How many eggs should I try?

[jimandcaitlin]

So we are getting ready to try out our first incubation. We have 10 eggs from our own chickens and about another 10-12 shipped eggs coming in the mail. We are getting about 3 eggs a day right now from our hens, so depending on if I start tonight or later, we could have 3-6 additional of our own eggs to add in there. How many do you think we should try putting in for our first try. We aren't looking to end up with 20+ chickens, but I've also heard that shipped eggs tend to go about 50% and I have no idea how well our own eggs will hatch. Would you just put them all in and see what happens? Do you think expecting an overall around 50% is realistic for our first try? Thanks!!

 

[jimandcaitlin]

Any opinions

 

[AmyLynn2374]

So we are getting ready to try out our first incubation. We have 10 eggs from our own chickens and about another 10-12 shipped eggs coming in the mail. We are getting about 3 eggs a day right now from our hens, so depending on if I start tonight or later, we could have 3-6 additional of our own eggs to add in there. How many do you think we should try putting in for our first try. We aren't looking to end up with 20+ chickens, but I've also heard that shipped eggs tend to go about 50% and I have no idea how well our own eggs will hatch. Would you just put them all in and see what happens? Do you think expecting an overall around 50% is realistic for our first try? Thanks!!

I guess the question would be, if you ended up with 20+ chicks, would you have a plan for the extras? Shipped eggs in general do have about a 50% rate. So if you ended up with 5/6 shipped eggs and say 10/16 home eggs, that's a good 15-16 there. If you have a plan for the extras (especially if half of those end as roos) Go for it. My last hatch I set 32. 13 ended up being infertile (someone wasn't getting loving). 2 had blood ring early on, 1 was a day 3-5 quitter. 16 fertile eggs went into lockdown with 13 hatching out (3 died in shell around 19-21 days). At least half of my chicks I am pretty sure are roos. (They are 6 1/2 weeks now and there's still at least 3 I'm not sure about.) I would put them in, but I have a back up for the roos and any I don't want.

 

[aart]

Quote: Good advise there^^^

Plan for lots of brooder space, how to integrate with existing flock(if you have one) and what to do with unwanted cockerels.

 

[btguy]

The shipped eggs really depend on how they were handled in the mail. Don't go into it expecting 50% because that's an overall average. You are May well have all of them hatch and you may find none of them will. My hatch rates wit shipped were 15/16, 0/16, 0/16, 8/12

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Good advise there^^^

Plan for lots of brooder space, how to integrate with existing flock(if you have one) and what to do with unwanted cockerels.

TY