New Chicken Layer? Can I hatch them?

[nicksbabychicks]

Can I incubate the first eggs that come out of a hen? Or do I have to let her lay awhile before I put them in the incubator? My daughter wants a few babies from our brand new Americana for 4H... But she just started laying... Are all the eggs she lays equally viable? Yes she has a rooster...

thanks,
Nick and Sammie a 3 year old chicken farmer...

 

[crazyhen]

Its better to wait for awhile. The chicks you hatch from first eggs will be smaller and not as likely to make it esp. in the winter. Gloria Jean

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I agree. Someone had given me some eggs from new layers and the eggs and the chicks were small and after a few days old some did die for no apparent reason. I gave them Save-A-Chick electrolytes with vitamins and they still died. I would wait too and let them lay for awhile and let the eggs get a little larger. This is just my opinion from my experience. Good luck...