i have tired hatching before, but need help...

[Courtney R]

I dont have an incubator cuz i wanna at least hatch one batch of my chickens eggs. Now my youngest hen just started laying and i would like some tips on how to hatch them... i have a buncha ways but idk which one to use, and i dont kno specifically what to do, Please help me hatch these eggs

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Well, unless you have a broody you are going to need an incubator. So, option A is to buy or build an incubator. There are actually some fairly ingenious designs around. I remember one was a foam cooler (like for fishing trips), a light bulb and some sponges. Option B is to either wait for your gal to go broody or to go find a broody breed hen and wait for her to go off.

If you don't want to wait, an incubator is your only option. You just need to decide if you will try building your own or buying one. And if you buy one, avoid the little $20 one. They are not meant for a high hatch rate to say the least.

 

[Courtney R]

should i take the eggs from her and when she starts laying, give them all back. I Do Not wanna use and Incubator

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

They have to be fairly fresh to hatch. The general rule of thumb is not to try to hatch eggs over 10 days old or that have been refrigerated. You can have success with these eggs it's just your odds start dropping.

If you are trying to get her to go broody then you need to tempt her and, yes, gather the eggs for now. Golf balls or wooden eggs in the nest will make her think she has more to hatch but won't go rotten if she takes a few months to go broody. I'd put three or four in her favorite nest box. If you start noticing signs that she is going broody, then leave the real eggs and start taking out the wood eggs.

 

[Courtney R]

They have to be fairly fresh to hatch. The general rule of thumb is not to try to hatch eggs over 10 days old or that have been refrigerated. You can have success with these eggs it's just your odds start dropping.
If you are trying to get her to go broody then you need to tempt her and, yes, gather the eggs for now. Golf balls or wooden eggs in the nest will make her think she has more to hatch but won't go rotten if she takes a few months to go broody. I'd put three or four in her favorite nest box. If you start noticing signs that she is going broody, then leave the real eggs and start taking out the wood eggs.

Well i thnk she is already in the broody cuz she has been laying on them...

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Well i thnk she is already in the broody cuz she has been laying on them...

Then just let her keep the eggs. And watch to see how much time she is spending on or off the nest. Cold as it is if she is getting up more than twice a day for 15 min the eggs may have problems making it to day 21.

Head over to the old fashion broody hen thread. I think there is someone else with a broody right now too.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-and-informational-thread/14780#post_10034706

 

[Courtney R]

Thnx

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Then just let her keep the eggs. And watch to see how much time she is spending on or off the nest. Cold as it is if she is getting up more than twice a day for 15 min the eggs may have problems making it to day 21.
Head over to the old fashion broody hen thread. I think there is someone else with a broody right now too.

I have a RIR broody at the moment, i just put 9 fertile eggs under her from my rooster and my hens, no bought eggs.

 

[Courtney R]

I have a RIR broody at the moment, i just put 9 fertile eggs under her from my rooster and my hens, no bought eggs.

Whats an RIR broody??