The hen is just 5 months old and small eggs, My question is can the chick develop ok in the small egg?? Or is it better to wait til they are a bit bigger? I took the little egg and stuck it under my broody hen. So will see what happens. Thanks for all the answers. Love this forum!Rule of thumb, best to incubate in the 1st 7 days after the eggs are laid. After that the hatching rate can start to decline. How old is the hen that laid her 1st egg? It's not unusual for the first few eggs to be smaller.
Happy Hatching!
Thank you Connie,Hi wonachickencooptoday,
Five months seems young for an Orp to begin laying, but chickens often surprise us
I would probably break open the first couple of eggs to see if they're fertile. If not, I wouldn't incubate any of the first ones. I'd wait maybe another month (just my opinion), break open another of her eggs, and then see if they are being fertilized. If they are, you can store them (over the same week, if possible). You'll want to "store" the eggs until you get enough to incubate (according to what size incubator you have and how many possible chicks you want. I have a Brinsea Mini Advance that holds 7 eggs, and a Little Giant that holds 40+. Store them in a clean egg carton at 50-60 degrees and turn them 3-4 times a day so the yolk doesn't stick to the sides of the shell. If the egg is fertile, it won't begin growing until it's put in the incubator.
Hope this helps!
Connie
