Which eggs are which???

[RW1984]

So I’d like to let my birds hatch some eggs into baby chicks naturally, I have 7 roosters and 28 ladies. When they start laying eggs, how will I know which are fertilized and which aren’t? I want to eat some too lol
Any advice?
Or is it just luck of the draw with it?

 

[Chookwagn]

my bet is that you will get 95% fertility with that mix of Roosters and hens

 

[Buffbrahmasforever]

The typical breeding ratio is 1 rooster to 10 hens for good fertility. So I think 1 rooster to 4 hens will give you a 90-100% fertility rate.

 

[MGG]

So I’d like to let my birds hatch some eggs into baby chicks naturally, I have 7 roosters and 28 ladies. When they start laying eggs, how will I know which are fertilized and which aren’t? I want to eat some too lol
Any advice?
Or is it just luck of the draw with it?

You would only need 3 or 4 roos for that many hens. And in order to hatch chicks naturally your hens have to go broody. That is caused by hormones. So you just have to hope they go broody.

 

[The Happster]

And in order to hatch chicks naturally your hens have to go broody. That is caused by hormones. So you just have to hope they go broody.

Unless you do the normal thing and buy an incy.

Crack a few eggs at random and see how many are fertile.
With that amount of cockerels, I'd say your fertility rate would be up there in the 90's.

 

[black_cat]

Do you have any broody hens at the moment? You should have tons of fertile eggs, but if no hens are broody they will take no interest in chicks. Cochins and silkies are generally the two breeds most prone to broodiness, and they also make good mothers.

 

[NatJ]

So I’d like to let my birds hatch some eggs into baby chicks naturally, I have 7 roosters and 28 ladies. When they start laying eggs, how will I know which are fertilized and which aren’t? I want to eat some too lol
Any advice?
Or is it just luck of the draw with it?

Assume all the eggs are fertile.
Collect the eggs each day, store eggs for eating in the refrigerator. No chicks will grow while the eggs are in the fridge, so you can cook those eggs and eat them.

If a hen goes broody, move her to a safe place to set on her eggs (a nest in a separate pen is a good choice.)

Let her sit on fake eggs for a day or two, just to make sure she's accepted the new nest place.

During that day or two, collect the eggs laid by the flock, but before you put them in the refrigerator: select the ones you want hatched (right size, right shape, color that you like). The ones you want hatched do not go in the fridge. They can sit on a counter or shelf in your house for a day, until you are sure the hen is willing to be broody in the place you chose.

Mark the eggs for hatching (maybe use a pencil to write the date on them), and put them under the hen.

Expect chicks in three weeks.

The reason for marking the eggs: if another hen sneaks in and lays an egg, you will know which one it was, and can take it out again.