ok some im 100% new, help please

[UspsMatt]

so my hens are around the age to be able to lay fertile eggs. I know NOTHING about hatching. 1st. iv read to check if an egg has an embryo you hold it under a flashlight and look for a spot?
2nd do I leave my eggs in the coop for the hen to sit on or do I buy an incubator?
3rd if I do leave them in the coop do I remove them once then hatch to avoid them being picked on killed the the rooster/other hens.
4th I know when you buy chicks/hens from sites/farms they come with a vaccine, can i do this at my home or do I take them somewhere? is it even needed coming from a healthy flock?
Id really appreciate any help or links I can get. I'm exited for this next journey

 

[BantyChooks]

1st. iv read to check if an egg has an embryo you hold it under a flashlight and look for a spot?

This is called candling. It is not effective for unincubated eggs, but by 7 days of incubation you should be able to see veins if you have a live embryo.

2nd do I leave my eggs in the coop for the hen to sit on or do I buy an incubator?

Depends. Do you have a spot for them to sit? Are your hens a breed that will go broody? You can't always induce them to brood simply by leaving out eggs.

3rd if I do leave them in the coop do I remove them once then hatch to avoid them being picked on killed the the rooster/other hens.

Depends on the broody hen and your setup. Generally, watching them carefully once the hen gets off the nest should show you whether it's safe or not.

4th I know when you buy chicks/hens from sites/farms they come with a vaccine, can i do this at my home or do I take them somewhere? is it even needed coming from a healthy flock?

I assume you mean marek's vaccinations. You can do that at home but I'd say the overwhelming majority of people do not.

 

[BantyChooks]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-beginners-guide-to-incubation.73350/
Check out this article if you do decide to go the incubator route. It's a fairly complex subject but this is a good baseline to get started with.

 

[Brooks_]

so my hens are around the age to be able to lay fertile eggs. I know NOTHING about hatching. 1st. iv read to check if an egg has an embryo you hold it under a flashlight and look for a spot?
2nd do I leave my eggs in the coop for the hen to sit on or do I buy an incubator?
3rd if I do leave them in the coop do I remove them once then hatch to avoid them being picked on killed the the rooster/other hens.
4th I know when you buy chicks/hens from sites/farms they come with a vaccine, can i do this at my home or do I take them somewhere? is it even needed coming from a healthy flock?
Id really appreciate any help or links I can get. I'm exited for this next journey

1. You won't be able to tell if just fertile. If been set on, there can be some to see.
2. Choice
3. The mamma will/should protect them
4. Likely not cost effective.

 

[nuthatched]

How old are your hens? A hen/pullet can lay fertile eggs when she starts laying eggs if she's bred. It's not recommended to incubate pullet (hens under a year old) eggs, they eggs ca be too small or have issues.

 

[UspsMatt]

How old are your hens? A hen/pullet can lay fertile eggs when she starts laying eggs if she's bred. It's not recommended to incubate pullet (hens under a year old) eggs, they eggs ca be too small or have issues.

I'd say over a year, we got them last july

 

[UspsMatt]

I have

This is called candling. It is not effective for unincubated eggs, but by 7 days of incubation you should be able to see veins if you have a live embryo.

Depends. Do you have a spot for them to sit? Are your hens a breed that will go broody? You can't always induce them to brood simply by leaving out eggs.

Depends on the broody hen and your setup. Generally, watching them carefully once the hen gets off the nest should show you whether it's safe or not.

I assume you mean marek's vaccinations. You can do that at home but I'd say the overwhelming majority of people do not.

Leg horns,rhoad Island reds,Barred Rock Bantam. As well as some others I don't know the names. I'll link pics, not sure what a broody is

 

[BantyChooks]

I have

Leg horns,rhoad Island reds,Barred Rock Bantam. As well as some others I don't know the names. I'll link pics, not sure what a broody is

I wouldn't bet on any of those breeds going broody. When a hen "goes broody", that refers to their willingness to sit on eggs for the 21 days required for an egg to hatch, and then to care for those chicks after they hatch. Usually, a hen won't sit on the eggs she lays.

 

[FeatherTay]

I'd say over a year, we got them last july

They are over a year and haven’t laid eggs?

 

[UspsMatt]

All but 3 are over a year (July 2020)