# Not Equipped To Incubate



## sorrowsmiles (Sep 17, 2012)

One of my hens laid her very first egg today! None of them seem interested in sitting on it and I do not have an incubator. Any suggestions?


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## sorrowsmiles (Sep 17, 2012)

I DO have a brooder light though. Should I attempt making a homemade incubator using that? Hmmm..


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## sorrowsmiles (Sep 17, 2012)

Ps I DO have a rooster so I know it's fertilized LOL!


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

If its the very first egg I would not attemp to hatch it. Pullet eggs are smaller than hen eggs and dont give room for development. My suggestion would be to eat it.


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## toybarons (Nov 14, 2012)

Yup. I'm up for making that egg a scrambled one =)


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## sorrowsmiles (Sep 17, 2012)

Aww. Poor "Uno"! Lol. Thanks all! I thought the egg looked a little small.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

sorrowsmiles said:


> Aww. Poor "Uno"! Lol. Thanks all! I thought the egg looked a little small.


yup fry er up for your breakfast Sorrow.
i gave the lightbulb bator thing a shot......didn't work
you have to have a way for the bulb to turn off when the incubator get's too warm & a way that it turns back on when it get's too cool.
some have used a water heater thermostat but you have to make a change to it for it to work rite. check out youtube they have some interesting vids on there about doing what you are talking about.

good luck 
& happy hatching
piglett


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## sorrowsmiles (Sep 17, 2012)

Sweet I'll be on YouTube tonight! great idea, thankyou!


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## farmhand (Feb 5, 2013)

Just because a hen is starting to lay does not mean she is ready to become broody and hatch eggs. This happens as they mature and at different rates with different breeds. Some never become broody. You'll know when it happens because a hen will not be happy about you taking her eggs. Sometimes they can become quite ornery about it.


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## sorrowsmiles (Sep 17, 2012)

farmhand said:


> Just because a hen is starting to lay does not mean she is ready to become broody and hatch eggs. This happens as they mature and at different rates with different breeds. Some never become broody. You'll know when it happens because a hen will not be happy about you taking her eggs. Sometimes they can become quite ornery about it.


Thanks for the info! Not looking forward to anyone being ornery! Lol


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## sorrowsmiles (Sep 17, 2012)

There are two eggs and one dummy egg in the coop right now. She's out free ranging in the yard-AND the neighbors btw! Lol-all day. But when I went to board up the coop for the night tonight I saw that she was sitting on her eggs. Positive sign! *crossing fingers bc our roo died*


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## farmhand (Feb 5, 2013)

I truly hope your right and I'm wrong, but my guess is your hen is only using the nesting box to roast in because you say she is out in the yard all day. A broody hen wouldn't do that. If your really intent on hatching some of your late Roo's offspring, check out craig's list for incubator services. If the eggs are fertile the next weeks should be also.
I would suggest however that you give yourself some new generic diversity with a new Roo. There's plenty out there that could use all your attention.


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## sorrowsmiles (Sep 17, 2012)

Yeah we're DEFINATELY getting another rooster..eventually! Of course my daughter wants to replace him ASAP! But she's 8 and doesn't really get it that everyone-including the hens!-need to recover from our loss for a bit! Lol. Just a sucky situation. Thanks for the info!


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

sorrowsmiles said:


> Yeah we're DEFINATELY getting another rooster..eventually! Of course my daughter wants to replace him ASAP! But she's 8 and doesn't really get it that everyone-including the hens!-need to recover from our loss for a bit! Lol. Just a sucky situation. Thanks for the info!


 the hens will be very happy that a new roo has arrived
a rooster only wants 2 things in this world

1. to fill you back yard with his babies
2. to protect your hens with his life if needed so he may fill your backyard with with his babies.
without a roo the alpha hen will try to take on the role & look out for the flock. if something with big teath shows up you will be down a good laying hen & maybe the next hen below her too. 
my advice is replace him with the biggest roo you can get & do it ASAP

good luck
piglett


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

sorrowsmiles said:


> Yeah we're DEFINATELY getting another rooster..eventually! Of course my daughter wants to replace him ASAP! But she's 8 and doesn't really get it that everyone-including the hens!-need to recover from our loss for a bit! Lol. Just a sucky situation. Thanks for the info!


They'r chickens, they dont think like humans. They do not need a recovery period for loosing a rooster.


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## sorrowsmiles (Sep 17, 2012)

Apyl said:


> They'r chickens, they dont think like humans. They do not need a recovery period for loosing a rooster.


Good to know, thanks. I do though


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## sorrowsmiles (Sep 17, 2012)

piglett said:


> the hens will be very happy that a new roo has arrived
> a rooster only wants 2 things in this world
> 
> 1. to fill you back yard with his babies
> ...


Thankyou for the advice! I plan to do just that. Then once we get a roo chick from the new roo we will get reattached


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## farmhand (Feb 5, 2013)

Just remember that adding new chicks (chickens) to a established flock can be troublesome. Once you do get a broody hen you could add some fertilized eggs and have her raise your new roo. Many options.


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