The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: AndynJ on January 16, 2016, 12:37:21 pm
-
I've just been asked this question and I do not know the answer.
Can you use the first eggs that come (so POL) as hatching eggs
The question was asked as these eggs are not so good to sell on.
Will be birds that come from them be smaller or normal ?
Is the egg as fertile when young ?
-
The early eggs are usually smaller so if incubated the chick doesn't have as much space to develop as it needs according to its breed.
That's what I was always told anyway (but then some of ours laid whoppers of eggs from day one).
Why aren't they as good to sell on?
-
No reason they shouldn't be fertile but you will probably get a lot of cockerels hatch from smaller eggs. An old wive's tale but one that I have found to be true. Pick nice big, round eggs and you get more hens.
Secondly, there is some evidence that diseases are more easily passed on through eggs laid from hens which haven't gone through a moult (about 18 months).
http://www.thecuckoopoultrystudofaustralia.com/lymphoid-leukosis-ndash-avian-the-wasting-disease.html (http://www.thecuckoopoultrystudofaustralia.com/lymphoid-leukosis-ndash-avian-the-wasting-disease.html)
Personally we only hatch from hens in their 2nd or 3rd year unless it's a very rare breed or excellent specimen and we want to get chicks ASAP.
-
According to the Katie Thear book you shouldn't hatch any egg that is less than 60g, I have always followed that. Not had any problem with eggs from hens in their first year, the only year we had mostly cockerel hatching were when our hens were quite old.... so I now prefer to hatch from 1st and 2nd year only.
-
Wow thank you for those answers, I think I will choose my eggs more carefully from now on as well