maybe a 'dumb' question

[ksct]

I'm not sure if this topic goes here.... but.....
We have 1 roo and 12 ladies.... I know we dont' need a roo to have eggs (we originally weren't going to have any roos but 'saved' one)
Eventually we are going to hatch some.... my question is -
when we put them in the incubator, are we gambeling that some will be unfertilized and lets say out of 12 we may not get more than a few? will they all be fertile? do they lay more than one if they're laying fertile eggs? I think i have no idea about this part. The birds are only 11 weeks old so we do have some time but i'd like to know as much as i can.


In addition.... What is the rate or 'survival' (for lack of a better word) if we let some try to hatch their own?

Thanks a million!!!!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

12 hens with 1 roo. I would assume that they all would be fertile. At least most should be.

 

[busylizzie]

exactly the same ratio that I hatched out last week (my first hatch)......I had 10 eggs.....I gave my very young broody (5 months old) 7 of them and had 3 in my mini incubator.......my hen broke one on around day 10 but I don't know if it had anything developing inside or not......of the remaining 9.......well as it says in my siggie....9 lovely little chicks!! so the cockeral was definately doing his bit so to speak.....good luck!

 

[ksct]

thank you! good to know!

 

[walkswithdog]

Sometimes pullets begin to lay and for awhile manage to "dodge" the roo. After things settle in that's a good ratio.

Hatching unfortunately is not a formula. It's an art and a learned skill. Human failure and equipment failure happens. Some people hit the nail on the head the first time. Some don't get it done the first six times.

Most start getting it partially right somewhere in there and eventually settle into what works with the equipment they have and their own micro-climate.

I tried hatching EXACTLY as the majority of the RULES say to. That didn't work here on any of four incubators. Once I figured out what did work here, I was fine.

It takes work and research, learning and tinkering and, well, patience and calming down.

Once you get there, most of the time it goes well.

And you begin to understand what to do when things aren't right or go wrong.

And things go wrong. Rather often.

Want to have a power outtage? Plug in an incubator full of eggs. I swear - it's a utility company PLOT.

Fire? Dogs opening bators? Unplugging them? Tornado? Cats laying on the vents and suffocating them?

Welcome to trouble. Capital T.