Cochins, Brahmas, Orpingtons, Penedesencas, etc., there are no guarantees.

 

[sawilliams]

They are mutts, so mixed infact that they are probably as mixed as you can get without then becoming zebra stripped monkeys with lion manes and kangaroo tails.

One is a rir, or so we think that we got separate. And one of the mixes is at least mostly black astrolorp. Only have 2 of 6 laying right now, 2 more of age but not ready, 2 more younger that will likely start to lay in spring. I know the rir won't brood but I'm hoping one of the others will, I know right now we just have to wait and see. I do know that one will make a great mother if she does decide to brood, as she hasn't even started laying but has been mothering the youngest 2 since we got them. Only time will tell...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My best advice is, don't hold your breath.
I've had broody breeds that didn't go broody and non-broody breeds that were relentlessly broody so there is no telling till it happens.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It depends where your getting your fertile eggs from. If a local farm or drive away from your home that's not at breakneck speeds over potholes then they'll do well and you can expect 80-100% to hatch and half of those to be pullets. If your getting eggs mailed then there is no guarantee any of them will hatch. It's mostly due to your postal system and every system and direction of travel to you different. It only takes one system to scramble the inside of eggs due to jumpy conveyor belts or what have you. I lived in a dead zone for postal eggs. Now I don't and got 70% to hatch this spring which is better than the average of 50% with shipped eggs.

Think on how many pullets you want. Multiply by 2 and divide by 0.8 for a fair guess of how many eggs to set if local. It's a wild guess with shipped eggs but winging it at 50% then you'd multiply the number of pullets wanted by 4 for number of eggs to set. 4 pullets wanted then 8/.08= 10 eggs set for local so purchasing a dozen fertile would be perfect, likely get 3-7 pullets. With shipped your anywhere from dozen and half to two dozen which wont fit under a broody and anywhere from all to none could hatch.

Then of course you praying for a broody to occur and hoping it happens in spring not June which is when mine have nested if one goes broody at all that year.

 

[sawilliams]

I've already talk to the person I got the 5 of my mixed girls from and fortunately is only about a 15 min drive. My goal would be 2-3 pullets with 4 being acceptable any more would have to be re-homed or culled. It's really just a matter of seeing if or when one will go broody. I'm planning in April or May (once 4 or all 6 are laying) to start replacing eggs with fakes to see if someone is interested, and go from there, i figure worst case senerio, I'll still have a few months to try. This will probably be the only time we will intentionally try to hatch anything until we can move as we currently live in a subdivision with chicken restrictions.

 

[junebuggena]

If you are lucky enough to have a hen go broody, and you want at least 3 females out of the hatch, and assuming your hens are standard sized instead of bantam; set 8 to 10 eggs.

 

[sawilliams]

Thank you, yes they are all standard