Hatching eggs with a heating pad?

[Mia G]

So I have chickens that are 6 months old just laying eggs. We have 6 hens and 1 rooster and I’m scared our hens are laying fertilized eggs and I don’t want to eat them. So I bought an incubator that isn’t here till February 5 and I don’t know if they will sit on the eggs so I keep taking them out to our home and leaving about 30 eggs in a bowl. I also have an egg candler but you can’t really tell if an egg is fertil until day 5 and they have to sit on them or be in an incubator to keep warm. The only place to keep the chicks after they hatch is in the garage. We have a covered little house thing the chicks can be in but we can’t have a heat lamp because our cat sleeps in the garage and she’ll knock it over so after all that I was wondering if you can use a heating pad or if anyone has any ideas. And if you have anything good to know about incubating eggs cause it’s my first time. Please and thank you

 

[R2elk]

So I have chickens that are 6 months old just laying eggs. We have 6 hens and 1 rooster and I’m scared our hens are laying fertilized eggs and I don’t want to eat them. So I bought an incubator that isn’t here till February 5 and I don’t know if they will sit on the eggs so I keep taking them out to our home and leaving about 30 eggs in a bowl. I also have an egg candler but you can’t really tell if an egg is fertil until day 5 and they have to sit on them or be in an incubator to keep warm. The only place to keep the chicks after they hatch is in the garage. We have a covered little house thing the chicks can be in but we can’t have a heat lamp because our cat sleeps in the garage and she’ll knock it over so after all that I was wondering if you can use a heating pad or if anyone has any ideas. And if you have anything good to know about incubating eggs cause it’s my first time. Please and thank you

There is nothing wrong with eating fertile eggs. If everyone hatched every fertile egg, the world would be overrun with chickens.

There have been a number of threads about hatching eggs using a heating pad. One specific thread was well documented but I can't remember what the title of the thread was or who the OP was. Here are a couple of other threads.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hatching-eggs-with-heating-pad.728097/#post-10040709

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/diy-heating-pad-incubator-experiment.1116194/#post-17193184

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ler-with-a-heating-pad.1090384/#post-16741811

 

[Mia G]

Well I mean after they hatch can you use a heating pad under the bedding or will it be to hot I’m not sure

 

[R2elk]

Well I mean after they hatch can you use a heating pad under the bedding or will it be to hot I’m not sure

Check out the Mama Heating Pad thread by @Blooie

 

[21hens-incharge]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...er-picture-heavy-update.956958/#post-14882145

This is an extensive thread on the subject.

 

[ben0125]

There is nothing wrong with eating fertile eggs. If everyone hatched every fertile egg, the world would be overrun with chickens.

There have been a number of threads about hatching eggs using a heating pad. One specific thread was well documented but I can't remember what the title of the thread was or who the OP was. Here are a couple of other threads.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hatching-eggs-with-heating-pad.728097/#post-10040709

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/diy-heating-pad-incubator-experiment.1116194/#post-17193184

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ler-with-a-heating-pad.1090384/#post-16741811

X2

 

[21hens-incharge]

By the way it is better to wait until they have been laying for a few months before trying to hatch any.

The success rate is much better then.

 

[Mia G]

That’s really helpful about the heating pad cave and do you think that there still might be a chance the chicks will hatch because they have been laying for about a week and I’ve already saw our rooster mating but I don’t know

 

[chonsey]

I got a plastic storage container for a Christmas tree, I have two chicks in there with a wire shelf - put plastic wrapped heating pad on top. I use puppy training pads for traction so they don't get splayed legs. You can cut out part of the lid, I just keep about a foot open for air. Easy to clean, too. I have a wooden shipping crate out in the barn for when they become juveniles(feathered) with a built in ceramic light fixture - the heat from the light bulb keeps them warm enough. As they get older and Spring gets closer, I leave the lid open so they can get in and out on their own. Pretty soon they are on the roost with the other chickens.

 

[Miss717]

Just out of curiosity what is your reason for not wanting to eat fertilized eggs?