broody bantem

[carmalee]

know the hatching times for chickens and bantems but am curious to know....... when the hen lays her eggs, there must be quite a time between the first egg and the last - specially with some breeds who have large clutches. How is the incubation period calculated cos if she lays away you can't know when the last egg was laid?. TIA

[wildwood]

Bantams don't start brooding as soon as the first egg is laid, in fact almost all precocial (when first hatched, can walk straight away) birds don't start incubating the eggs until after the last one is laid. This ensures that all of the chicks hatch on the same day, so mother can take them walking to where the insects and seeds are which is the chick's first natural food.

Poultry eggs easily stay viable for two weeks or more.

[carmalee]

thanks Wildwood -specially for the word precocial - definitely a new one on me - Go well

[carmalee]

it tells me on my profile that I have three answers - can only find two so apologies for not acknowledging.