LOL! I wondered if that were too much.

Wow, thanks Michelle!! I forgot to follow up with answers to some of these questions. I think you covered all of the bases Thank you so much for all of your help!!

How old do the hens (or rooster) have to be to breed? The youngest I’ve seen is about five months of age.

Can eggs only be fertilized at certain times of the month? Nope. Daily. And a hen can retain the “fertilizing agent” (I’m in a classroom and have to be careful what I write. ) for up to 21 days, so I’ve read.

Can hens hatch eggs in winter? If you do it in an incubator. It would be too cold for a hen to keep the temps warm enough outside- unless you live in a very mild climate. Could the eggs freeze? Yes.

Do you have to have the same breed of chickens to breed? No. You can make crossbreed chicks. Like, could my Leghorn breed with a Bantam? Yes. It doesn’t seem like that would work out too well?! You’re right. If the rooster is bigger, the hen can be harmed through his rough handling. If the rooster is too small, he may be unable to reach his target, though he will sure try! LOL!

How many eggs will a hen hatch? However many will fit under her well. I’ve seen them try to set a nest that is WAY too big, and the eggs rot because the hen can’t cover them all. Do they hatch one day at a time or all at once? They should hatch all at once, though it can happen over a two day period.

What if they won’t sit on the eggs? Then you will need an incubator. I try to select breeds that are known for going broody. Or will they always stay on their eggs? If a hen is broody she will stay on the egggs except to get off for a very short time (few minutes) each day to eat, poop, and exercise. Then she will go right back to the nest.

Why would you put another hen’s eggs under a sitting hen? So you can raise chicks of her breed. Don’t the hens sit on their own eggs? They don’t care whose eggs they’re sitting on. I have a friend who is having a bantam hen sit turkey eggs for her.

Are all of the eggs that a hen sits on fertilized? The hen doesn’t discern this. When a hen is broody she will sit on a golf ball! She just wants to sit. Period. It’s up to you to manage the flock/eggs and only allow fertile eggs to remain under her.

Will a hen lay a whole clutch of eggs to sit on at once, or one per day? She will lay one egg per day. Part of managing this is to collect the eggs, keep them in a safe place (I keep them on the kitchen counter) but not the fridge, and once you’ve gathered the amount you want, put them all under her at the same time.

Will she sit on one, or wait until they are all laid to start sitting? When a hen goes broody she will sit, even if there’s only one egg. I like to use a golf ball or two to keep her broody until the clutch is gathered, then trade the clutch for the golf balls. Do this at night, so it doesn’t disturb her as much. You can “break up” a hen if you do it in the day time. (“breaking her up” is to make her stop wanting to sit a nest.)

How will I know when her egg is fertilized? Good question. I really don’t know how to examine an egg to tell this. I just know that one rooster should be able to handle about 10-12 hens. Probably more, but to be sure each hen is fertile, that’s the ratio I try to stick to.

How many “litters?” can a hen have per year? (What do you call a group of chicks anyways?) For her health, I wouldn’t let her set more than two nests per year, wiht a decent break between. Otherwise she will get skinny and weak. I would call each hen’s little family a clutch or a flock.

I read that you should only let them sit on as many eggs as they can cover with their body… so, what do I do with the eggs I remove? Can I eat them, or is there a chick growing inside? Eat them. You should gather eggs every day, so a developing chick should not be visible.

Interesting conversation. When I get chickens next year I’m going to try breeding. I have to build a coop first though.

Yes, you can collect eggs. You can’t candle until they have been set on for a while. I just usually assume my eggs are fertile since I have so many roosters. My hens that have been broody are Buff Orpingtons. They have gone broody 3 times in the last year. I also have some game banty hens that were given to me because they went broody too often.

Here’s a good chart that tells a lot about chickens. Such as if they go broody a lot, how many eggs they lay, and more. I have found it really helpful. http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/dual.html

I only have large breeds together so I’m not sure whether he will breed the bantams. I would imagine if he is so inclined that he might. Let us know what happens this is interesting. You can hatch in the winter you will just need a light. Honestly you would need a light most of the time except for the warmest two months of the year. Your Leghorn Reds cross would be a sexlink and you would know at hatch whether they are female or male. The females will have a white head. (I think that is how that goes but it does get confusing) The female takes genes from both her mom and dad but the males only take from one. I think they are called red comets. The extra RIR roosters make great chicken soup. I take any extras and put them in the freezer…a little drier than from the store chicken but neat to raise your own. I think leghorns would be too slim for soup.