Planning on hatching some chicks. Any tips?

[Lennon.ch]

So come spring i would like to try and hatch some chicks as I've wanted to do this for ages now, however i can't really spend much money on incubators and brooders so I've decided to do it the "natural" way and have one of my hens do all the work for me and i have done a lot of research into it but I'm still not sure on a couple things.
Some things you should know:
- I am planning to build a 1 hen coop and run to hold the broody hen and eventually the chicks, I will keep this small setup inside the existing chicken pen so that my other nine hens and my cockerel will be able to get used to the chicks and also so there won't be any problems when i reintroduce the hen.
- I live in England so the weather won't be great but as I am planning on doing this in the spring/summer I don't think this will be a problem.

Inside of this small setup I am going to have straw in the coop, and just a simple feeder and drinker outside in the small run. Is there anything else I will need inside either of these?

The run will be on the ground where it is mostly dirt. Will this be okay for the chicks or will I need to give it a floor (probably wood).

Im not sure which of my hens will be the best mother; I have two ranger hens, two light sussex hens, two amber star hens, two rhode rock hens and two bluebells hens. Which breed should I use?

How long will it take for the hen to go broody? Are there any ways in which I can speed it up? Which are the best ways to make her go broody?

Whilst I am waiting for the hen to go broody/ for me to be ready, how can I store the fertilised eggs?

What age can I introduce the hen and her chicks to my flock?

Any other tips would be great too!

Thanks
-Cam

 

[Welshies]

Store the fertilised eggs between 10-15 degrees celsus

 

[AlleysChicks]

You can’t make a hen go broody. It’s a hormone thing. You could try to encourage them by leaving eggs in a nest but there is no guarantee that someone will sit.

I waited a whole year for my Buff Orpington to go broody. She never did. Some breeds are more prone than others.

 

[Lennon.ch]

You can’t make a hen go broody. It’s a hormone thing. You could try to encourage them by leaving eggs in a nest but there is no guarantee that someone will sit.

I waited a whole year for my Buff Orpington to go broody. She never did. Some breeds are more prone than others.

Thanks, I think I'll try those rubber eggs as I don't like to leave eggs in the coop for to long for fear of them breaking and making a mess that could not only be annoying for me to clean but also uncomfortable for the chicken

 

[Tiana's chickens]

Firstly, don't purchase eggs until a hen has gone broody, let her stay broody for about a week before you slip fertile eggs under her at night. You'll know she's serious if she's sat for a while first.
You want the eggs to be less then 10 days old before they go under her, otherwise the hatch rate will be much lower.
You'll need to candle the eggs at night around day 7 to take out any that aren't growing which will prevent them from going off and exploding, ruining the hatch.
Any of your hens could make good mothers, I think it depends more on the individual hen rather then the breed.
As to how to make one go broody, you can't force it. Leaving some infertile eggs or fake eggs in the nest box will help encourage broodiness.
When the chicks hatch you want the water dish to be very shallow incase any fall in, they can drown easily.
I usually introduce the hen and chicks to the flock when they are about 2 weeks old, but it really depends, if you have some really nasty chickens in the flock I'd wait longer.

 

[Lennon.ch]

Ok, thanks. I have my own cockerel so i think I'm going to just use my own eggs rather than buying

Firstly, don't purchase eggs until a hen has gone broody, let her stay broody for about a week before you slip fertile eggs under her at night. You'll know she's serious if she's sat for a while first.
You want the eggs to be less then 10 days old before they go under her, otherwise the hatch rate will be much lower.
You'll need to candle the eggs at night around day 7 to take out any that aren't growing which will prevent them from going off and exploding, ruining the hatch.
Any of your hens could make good mothers, I think it depends more on the individual hen rather then the breed.
As to how to make one go broody, you can't force it. Leaving some infertile eggs or fake eggs in the nest box will help encourage broodiness.
When the chicks hatch you want the water dish to be very shallow incase any fall in, they can drown easily.
I usually introduce the hen and chicks to the flock when they are about 2 weeks old, but it really depends, if you have some really nasty chickens in the flock I'd wait longer.

Thanks, I think I am going to use my own eggs as I have a cockerel. Are their any things that i should look out for to indicate a good mother?

 

[Lennon.ch]

Store the fertilised eggs between 10-15 degrees celsus

Thanks, do you think the fridge will do?

 

[Tiana's chickens]

Also you want to decide if you want to let your hen incubate and hatch chicks in the nest box or somewhere away from other chickens so she doesn't steal other eggs chickens lay. she will most likely go broody in the nest box but most broodies can be moved at night in the dark to a new nest box away from everyone else, make sure if you do that you move the eggs with her so she doesn't loose interest in sitting when she wakes up.
Also chickens can't count so she won't notice if you swap a few rubber eggs a dozen fertile ones.
I hope you enjoy the experience of hatching and watching them grow up with a broody hen

 

[Welshies]

Thanks, do you think the fridge will do?

No.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Store eggs in a cool dry area fat end up. I put mine in a egg carton in the basement until time.