How old can pullets be before laying bator eggs??

If you have a roo to fertilize you sure can...

 

I hatched the first 10 eggs my chicken laid. I didn't know better at the time, and I didn't know she was laying when I found the 10 eggs. I didn't want to toss them so we made the bator and hatched them. I had a 100% hatch only 1 I've had and all the babies are now about to start laying. I ended up with 6 hens and 4 roo's. The roo's were rehomed.

 

I just put eggs into the incubator that were like from the 2nd week of my Orpingtons laying. But my rooster's been SO excited about them I know he's been very active & so I figured why not? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Plus I'd purchased eggs not long ago that came through the mail & they were a bust I guess from being so scrambled in the mail, so I figured it has to work better than that.....

 

Most hens are bred before they start laying if raised with a rooster.

 

So the smaller size egg a pullet lays (before maturing) will have no effect on the chicks size or health?

 

Two weeks ago, I bought a white Silkie cockerel, a white hen who was laying when I bought her and still is, and a blue Silkie pullet who has started laying this week. Should I collect the eggs and put them in the bator? I guess this is the only way to test fertility and know if he has started to "do his job" yet. The blue pullet is just with the whites because they are still in quarantine, after that she will go with my black roo.

Paula

 

10 months is fine - I think the youngest I've ever incubated was from a 7 month old hen. Her eggs were nice and big.

I don't usually incubate the first eggs whether they're fertile or not because some of my girls' first eggs were soft-shelled eggs, some were banty-sized eggs, some without yolks... I like to wait until they get themselves organized and start laying a consistantly nice egg.