Keeping chickens???

..I'd be interested in someone telling me how a clutch of eggs layed over several days allways seem to hatch at the same time , (I thought incubation times were allways the same length of time, maybe I'm wrong but I don't think a hen can lay more than one or two eggs a day but they seem to hatch at the same time )........don't think we studied that when I was at skoo :confused::confused: ;)
 
West Ender said:
You need a shed or chicken coup for them to roost in at night so that may be your "permanent structure". You should also bear in mind that hens like to scratch in the soil and can transform a hen-pen into a mudbath with consumate ease. Add in the cost of feed and the fact that they all go "off lay" from time to time and it might prove an expensive way of getting fresh eggs. Still, I like hens and it could prove a nice hobby for you. Good luck.
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both these items would be made of wood therefore not a permanent structure and perfectley legal to put up.
 
steeljack said:
..I'd be interested in someone telling me how a clutch of eggs layed over several days allways seem to hatch at the same time , (I thought incubation times were allways the same length of time, maybe I'm wrong but I don't think a hen can lay more than one or two eggs a day but they seem to hatch at the same time )........don't think we studied that when I was at skoo :confused::confused: ;)
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It is because the hen only start's to incubate when she has laid the whole clutch of eggs. The incubation time is from when the eggs have been warmed to the correct temperature.
 
Neil said:
It is because the hen only start's to incubate when she has laid the whole clutch of eggs. The incubation time is from when the eggs have been warmed to the correct temperature.
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Thanks Neil , never knew that , any idea of how much of a temperature drop (from a hens body temp) an egg can withstand and still be "revived" ........
Know its a bit of a daft question , but in theory could the 'fertile' farmers market organic eggs I have in the fridge be revived if put under a hen or in an incubator ? :eek: :eek:
 
From wiki answers

Viability of a FERTILIZED egg will drop if kept in the refrigerator for any length of time.
Cool about 50F (not cold) and dark with good humidity is the normal way of saving fertile eggs for incubation. A maximum of 7 days. After the seven day period the first save lose better than 50% of their chance at hatch and that drops daily for every extra day saved thereafter.
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flashy said:
a cock might help :)
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Ha yes well I have one of those! :D....A bad tempered old thing he is too. The problem is how to know if the eggs are fertile (if he is any good) and how to make the hen sit on them for the full incubation time. We tried getting a broody hen but she stopped being broody after a week or so and the eggs were all bad...We have a little incubator too but haven't tried it as I wanted the hens to hatch them themselves (like proper hens)!
 
maybe the broody hen didnt like the cock and therefore went off the boil so to speak :)
 
Use the incubator then. Have you seen the cock doing the business with the hens?
 
That was a different cock and he went ON the boil!.. And then in the oven! He was delicious!
He is the only one of my hens I have been able to eat though. He was a stray who appeared one day and attacked me so many times I lost it and decided to eat him. He was the size of a turkey.
 
Neil said:
.... Have you seen the cock doing the business with the hens?
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Well I have seen him jumping on the hens backs but I don't know how to tell if he is actually any good or just, shall we say 'firing blanks!' As the hens don't sit on the eggs, how do I know if it's because they are not cut out for motherhood, or if it's because they know he is infertile.
 
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