ROOKY MISTAKE TO SHARE

[SA&P]

I’m sure there’ll be plenty of information about that on here for you. Best of luck with your venture!

 

[Pork Pie]

I would like to start working on a plan for an incubator. My hubby gets uptight when I start talking about spending that kind of money on our chickens so I would like to get some great ideas on VERY INEXPENSIVE/YET EFFECTIVE incubators

This link may help
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threadloom/search?query=home made incubators forum:"11"&tab=618

 

[wardschickens]

I put incubator that’s the same thing as a brooder right?

 

[SA&P]

I am VERY new to chicken keeping ...... the incubator hatches the eggs (instead of a broody hen) and a brooder brings them up....so to speak.
The experienced peeps will give more information.....
My ‘brooder’ was a strong cardboard box

 

[rebrascora]

I would save the expense of an incubator and get yourself a couple of broody hens to hatch chicks.... something like a bantam pekin (cochin) or silkie. Granted there is no guarantee they will go broody but with those breeds there are good odds of it and lots of pleasure from keeping them and even more from watching them hatch and rear chicks. The down side is that it is a lottery as to when they will go broody, but that is part of the fun. Nothing better than watching an enthusiastic broody teaching her chicks to dust bath.... it's hilarious!

Of course, if you are going to hatch, regardless of method, you need to have a plan for the surplus cockerels that will result.

 

[SA&P]

I would save the expense of an incubator and get yourself a couple of broody hens to hatch chicks.... something like a bantam pekin (cochin) or silkie. Granted there is no guarantee they will go broody but with those breeds there are good odds of it and lots of pleasure from keeping them and even more from watching them hatch and rear chicks. The down side is that it is a lottery as to when they will go broody, but that is part of the fun. Nothing better than watching an enthusiastic broody teaching her chicks to dust bath.... it's hilarious!

Of course, if you are going to hatch, regardless of method, you need to have a plan for the surplus cockerels that will result.

I agree. I was given Silkie eggs and when a promised broody hen didn’t materialise I was forced to buy a small incubator as I was panicking that I’d lose the eggs
As I have two hens and a rooster I’m hoping for my own little family

 

[chickens really]

I only incubate Duck eggs. I never incubate Chicken eggs. I have three Broody Hens and it's so much easier having them do all the work...I have a Broody due Tuesday...Very excited..

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I think it depends on what type of waterer is used. I left mine in 24/7 and lost no chicks. I put it up on a brick to keep them from kicking wood chips into it.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Hello I joined today, I named off a ton of stuff I learned on BYC but I would like to share one thing I learned on my own. Three years ago, we bought 12 baby chicks. I lost over half of them. This past spring we bought 3 dozen so when we did raise them and lost them we would still have some left. When I was raising my chicks before they transitioned into the yard I put them in the plastic boxes with towels instead of shavings. I also left the water and food in ALL THE TIME. BIG MISTAKE. Huge!!! A day and a half into it and I already lost three. I thought what am doing wrong and how can I fix it. I looked inside and they ALWAYS spilled the water and food. I thought huh, I will change the towel every morning AND evening reguardless. I will only leave the water n food in for a ONLY few hours during the day. HUGE DIFFERENCE! Everyone flourished after that. No more chicks were lost. I ended up with six roosters and A BUNCH of laying hens now egg gathering time is like an easter egg hunt. Boy if I had known what the key was!! Anyway. I have talked to other newbys since then and come to find out it UNFORTUNATELY isn’t uncommon AT ALL. So please share.

I would have a lot more worry leaving them without water then them drowning in it.
I'm a firm believer of feed and water 24/7 for chicks.
The marbles or pieces of gravel is standard for quail chicks. I would go that right if having drowning issues. When they're living in a heated environment like that water is very important.

 

[rebrascora]

Spilled water is also likely to lead to an outbreak of coccidiosis. I'm not sure whether the OP was specifically losing chicks to drowning, chilling from getting wet or more likely coccidiosis from having a warm damp environment where cocci were thriving. Preventing water spillage is certainly a very important aspect though. I have broody reared chicks so water spillage is less important and much less risk of coccidiosis but I put a mixture of large and small rocks in a plastic tub for chicks to prevent drowning.