Incubating eggs from hens that have only just started laying

[james w]

Hi,

My rhode island red hens have been laying for about a month. I guess laying was delayed by the shorter days of winter, but they didn't lay at all before the onset of winter. I was planning on incubating around 20-24 eggs but I wanted to know if there were any potential hazards in incubating eggs from hens that have only been laying for a relatively short period.

Thanks

 

[MissPrissy]

The eggs are probably too small for a chick to develop to its full size. The yolk is probably too small to sustain a growing chick through devlopment. You need to wait until those eggs are full size and the pullets have been laying consistantly for a few months.

You'll have healthier more hearty chicks.

Hatching the first of the pullet eggs can leave with you chicks with serous problems if they make it hatch.

Please wait a few months before incubating your eggs. You'll be surprised to see how much the eggs improve and how much larger they will get.

 

[james w]

Actually, the egg size is identical to the size of my grandmother's rhode island reds and I cannot notice any difference in yolk size.

I will investigate further, but as I wrote, the hens would have started laying months ago had it not been that our hens, grandmother's including, don't seem to lay in november and december.

 

[ginasmarans]

I like to wait at least a month before setting the eggs. Several people say they have hatched chicks from the very first chicks. I like to wait until the hen get her sysem worked out. New layers might have more meat spot and those eggs won't hatch.

 

[james w]

So I guess I will wait for a bit and continue inspecting the apperance and contents of the eggs in the course of eating them.

Thanks for the help

 

[perrym1962]

Really don't know a definite time frame but I usually wait till they have been laying about a month and have great luck..

 

[BantyChickMom]

I too have heard not to set the first eggs.
I waited about til mine were laying about 6 weeks before I set any and they come out good.