first time natural egg Incubation

[Raul Herrera]

Hi i'm planning on doing a natural incubation that is if one of my hens go broody and the egg is fertilized and i am asking for any advice or tips.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Get a broody breed of hen (silkie? buff orpington? cochin? What do you already have? Leghorns ain't gonna hatch you many eggs.)

Plan for a separate setup from your other hens so that she can incubate her clutch away from the rest of the flock. It needn't be fancy--a dog house with a small run or a horse trailer would work.

You can store eggs for up to ten days before fertility declines; shipped eggs should be left to settle after shipping and then set ASAP.

You should set at least three eggs--chicks like company.

Do you have a plan for what to do with your hatched roosters?

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

What breeds of hens do you have?
Hens will most likely wait until spring to go broody. Which is also the best time for raising chicks. You will need a separate place for the hen to set. If a hen goes broody, you should make sure your place for her is ready, then wait until after dark, then carefully move her there. Do you have a rooster? Wherever your hen is setting, she needs to feel isolated, and don't look at her, and hang out a lot, or she might quit.

 

[Raul Herrera]

i have a new hemisphere hen and also my new hemisphere rooster, two Delawares and also a Easter Egger. could they work for hatching eggs? also we're planning on moving the younger ones with the older ones before spring comes when they get a bit older to empty out one of the coops.

 

[junebuggena]

Delawares and Easter Eggers are not typically broody breeds. I would not count on them to go broody. If you want to hatch your own chicks, get an incubator.