OT question??? How many eggs can a hen incubate?

[ESofVA]

How many eggs can a hen successfully incubate? There has to be some maximum number they can fit under those wings! I am sure different breeds can sit more due to hen size differences...but can someone tell me apx how many is a good number??Thanks!!!

 

[HEChicken]

It really does vary according to the bird. I had a BSL who went broody last summer and comfortably sat on a dozen eggs. A few weeks ago I had a Sultan go broody and I set her on just 4 eggs. Where she chose to brood, other hens could push her off to lay and I noticed that by the time she was on 5 eggs she was maxed out. If a second hen pushed her off, one of the fertile eggs got the boot (resulting in me having to shove her off daily to remove the infertile eggs).

 

[Happy Chooks]

It really depends on the size of the hen. I have some hens that can cover 14+ eggs and some small hens that could only cover 4. What breed is your hen?

 

[ESofVA]

I have several breeds that are not yet old enough to lay...but I hope to let my Cochin set the eggs. So...now my thoughts are ...how many Cochin hens will I need to raise the number of chicks I will need for the freezer in one year
Thank!!