question on hatching eggs and age of pullet/hen

[junior67]

I am trying to plan ahead. I have a blue Cochin cockerel and a blue Cochin pullet, both 9 months old right now. I am hoping to hatch some of their eggs in hopes of getting a couple of splash Cochins from them. The pullet hasn't started laying yet (of course my other Cochin has been laying for a couple months now). I am guessing with it being winter and days are shorter she won't start laying until March or so. When would it be safe to try to hatch some of her eggs? (if I have a broody). The only thing I have read is "once eggs are full size" but I honestly have no clue when that is. This is my first group of chickens since childhood and my 3 that have started laying the eggs are still getting bigger even 3-4 months later..... I am planning on ordering some chicks this spring too and making a brooder under my poop board in the coop so hopefully they are easy to integrate in with the crew (any ideas how to go about that would be great too). But I would like to maybe have some hatch and order them around the same time so those chicks are at least close in age.......

 

[CanadaEh]

I am trying to plan ahead. I have a blue Cochin cockerel and a blue Cochin pullet, both 9 months old right now. I am hoping to hatch some of their eggs in hopes of getting a couple of splash Cochins from them. The pullet hasn't started laying yet (of course my other Cochin has been laying for a couple months now). I am guessing with it being winter and days are shorter she won't start laying until March or so.

chickens should be laying through their first winter

When would it be safe to try to hatch some of her eggs? (if I have a broody). The only thing I have read is "once eggs are full size" but I honestly have no clue when that is. This is my first group of chickens since childhood and my 3 that have started laying the eggs are still getting bigger even 3-4 months later.....

I would say 3 months since they started

I am planning on ordering some chicks this spring too and making a brooder under my poop board in the coop so hopefully they are easy to integrate in with the crew (any ideas how to go about that would be great too). But I would like to maybe have some hatch and order them around the same time so those chicks are at least close in age.......

I would suggest to invest in incubator rather than rely on one of your birds will become broody once offered eggs to sit on

 

[junior67]

chickens should be laying through their first winter

I would say 3 months since they started

I would suggest to invest in incubator rather than rely on one of your birds will become broody once offered eggs to sit on

I have 3 that started laying before winter. one stopped and hasn't laid since Dec 21, She was the first to start laying. The other 2 are still laying but slowed some. My other 4 pullets haven't started yet....... 2 cochins and 2 Lt brahma's. thinking where it is winter that has delayed them starting?

Ok so my blue Cochin should be laying at least 3 mo before I try to hatch some of her eggs?

If I don't have anyone go broody then I just won't hatch any of the eggs. If someone does go broody then I will give them some of her eggs. It isn't something that I have to do this year. Yes I would like them around the age of the other chicks just so they are all close in age when integrating but not something that HAS to be. I am not even sure when the blue Cochin will start to lay so hard to order and go by that anyways. But I could try to "estimate" that maybe March she will start so her eggs won't be ready till June then time to hatch which I wouldn't want to have chicks coming in June/July on an order anyways.

 

[CanadaEh]

I have 3 that started laying before winter. one stopped and hasn't laid since Dec 21, She was the first to start laying. The other 2 are still laying but slowed some. My other 4 pullets haven't started yet....... 2 cochins and 2 Lt brahma's. thinking where it is winter that has delayed them starting?

our Leghorns hatched in September started to lay in the middle of the winter (probably in January)

Ok so my blue Cochin should be laying at least 3 mo before I try to hatch some of her eggs?

there is no hard rules. You just likely going to get lower hatch ratio from younger birds. I have set eggs in August from birds hatched in February that only have been laying for 1-1.5 months. I got 60% hatch ratio. I have previously got 75% from older birds.

 

[junior67]

our Leghorns hatched in September started to lay in the middle of the winter (probably in January)

there is no hard rules. You just likely going to get lower hatch ratio from younger birds. I have set eggs in August from birds hatched in February that only have been laying for 1-1.5 months. I got 60% hatch ratio. I have previously got 75% from older birds.

Thanks. so maybe their is hope yet for them to start laying before March or so. They were hatched April 8.... So SHOULD have already started laying. One of my Brahma's has had a pretty red comb for about 4 mo now but still nothing. The other one is behind her, but hers has started getting redder as well. I checked for pelvic separation a while back on the first one and thought hers was wide but must have been wrong since no eggs still. The 2 Cochins are behind and still have smaller combs so unless they magically start growing fast I feel like I have forever still before they lay.

 

[junior67]

our Leghorns hatched in September started to lay in the middle of the winter (probably in January)

there is no hard rules. You just likely going to get lower hatch ratio from younger birds. I have set eggs in August from birds hatched in February that only have been laying for 1-1.5 months. I got 60% hatch ratio. I have previously got 75% from older birds.

This is the girl that I would like to hatch her eggs. See how small her comb still is. The buff Cochin in front of her stated laying around 2-3 mo. Ago