Hatching eggs, I need to know everything!

[emmaellis111]

Right guys im new to incubating eggs,i need to know everything from putting eggs into incubator,
When to take the chicks out and put them into a brooder box,(do i need i lamp?)
When to give them food,
When to hold them?,
When they dont need alot of heat,
When they go outside in a coop,
Will they need a light/heater,
Everything lol,
I would like to say thanks in advance,
Emma x

 

[appps]

Save us doing a LOT of typing lol there is a thread called "hatching 101" if you go to the search bar and type that in you should find it. It will answer all your questions plus some you probably didn't know you had yet ;-)

 

[FridayYet]

Like Appps said, no way to type all this out.

Just in case you haven't found it yet, here's the link: ...https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

 

[emmaellis111]

Thanks guys,

 

[lazy gardener]

You'll have a lot more fun prowling around after you read Hatching 101. Prowl a bit, then come back with some ?'s you can't figure out! Happy reading!

 

[emmaellis111]

Ive read most of the 101 theard and im like....umm what,? Some of it is really confusing and some of it i kinda guessed anyway lol, the one question i do have is cant i leave the chicks in the incubator instead of a brooder box? Thats if all the chicks hatch the same ish time? Cuz its got heat and im buying a large incubator? Or do you HAVE to have a brooder box? X

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Ive read most of the 101 theard and im like....umm what,? Some of it is really confusing and some of it i kinda guessed anyway lol, the one question i do have is cant i leave the chicks in the incubator instead of a brooder box? Thats if all the chicks hatch the same ish time? Cuz its got heat and im buying a large incubator? Or do you HAVE to have a brooder box? X

You have to have a brooder for the chicks. They can't live in the incubator, as the chicks grow they start requiring less heat and need to be be able to get out of the heat from when they first go in the brooder box. In an incubator its just too hot. A brooder should have a warm spot for them along with an area that they an go to cool down as they wish. I use a Guinea cage and Brinsea brooder for the first few days. They go under for a warm then come out again. ~

As they get bigger they go out to the brooding shed with a heat lamp, the shed has more room which chicks most certainly need as they grow ~

As the feathers start coming in and when they are bigger they start to be weaned off the heat and I let them out, I do keep the lamp on for them and go by what they are doing to decide how long they need it in for. This is usually happens at 4 - 8 weeks depending on weather conditions. You need to monitor chicks carefully as heat as well as cold can kill them quickly.

 

[emmaellis111]

Im just curious can i use a desk lamp for heat? And would it produce enough heat? X

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Yes you could but it would depend how many chicks you have. I had a friend use one with success but it had a large watt bulb in and it was used in summer. If you went down this route you would need to make a guard so the chicks can't fly up into the bulb and get burned. Even at a couple of days old they can jump up pretty high.

 

[emmaellis111]

Thats good to know, what sort of material would be a good idea to make a guard ? X