Preparing myself for incubating

[Pampered chicken girl]

In around 5-6 months I will be incubating 5 of my chickens eggs( I know it seems like a while but I am waiting for one of my silkies to come until lay). I have never incubated eggs before and am super nervous already not really nervous about messing it up although I am a little, I'm more nervous about chicks coming out with deformities or problems where I will have to put them down. What's the likelihood that this will happen? I don't know if I am mentally prepared to actually do it. If one chick does come out this way what is the best non Hands-On way to take care of it I don't want to do anything that requires me to cut it or put it in the freezer I couldn't handle that. Any tips on incubating and such would definitely help me also. I am super excited and also scared I'm going to be hatching seramas silkies and a silkie cross with Polish. Thanks for the help in advance

 

[BrandonsBirbs]

For a good guide on incubation head here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-beginners-guide-to-incubation.73350/

With respect to the deformities, it will depend where you get your eggs from more than anything else. But for the most part it is a pretty rare occurrence, a lot of deformed chicks die inside the eggs before hatching.

If you have to cull one just think about the quality of life the chick with have if you couldn't allow them to have a normal life or their deformities would affect their everyday lives. Don't worry about yourself, worry about the poor birds!

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

For a good guide on incubation head here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-beginners-guide-to-incubation.73350/

With respect to the deformities, it will depend where you get your eggs from more than anything else. But for the most part it is a pretty rare occurrence, a lot of deformed chicks die inside the eggs before hatching.

If you have to cull one just think about the quality of life the chick with have if you couldn't allow them to have a normal life or their deformities would affect their everyday lives. Don't worry about yourself, worry about the poor birds!

Okay thank you for the help. I'll be getting the eggs from my own chickens and a friend of mine who has some seramas. All the chickens of mine and hers are very well taken care and of course I was worried about the birds it's not I was worried about myself just concerned that it might not be a good idea for me to incubate eggs if I can't handle having to put them down if they won't have good quality of life that's why I wanted to know how much deformities occur, if it was rare then I didn't think there'd be a problem but if it was common I didn't want to do that to the poor chicks

 

[BrandonsBirbs]

Okay thank you for the help. I'll be getting the eggs from my own chickens and a friend of mine who has some seramas. All the chickens of mine and hers are very well taken care and of course I was worried about the birds it's not I was worried about myself just concerned that it might not be a good idea for me to incubate eggs if I can't handle having to put them down if they won't have good quality of life that's why I wanted to know how much deformities occur, if it was rare then I didn't think there'd be a problem but if it was common I didn't want to do that to the poor chicks

Wasn't trying to put you down or anything, I just meant if the worst does happen, you do have to just do it for the sake of the chick and for most people if the time came then you'd be able to handle it because you know what will happen if you don't. For the most part incubating is so fun, I think it's so fascinating watching them develop, then hatch and then grow into big old feather balls.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Wasn't trying to put you down or anything, I just meant if the worst does happen, you do have to just do it for the sake of the chick and for most people if the time came then you'd be able to handle it because you know what will happen if you don't. For the most part incubating is so fun, I think it's so fascinating watching them develop, then hatch and then grow into big old feather balls.

No problem, I'm so excited to watch them develop and then grow up into some great members of my flock. I am hoping for a rooster and hen of Serama and crossing my fingers for hens of the silky and Silkie-polish cross if not one of my friends said she'll take The Unwanted Roos. I am very soft-hearted that's why I was saying I might have trouble with it do you have any suggestions for how to do it if it comes down to that

 

[BrandonsBirbs]

No problem, I'm so excited to watch them develop and then grow up into some great members of my flock. I am hoping for a rooster and hen of Serama and crossing my fingers for hens of the silky and Silkie-polish cross if not one of my friends said she'll take The Unwanted Roos. I am very soft-hearted that's why I was saying I might have trouble with it do you have any suggestions for how to do it if it comes down to that

I wish you the best of luck! Silkie-polish crosses may be one of my favourite breeds, they look fab!

If you mean what method to cull the chicks then I'm not sure what you'd prefer to do. I believe different countries and states do have some rules around which methods you can use, but for chicks I most likely would break their necks or cut the heads off. Sounds unpleasant but it's such a humane way to cull the chicks and not cause them any discomfort or unneeded pain/stress. First time is hard, I won't lie to you. But you realise what needs to be done and just have to do it.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

I wish you the best of luck! Silkie-polish crosses may be one of my favourite breeds, they look fab!

If you mean what method to cull the chicks then I'm not sure what you'd prefer to do. I believe different countries and states do have some rules around which methods you can use, but for chicks I most likely would break their necks or cut the heads off. Sounds unpleasant but it's such a humane way to cull the chicks and not cause them any discomfort or unneeded pain/stress. First time is hard, I won't lie to you. But you realise what needs to be done and just have to do it.

Thanks do you have any pictures of Silkie polish crosses I've been trying to get some my polish is black white crested and my silke is white