Trying to hatch eggs!!! help

[crazychicken89]

I have 11 pullets that are 6 months old and are laying eggs. But i want them to have chicks. So I need to know how long it will be until these chickens decide to sit on the eggs, and how long should I leave the eggs in the nest for the chickens to sit on them?

 

[easttxchick]

The eggs have to be fertile, first thing and you just have to wait until one of your girls go broody and then stick the eggs under her. She'll show she's broody by staying on the nest for long period and being a bit cranky(I call it growling and pecking when you stick your hand in the nest box). You just never know when a hen will go broody, just have to watch for the signs.
Good luck to you!
ETA: I'm sure you have a rooster, don't you?

 

[chicmom]

Hi there!

You may as well collect those eggs daily, and I'll tell you why. A pullet or hen has to "go broody" before she will sit on and hatch eggs. This is a hormonal condition that happens to a hen, and it's something that we have no control over. You will know when your hen goes broody because she will constantly want to sit on a nest, and she will sort of growl or make funny noises if you approach her. She will stop laying. I have a BCM hen that is broody right now, and I don't have a rooster so there are no fertile eggs for her to sit on. She doesn't know that though, and I collect the other chicken eggs daily, and I always have to move her because she tries to sit on them. She fluffs up her feathers at me and spreads her wings, but she never pecks me. I take the eggs and make her go outside, but she runs back in and sets on the nest again about after 20 minutes or so.

Alot of breeds of chickens just don't go broody, and you can't force a chicken to go broody and hatch eggs. I do have three EE pullets, and they have never gone broody before.

If you want to see a chicken hatch her own eggs, you might want to consider getting a more broody breed like a Buff Orphington or even a Silky Hen. They are frequently broody. A friend of mine's silky hen is almost always broody. She even tried to hatch some pinecones! LOL

Good luck to you!
Sharon

 

[crazychicken89]

But does it matter how old they are?

 

[crazychicken89]

does it matter how old they are?

 

[deerman]

First some breeds never go broody. If they are old enought to lay they are old enought to brood eggs.

What breed are they ?

 

[crazychicken89]

black sex link

 

[crazychicken89]

are black sex link chickens good broody?

 

[deerman]

Yes they should go broody, both parent breeds are both broody type. RIR and Barred rock

 

[crazychicken89]

so how long does it take for one to go broody?