Hi! I'm new.

[evelynchicks]

Hi, I hope to learn a lot. A friend gave my daughter a fertile egg. I went on youtube and learn about home made incubator. My husband made it and so far that's all. I've been reading a lot and learning so much about chicken. I had no clue about candleing an egg and that was awesome to see the air sac and veins. Now, we are in suspense because we didn't know about humidity much and the small little container with water got dry for about a week. After that I water candle the egg and it wiggled, I was so excited, I couldn't believe it how awesome. Thanks to youtube I learn hot to water candle and egg. After typing questions in google I found this site and it has been a big blessing. So awesome to just read everyone's experiences. Awesome!

I hope I have a chick, but if it doesn't make it I will get some others until my daughter can see that miracle of see at least one hatch. I can't wait to experience it!

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC - thanks for joining us. I hope you have a successful hatch. Chickens are social animals and thrive in company of their own kind, so some more fertile eggs would be a good idea

Here’s a link to the Articles section - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ There you’ll find lots of information on almost every aspect of keeping chickens - from coop building ideas, to incubating eggs.

There’s a link on the page above to the Learning Centre - it’s a great resource. If you have a specific topic in mind, just type it in the search box - there's a wealth of information on past and present threads.

Each week, various topics are discussed, which can also be a great resource - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

You may wish to consider joining your state thread as it will put you in touch with other BYC members in your area - http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/270925/find-your-states-thread#post_3239224

All the best

Pork Pie

 

[evelynchicks]

Awesome! Thank you!

 

[blackdust951]

hello and welcome to backyard chickens!thank you for joining us here

 

[drumstick diva]

you will increase your odds if you use several eggs instead of one. Are you using fertile eggs or just any egg you can find. If they aren't fertile and fresh, you will never get anything.

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to Backyardchickens.com aka BYC!
We are glad you joined our flock.

This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:

 

[007Sean]

Howdy, and

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so glad you joined us

 

[Cntry1958]

While your waiting on your egg to get ready and hatch next step is a brooder. That is a area that will keep your chick safe and warm. You will need a heat lamp, or heating pad method so the chick can keep warm. Small shallow dish for feed and a water container. Do not use a bowl for the water. Baby chicks drown all the time. The box or brooder needs to be large enough so that the chick can cool off if its gets to warm. So you will need one area to be cooler then the other area to be warm. When chicks start out they need to be kept at 90 degrees for a week then drop your temp by 5 degrees each week till you hit 70 degrees. After your week of 70 degrees the chick should be ok to turn off the heat lamp or heating pad method. This method is here on the site and it will tell you how to make it up. You will need Chick feed and pine bedding for the chick to go into the brooder. Make sure your bedding is dust free. When the chick is hatched out you will have to show it where the water and food is by placing the TIP of its beak into the water but be careful not to get its nostril in the water. Do the same for the food.
We Would love to see a picture of the incubator your husband made. The egg can take any where from 20 to 23 days to hatch so if she's early or a little late don't worry about it. General amount is 21 days. You will first see a little tiny hole in the egg this is called a pip and is the beginning of a long process of hatching. The chick will work and sleep and work and sleep and rest some more till she unzips the shell of the egg. She must absorb the yolk sack first before coming totally out of her shell. So don't worry if you don't see a lot of progress all at once. Because it just don't happen that way it takes time and your patience. Wait till the chick is completely dry before you touch it or move it to the brooder. it will stand up and move about. Just make sure it can not fall into the water dish or container you have in the incubator for humidity as it hatches. After day 18 do not turn your egg. The chick will move inside and put itself into the correct position so it can hatch. I hope this helps you out a little bit and answers any questions you may have about hatching the egg. Best of luck with your little one. Get hubby to also make a coop for your chicks. YOU also need more then one chick as others have told you. I would do a second hatch with 3 or 4 eggs giving you 4 or 5 chicks if they all make it. Some will end up being cockerels( boys) while the others will be hens ( girls).

 

[evelynchicks]

Hi and welcome to BYC - thanks for joining us. I hope you have a successful hatch. Chickens are social animals and thrive in company of their own kind, so some more fertile eggs would be a good idea

Here’s a link to the Articles section - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ There you’ll find lots of information on almost every aspect of keeping chickens - from coop building ideas, to incubating eggs.

There’s a link on the page above to the Learning Centre - it’s a great resource. If you have a specific topic in mind, just type it in the search box - there's a wealth of information on past and present threads.

Each week, various topics are discussed, which can also be a great resource - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

You may wish to consider joining your state thread as it will put you in touch with other BYC members in your area - http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/270925/find-your-states-thread#post_3239224

All the best

Pork Pie

Hi and welcome to BYC - thanks for joining us. I hope you have a successful hatch. Chickens are social animals and thrive in company of their own kind, so some more fertile eggs would be a good idea

Here’s a link to the Articles section - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ There you’ll find lots of information on almost every aspect of keeping chickens - from coop building ideas, to incubating eggs.

There’s a link on the page above to the Learning Centre - it’s a great resource. If you have a specific topic in mind, just type it in the search box - there's a wealth of information on past and present threads.

Each week, various topics are discussed, which can also be a great resource - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

You may wish to consider joining your state thread as it will put you in touch with other BYC members in your area - http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/270925/find-your-states-thread#post_3239224

All the best

Pork Pie