Breeding/Hatching Chickens for the First Time? Questions by a Newbie.

[Duckstruck]

Hello!
This Spring, me and my friend are planning to breed my Polish hen to her Bantam Frizzle rooster. We have discussed this, but I have no expertise in keeping fertile eggs or breeding anything. I have a few basic questions (though feel free to throw in other advice; much appreciated!)

• How can I tell if my Polish hen is ready to breed? She appears smaller than my big girls, but I got her at the end of last September. The other chicks I bought with her are beginning to lay, but I don't want to push it if it isn't time for her yet.
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• How can I tell if she's laying in particular? I have a large and small dog kennel, but it is still limited room. I feel a little bad about caging her up, but it would only be for a couple days to keep her in check.
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• How should I introduce the rooster, and where? I've met the rooster and his flock recently, and he is just a little gentlemen towards his girls and us. My friend has said he can be pretty forceful when mating.
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• How long should they stay together? I'd like to keep it short, as we both have school, but enough time for the eggs to become fertilized.
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• I've found interest of this incubator, but I don't know if there's a secret success to hatching? My friend has incubated reptile eggs, though I don't think heat was as important. I've heard certain temperatures can impact the gender of the chickens, but it sounds a little confusing.
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• How should I care for newly hatched babies? We're planning on splitting the bunch, though it may alternate since I can't keep roosters but she can. I've heard that they've obtained nutrients of the yolk and are fine for a day. I've raised chicks before, I just didn't know if newborns were any different in care.

Thanks for reading all that. I'm very curious about this system.​

 

[TheTwoRoos]

You can tell if she is egg laying and ready to breed if she is squatting and if here waffles and combs are red,definitely wouldn’t introduce till she is laying for about a week,after that then you try introducing,I would introduce them wherever they are gonna be kept,her being young and them both being soft breeds,I doubt they will fight,and if they do it probably won’t be more then a few seconds with no injury at all.I would keep them together for about a month or maybe three weeks but after a week of them breeding I would start collecting eggs,eggs are good for up to a month,maybe you and your friend can put money together to buy a fairly large incubator made for chickens,after that you can start adding eggs,they may all hatch at different times but that’s ok.It is a good sign if he is being very forceful while mating and causing bare backs and head,this means he is getting the job done.

The best thing to do for gender is have her give you any hens,and if there is enough split hens,any roosters can be given away or killed,or kept.Why can’t you keep roosters,your very likely to get more boys then girls unfortunately,but it’s all 50/50 chance.

Let the chicks dry off in the incubator.If you raised these chickens you just need to raise them as you did your first.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Also if she goes broody that’s even better.Im hatching chicks right now with a broody.