I have a few questions for those that hatch their own eggs. I keep mine together with my rir roo. They are in a coop outside and eventhough it is enclosed it still can get a little cold. If the egg gets too cold, will the egg still hatch if i put in in the bator. Should i just wait for warmer weather or just try to catch the eggs as soon as they have them? I know dumb questions. This year I plan on having a few different coops because I plan on breeding buttercups and welsummers but thought I try to start experimenting. I don't have a bator yet, plan on buying the hovabator this week from tsc to get started.
You can try to hatch. You never know how cold is too cold but if you collect the eggs several times through the day they shouldn't have time to get to cold.
I've been hatching some of my own eggs along with shipped eggs pretty much all winter. We've had a cold (single digits and teens) nasty winter and I know there's been times the eggs got pretty chilled before I got out there to get them. They've been hatching almost as well as they did last fall when it was still pretty warm. I'd say go ahead and start with them.
I actually was able to catch my buff orp having an egg this morning. I could not believe hot hot the thing was. Now talk about a fresh egg. Now too bad I don't have a bator on hand. She was keeping warm 5 other eggs so maybe I could make this work after all.