Too young to hatch?

[Laura Burg]

Good Morning. Can a young hen's first few eggs produce babies? My sister brought me two small eggs from a farm she visited. The owner said these were the first eggs of two of her young barred rock chickens. There is an established rooster in the flock and the owner was certain they were fertilized. I put them in our home-made incubator (hoping my Buff Orpington goes broody soon though!), but wondering if the hens were too young for their eggs to really produce chicks. What are your thoughts? See pics below of my makeshift incubator. Also posted pic of an egg from one of my mature girls next to the two smaller eggs for comparison.
My homemade incubator consists of a heat lamp perched above the eggs. I am keeping the eggs in a damp cloth to maintain humidity and turning them every couple of hours. Don't really think I have much of a chance here, but figured I would do the best with what we had for now. It's been three days since my sister brought us the eggs, which were laid the morning before she brought them over.

 

[sourland]

Pullet eggs can hatch, but frequently the chicks are stunted. How are you monitoring the temperature and humidity in your 'incubator'?

 

[MysteryChicken]

They can hatch. I've hatched quite a few pullet eggs, didn't have much of a problem, & chicks grew up healthy.

Only pullet eggs I had problems with OEGB eggs. Only 1 hatched, there was a high mortality rate at early stages of development.

 

[All4Eggz]

Yes, they absolutely can hatch.

Im not sure the Homemade incubator will do a great job, though.
Make sure you monitor the temp and humidity so they have a chance of hatching.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I, too, have had mixed results with pullet eggs. Worth a try though!
Agree, you will need a proper incubator.

 

[Laura Burg]

Pullet eggs can hatch, but frequently the chicks are stunted. How are you monitoring the temperature and humidity in your 'incubator'?

Hi. I'm really not measuring it. We weren't planning on hatching any eggs now or in the future, but since my sister brought these over, we figured we would try. I do have a lizard, so I could take the thermometer/hygrometer from our lizard's tank and put it in the bowl with the eggs for the next couple of weeks. Not sure if that will give an accurate reading, but it's worth a try.

 

[All4Eggz]

Hi. I'm really not measuring it. We weren't planning on hatching any eggs now or in the future, but since my sister brought these over, we figured we would try. I do have a lizard, so I could take the thermometer/hygrometer from our lizard's tank and put it in the bowl with the eggs for the next couple of weeks. Not sure if that will give an accurate reading, but it's worth a try.

If you have not been monitoring until now, the eggs will have a low chance of survival.

 

[All4Eggz]

If you have not been monitoring until now, the eggs will have a low chance of survival.

Because the temp/humidity might have been too high/low until you got a chance to fix it.

 

[Laura Burg]

If you have not been monitoring until now, the eggs will have a low chance of survival.

Just starting monitoring temp and humidity. Temp seems okay, but humidity is too high, I think (based on Google search). Not sure how to lower other than to let towel dry out some. They have been under heat lamp/in towel for three days now. (Temp averages around 100 degrees, but humidity around 86. Hoping there is still a chance?)

 

[All4Eggz]

Just starting monitoring temp and humidity. Temp seems okay, but humidity is too high, I think (based on Google search). Not sure how to lower other than to let towel dry out some. They have been under heat lamp/in towel for three days now. (Temp averages around 100 degrees, but humidity around 86. Hoping there is still a chance?)

Definitely a chance- but who knows how low of a chance.
Still, worth a shot!
Good luck and keep us updated!