How to get fertile eggs?

[speckledhen]

It could take that long or longer. Now, I know some breeders who hatch pullet eggs as long as they are a reasonable size; if they are not far from normal size, I'd say go for it.

 

[Southern28Chick]

I don't want to hatch pullet eggs...I just want big ones to eat.

 

[davecash]

Quote:
too funny

 

[chickenwhisperer]

Im not really in a hurry to do all this. Just a question that popped into my head. Alot has happened this week in my chicken world- hatched eggs and the babies lived, my hen started laying eggs, and found out GF's favorite hen was a rooster and processed him today.
The eggs Im getting are about half the size of my friends' moms' chickens' eggs. So expect it to be a month before they are normal size?
Also, as its going into fall, the evenings and nights are getting cooler, though daytime is still around 90-95 but seems to be cooling as well. At what point do I need to add my coop heat light? Um, i guess more to the point- what is the optimal temperature to keep them so they lay thru the fall and winter(which does get cold here but no snow)?
And as far as the day/night cycle, they need a certain amount of daylight, right? So when I put a light and timer in there, is it better to make the morning earlier or the evening longer? And the increased day light is only for in the coophouse or needs to be lighting the run also?
I must have ADD. Thankyou.

 

[BirdBrain]

You might try combining a timer and a photo cell on your lights so they turn on when it gets dark enough and then the timer turns them off an hour or two later and then in the morning the timer turns them on an hour or two earlier than the sun and the photo cell turns them off when the sun comes up. That way they can get the requisite 14 hours or so they need to keep laying.

 

[arlee453]

When I saw the thread title, I thought to myself...

Put a rooster in with the hens?? Right???

Southern28 - maybe there is some sort of 'chick flick' you can rent for your rooster... or a book to read?? Try the back of cosmo magazine and see if there is any sort of 'how to' guide you can get him.

Good luck with your hens...I'm just hoping for eggs, period. Oh, and NO fertile eggs because that would mean that one of my girls is really a boy and then I've got a problem with my neighbors!

Susan

 

[Chelly]

Quote:
Show him pictures of speckledhen's girls - that'll get him going!
Perhaps even a pic of a naked-neck (that might be HIS thing!)

 

[greenmulberry]

Quote:
OMG, TMI!!!