Number of eggs a hen can successfully incubate?

[Larry Padgett]

I wonder if anyone knows how many eggs a cochin, with all of the feathering could adequately keep covered for sufficient warmth and efficient hatching? I used to put 12 to 14 eggs under a brooding hen depending on the size of the eggs and the size of the hen. Putting too many seemed to ensure a low hatch rate because of an occasional egg being left on the outside with insufficient warmth for too long a period of time. But on the farm I have had hens with stolen/hidden nests hatch, I believe 17 was the maximum number, that I can remember actually hatching, although normally it was less than that. Sometimes I used to go the feed store and buy an extra dozen chicks to add to a clutch so the hen would raise around 20. It was so cute with all of the chicks surrounding the hen, sometimes with only their little heads stuck under the hen and a circle of little butts sticking out surrounding the hen. Especially when the brooking hen was a bantam and the chicks were standard breeds.

 

[lazy gardener]

Hey Larry. I'm sure a lot depends on the size of the hen, the expertise of the hen, and the time of year. Do you have a broody now? What's your general location? That helps folks to give pertinent information. Many of us put our location in our profile. I try to limit brood size, and wouldn't want to set more than 10 eggs at a time, for a LF hen.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The normal number of eggs in what is called a "setting of eggs" is 15. That assumes that the eggs are the same size as the hen doing the setting normally lays. I have found that most hens can cover more eggs but when breeding chickens, not merely hatching eggs, if a hen has laid a greater number before she starts setting that any egg older than 15 days old has a poor chance of hatching.