My hen just laid her first egg

[Majikthise]

So should I eat it or hatch it? We found it on the floor of the coop, and it may have happened yesterday. If she was not sitting on it this whole time does that mean that it will not become a baby chick? Is it too cold out to try to hatch, and should we wait till spring?

Thanks for your help,

NoOb

 

[foreverlearning]

Chickens go broody all winter long so the weather is not as large a concern for hatching as one might think. I would eat this one though. She is still a pullet and this is her first egg so she is still trying to figure out her reproductive system. I would wait at least a week, some say up to two months to give her time to figure it all out and have a better hatch rate from the eggs. The bulk of defects in the eggs themselves will be while they are still trying to figure out how to make an egg. You can hatch eggs that have been in the fridge up to two weeks just fine. The chick doesn't start developing until sat on or put in an incubator. The trick is if they are cold let them come to room temp before putting under a broody or in an incubator.

 

[Majikthise]

Super helpful, thank you!!!

 

[1muttsfan]

Do you have a broody hen or an incubator? If not, then you will not be able to hatch. As said above, pullet eggs are not ideal to hatch for many reasons, so if you do plan on hatching wait until the eggs are full sized. Depending on where you live chicks in the winter may not be a good idea, here it is in the teens and logistically chicks are harder to raise. Also, chicks that hatch in the fall and winter tend to be smaller than those that hatch in the spring, and do not grow as well.

 

[Majikthise]

yes, ima eat it! I will wait till she is larger, we live in Texas and it does not get that cold very often. We do have all the stuffs to build an incubator, but I would rather wait to see if she is broody or not. The first egg was on the ground, but she seemed to get excited about the nesting area in her new coop, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[luvmypets]

I looked in the back off my buff orps cage..and two eggs. yes i was so worried

 

[lshytle]

Eat it.