Many questions

[Dr.Doorlock]

Okay, I have a broody hen who could probably hatch an egg or two. I have no rooster or incubator. I would like to buy some fertile eggs and let her hatch them.

How long does it take?
Does the Texas heat present any problems or does that just make it better?
Would the chicks be safe or should I use my isolation cage?
What should I do if I get a rooster? Since I'm a covert urban outlaw with 7 hens instead of the 2 allowed, I can't keep a noisy roo.

 

[catwalk]

Bad idea on the rooster. One complaint, and they might all have to go.

 

[2txmedics]

woo hoo...hatch, he wants to hatch!!!...Im in texas also...heat does ok...I mist my flock to keep them cool, and I also freeze left over water bottles and then drop them in there water container. As chickens wont drink water 10 degrees hotter than them.

Need a rooster for sure to make fertile eggs...once they mate, a hen can stay fertile for as long as month...and it takes 21 days to drop an egg out of her once she is laying...

 

[Paganbird]

Dr.Doorlock :

Okay, I have a broody hen who could probably hatch an egg or two. I have no rooster or incubator. I would like to buy some fertile eggs and let her hatch them.

You can find eggs on the "hatching eggs" section here. You can also find them on ebay.

Dr.Doorlock :

How long does it take?

It takes about 21 days for a broody to incubate the eggs to hatch.

Dr.Doorlock :

Does the Texas heat present any problems or does that just make it better?

The broody hen will take care of the temperature for you... she knows exactly how to do it.

Dr.Doorlock :

Would the chicks be safe or should I use my isolation cage?

I would sepatate the broody and the eggs from the other hens.

Dr.Doorlock :

What should I do if I get a rooster? Since I'm a covert urban outlaw with 7 hens instead of the 2 allowed, I can't keep a noisy roo.

When you find out if any of the chicks are roos, post them on here to find them new homes. Maybe you could give them to 2tex! LOL!​

 

[FenDruadin]

Hi Dr. Doorlock! Welcome!

You've gotten good answers already, but I wanted to add that given all the difficulties with shipped eggs, if it were me I'd buy local hatching eggs. To find them, you can check craigslist, search yahoo groups for poultry trading groups in your area, and/or search the farmer's markets & roadside stands for fertile eggs--anyone raising & selling eggs who also has a roo is likely to have fertile eggs even if they're not marked as such.

Good luck!

 

[Eggs4Sale]

How hot IS it in Texas right now? It's been in the 110's here, and broody hens end up sitting on eggs that don't develop at all due to the heat. I've done three experiments to figure this out, because my hens keep going broody.

 

[Goose and Fig]

How hot IS it in Texas right now? It's been in the 110's here, and broody hens end up sitting on eggs that don't develop at all due to the heat. I've done three experiments to figure this out, because my hens keep going broody.

Woo that's hot! Do you even need a hen? Couldn't you just keep the eggs in the shade and turn them.....Kiddin.​

 

[Cherlyn]

Quote:
Woo that's hot! Do you even need a hen? Couldn't you just keep the eggs in the shade and turn them.....Kiddin.

~Cherlyn

 

[KDbeads]

Quote:
Too freaking hot if the AC is broken! It's hitting upper 90's where I'm at this week but it's been unusually cloudy. Have thunderstorms popping all around us, but only 3/10" of rain in the last 4 weeks

, keeping us a bit cooler, just not moist enough!