Help needed for incubating chicks?

[chicksonline]

Hello there,
Next year I wanted to incubate eggs to then eventually sell the chicks but I have a few questions,
I won’t have enough money to spend loads
So I’d like a self turning egg incubator that’s around £30 any suggestions?
What temp and how do I measure the humidity?
Ehat will I need for after the chicks have hatched?
Is there a successful way to sex them? (I have heard that if you drop the temp by.5 degrees your most likely to get female chicks)
What websites should I sell the chicks on for the uk?
How much should I sell the mixed chicks for?
Sorry that’s a lot of questions I just want to get everything right before I start.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Maddison]

I'm no expert, but you likely won't get an auto turning incubator for £30. I'm based in Australia and the cheapest 12 egg auto turner I can get is like $70. The incubator I have is fully auto 60 egg digital, and I paid $100. Some incubators have digital humidity readers, for ones that don't you need a Hygrometer, I've only heard of them here so I don't know a lot about it. typically bator temps for chickens are 37.7*c (100*F), but it sometimes also depends on the breed. You also will need a brooder box, most people use heat lamps in them but they are a major fire hazard, I recommend using a Brinsea Ecoglow Chick brooder, they can be quite pricey though, but are worth the safety an power you save and are healthier for chicks as well. and no, there's no real way to sex them before they are hatched, its a 50/50 chance on getting hens or roosters either way. and In case your wondering you can't use the bator as a brooder, I've heard that if you put chicks under a hen at night she might adopt them, but its unlikely. thats really all the info I can offer sorry, I'm no expert and I only know what I've read in books.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I'm no expert, but you likely won't get an auto turning incubator for £30. I'm based in Australia and the cheapest 12 egg auto turner I can get is like $70. The incubator I have is fully auto 60 egg digital, and I paid $100. Some incubators have digital humidity readers, for ones that don't you need a Hygrometer, I've only heard of them here so I don't know a lot about it. typically bator temps for chickens are 37.7*c (100*F), but it sometimes also depends on the breed. You also will need a brooder box, most people use heat lamps in them but they are a major fire hazard, I recommend using a Brinsea Ecoglow Chick brooder, they can be quite pricey though, but are worth the safety an power you save and are healthier for chicks as well. and no, there's no real way to sex them before they are hatched, its a 50/50 chance on getting hens or roosters either way. and In case your wondering you can't use the bator as a brooder, I've heard that if you put chicks under a hen at night she might adopt them, but its unlikely. thats really all the info I can offer sorry, I'm no expert and I only know what I've read in books.

IN responce to what do I need after chicks are hatched:
Low power and cheap brooder solution is a "heating pad cave"(search forums with those terms). The heating pad should not have an auto shutoff. Regarding incubators.....I have no interest or experience there to offer.

"(I have heard that if you drop the temp by.5 degrees your most likely to get female chicks)"

I know for reptiles and amphibians this statement is mostly true, temperatures affect sex, but doubt it is true for chicken(my statement is based upon my feeling that were it true it would be common knowledge and our straight runs would lean towoards more pullets than roos)

 

[chicksonline]

IN responce to what do I need after chicks are hatched:
Low power and cheap brooder solution is a "heating pad cave"(search forums with those terms). The heating pad should not have an auto shutoff. Regarding incubators.....I have no interest or experience there to offer.

"(I have heard that if you drop the temp by.5 degrees your most likely to get female chicks)"

I know for reptiles and amphibians this statement is mostly true, temperatures affect sex, but doubt it is true for chicken(my statement is based upon my feeling that were it true it would be common knowledge and our straight runs would lean towoards more pullets than roos)

I'm no expert, but you likely won't get an auto turning incubator for £30. I'm based in Australia and the cheapest 12 egg auto turner I can get is like $70. The incubator I have is fully auto 60 egg digital, and I paid $100. Some incubators have digital humidity readers, for ones that don't you need a Hygrometer, I've only heard of them here so I don't know a lot about it. typically bator temps for chickens are 37.7*c (100*F), but it sometimes also depends on the breed. You also will need a brooder box, most people use heat lamps in them but they are a major fire hazard, I recommend using a Brinsea Ecoglow Chick brooder, they can be quite pricey though, but are worth the safety an power you save and are healthier for chicks as well. and no, there's no real way to sex them before they are hatched, its a 50/50 chance on getting hens or roosters either way. and In case your wondering you can't use the bator as a brooder, I've heard that if you put chicks under a hen at night she might adopt them, but its unlikely. thats really all the info I can offer sorry, I'm no expert and I only know what I've read in books.

Thanks for your knowledge and will write down the info and I know this isn’t perfect but I will keep it in mind
On the temperature factor it’s about the degrees the ones with male inside won’t hatch as it’s too cold
On the incubator - I was going to get one of Ebay or amazon with good reveiws
And how can you sex after hatching?
Thanks for the info and the only reason I need low prices is because I will be 15 therefore it’s hard for me to get that kind of money!

 

[AllenK RGV]

sexing after hatching is usually done by hatchery professionals not backyard breeders. You might want to search out that topic as there are too many ways to reply to that question. And it is covered quite often.