Safer Hatching

[Geckolady]

I'm planning to incubate some eggs. My pullets are 9-10 months old, and the two larger, older ones are laying fertilized eggs. Originally I thought my four chickens was enough, but for some reason I think I need more, even though they provide all the eggs I need and then some. Doesn't make sense, but oh well.

Anyway, after reading articles on incubating and keeping the chicks warm, I came across some saying there are fire dangers associated with the process. I think I remember seeing some sort of fire safe pad to place under the chicks to keep them warm instead of a heat bulb? Has anyone tried it, and if so, did it work?

What about incubating and starting them in a shed that has electricity? Would they stay warm enough? Am I just being paranoid? TIA, I will check this thread after work today.

 

[spartacus_63]

It surely is amazing how chicken math works!
I have been incubating and raising chicks for several years with pretty good success rates. I have a room in the house for incubation that I can maintain a stable temperature and humidity and have found this to be a significant benefit during the incubation process. The outside air conditions definitely affect the environment inside the incubator. The incubator could be in a shed as long as the temperature and RH would not have wide fluctuations throughout the day. I'm sure some do this and I would not be surprised if they had good results. I am also sure it would drive me nuts worrying.
Brooding new chicks in a shed would be less of an issue and it would likely have many benefits. Chicks are messy and it doesn't take long for them to produce a barnyard odor (without regular cleaning) I have a large brooder (in the same room as the incubator(s) and I typically brood them there for three weeks, then they move outside to a brooder in the coop. I use a Brinsea EcoGlow in the house and in the coop. For the brooder in the coop I also have a heat pad and a heat lamp near the roosts. The temperature in the coop was well below freezing for two broods this year and the chicks did fine. I will also mention that my heat lamps all have dedicated outlets and are securely fastened to their mounts and I use a safety wire that prevents them from falling onto the ground. Chickens can get pretty rambunctious and I have had the lamps knock around before.
Chicks can tolerate cold weather pretty well as long as they have a heat source where they can get warmed if they need too. Having multiple chicks in the brooder will also provide them with additional heat.
I used to incubate and brood with broody hens and they would brood in separate pens (think small chicken tractor), in early Spring where temperatures would drop below freezing and I never lost any to the cold.
Having the incubator & brooder in a shed would not work well for me simply because I enjoy watching both. The in house brooder is nick named "Fuzzy Butt TV".
I hope this has been helpful and good luck with the incubation. By the way, I have found that incubating is as much if not more addictive as chickens themselves.

 

[Geckolady]

It surely is amazing how chicken math works!
I have been incubating and raising chicks for several years with pretty good success rates. I have a room in the house for incubation that I can maintain a stable temperature and humidity and have found this to be a significant benefit during the incubation process. The outside air conditions definitely affect the environment inside the incubator. The incubator could be in a shed as long as the temperature and RH would not have wide fluctuations throughout the day. I'm sure some do this and I would not be surprised if they had good results. I am also sure it would drive me nuts worrying.
Brooding new chicks in a shed would be less of an issue and it would likely have many benefits. Chicks are messy and it doesn't take long for them to produce a barnyard odor (without regular cleaning) I have a large brooder (in the same room as the incubator(s) and I typically brood them there for three weeks, then they move outside to a brooder in the coop. I use a Brinsea EcoGlow in the house and in the coop. For the brooder in the coop I also have a heat pad and a heat lamp near the roosts. The temperature in the coop was well below freezing for two broods this year and the chicks did fine. I will also mention that my heat lamps all have dedicated outlets and are securely fastened to their mounts and I use a safety wire that prevents them from falling onto the ground. Chickens can get pretty rambunctious and I have had the lamps knock around before.
Chicks can tolerate cold weather pretty well as long as they have a heat source where they can get warmed if they need too. Having multiple chicks in the brooder will also provide them with additional heat.
I used to incubate and brood with broody hens and they would brood in separate pens (think small chicken tractor), in early Spring where temperatures would drop below freezing and I never lost any to the cold.
Having the incubator & brooder in a shed would not work well for me simply because I enjoy watching both. The in house brooder is nick named "Fuzzy Butt TV".
I hope this has been helpful and good luck with the incubation. By the way, I have found that incubating is as much if not more addictive as chickens themselves.

Thanks. So now I'll worry a little less if the temperatures should happen to fall for some reason. I do have an extra bathroom which stays pretty warm all year round, and the incubator can be set up in there. While the eggs incubate, I can get some sort of container together to hold the chicks.

I stopped off at Cal Ranch on the way home and seeing those cute little chicks made me want some. The ONLY reason some did not come home is that I don't have anything set up to house them. (Lead me not into temptation....)

What is the safest way to incubate? A heat lamp? A heating pad?

 

[spartacus_63]

What is the safest way to incubate? A heat lamp? A heating pad?

To incubate, you will need an incubator. Heat lamps and/or pads are for brooding, after the eggs hatch.

 

[Geckolady]

To incubate, you will need an incubator. Heat lamps and/or pads are for brooding, after the eggs hatch.

My bad. I meant to ask what is the safest way to brood chicks. I do have an incubator and egg turner, and tried hatching some fertile eggs that I was given at a swap meet last fall, but none made it as far as hatching. I've heard stories of people setting their places on fire with heat lamps, and maybe I'm paranoid, but I want to do it as safely as possible. Many thanks for your answers!

 

[spartacus_63]

Heat lamps, like space heaters draw a lot of juice. I have never had a problem with heat lamps but I only use them in dedicated electrical outlets without extension cords. I also fasten them securely with a safety wire whenever they are used around animals.
For brooding poultry, most information is relevant to how many & how often. Brooder specific heating elements can be expensive. Heat lamps are pretty inexpensive.
I have hatched and raised over 100 chicks this year so I have invested in equipment that makes doing this easier.
If you are going to raise a few broods a year I would recommend a collapsible dog crate in the medium size range. Line the sides with plastic sheeting or cardboard (plastic is better but cardboard is cheaper). Do it in such a way that the crate remains collapsible so when you are not brooding chicks, you can fold it and put it away. Invest in a brooder like the Brinsea EcoGlow (there are cheaper brands), you will never regret making that purchase.
When brooding chicks with an existing flock, it is good to have a grow out pen. Chickens can be very hard on young birds and they will keep them away from the feed. I have a brooder pen in the coop that holds chicks from three weeks to 8 weeks. At 8 weeks they go to the grow out pen, which is also in the coop (they are stacked with the brooder pen on top of the grow out pen to save space). The grow out pen has an opening that allows the smaller birds accesses to the coop, but prevents the big birds from entering the pen. The grow out pen has it's own feed & water.
I hope this is helpful.

 

[Geckolady]

Heat lamps, like space heaters draw a lot of juice. I have never had a problem with heat lamps but I only use them in dedicated electrical outlets without extension cords. I also fasten them securely with a safety wire whenever they are used around animals.
For brooding poultry, most information is relevant to how many & how often. Brooder specific heating elements can be expensive. Heat lamps are pretty inexpensive.
I have hatched and raised over 100 chicks this year so I have invested in equipment that makes doing this easier.
If you are going to raise a few broods a year I would recommend a collapsible dog crate in the medium size range. Line the sides with plastic sheeting or cardboard (plastic is better but cardboard is cheaper). Do it in such a way that the crate remains collapsible so when you are not brooding chicks, you can fold it and put it away. Invest in a brooder like the Brinsea EcoGlow (there are cheaper brands), you will never regret making that purchase.
When brooding chicks with an existing flock, it is good to have a grow out pen. Chickens can be very hard on young birds and they will keep them away from the feed. I have a brooder pen in the coop that holds chicks from three weeks to 8 weeks. At 8 weeks they go to the grow out pen, which is also in the coop (they are stacked with the brooder pen on top of the grow out pen to save space). The grow out pen has an opening that allows the smaller birds accesses to the coop, but prevents the big birds from entering the pen. The grow out pen has it's own feed & water.
I hope this is helpful.

Very helpful, thank you. I have a Little Giant incubator and egg turner and used it last fall to try to hatch some eggs that were given to me at a swap meet. The man gave them to me for eating, but I remembered a bad experience with eggs from someone's flock where undeveloped chicks hit my frying pan and candled them. Some eggs were occupied. I found the board and came here in a panic to learn how to incubate them. A few embryos got larger, but none made it to hatching. I did have some thermometer issues and need to get a new one before setting up again. There was a temperature spike for some unknown reason. Everything was staying steady, then all of a sudden it got too warm.

 

[Geckolady]

Heat lamps, like space heaters draw a lot of juice. I have never had a problem with heat lamps but I only use them in dedicated electrical outlets without extension cords. I also fasten them securely with a safety wire whenever they are used around animals.
For brooding poultry, most information is relevant to how many & how often. Brooder specific heating elements can be expensive. Heat lamps are pretty inexpensive.
I have hatched and raised over 100 chicks this year so I have invested in equipment that makes doing this easier.
If you are going to raise a few broods a year I would recommend a collapsible dog crate in the medium size range. Line the sides with plastic sheeting or cardboard (plastic is better but cardboard is cheaper). Do it in such a way that the crate remains collapsible so when you are not brooding chicks, you can fold it and put it away. Invest in a brooder like the Brinsea EcoGlow (there are cheaper brands), you will never regret making that purchase.
When brooding chicks with an existing flock, it is good to have a grow out pen. Chickens can be very hard on young birds and they will keep them away from the feed. I have a brooder pen in the coop that holds chicks from three weeks to 8 weeks. At 8 weeks they go to the grow out pen, which is also in the coop (they are stacked with the brooder pen on top of the grow out pen to save space). The grow out pen has an opening that allows the smaller birds accesses to the coop, but prevents the big birds from entering the pen. The grow out pen has it's own feed & water.
I hope this is helpful.

You solved my biggest problem, thank you. I just ordered a Brinsea EcoGlow off eBay. It may be expensive, but for my peace of mind and the chicks that will probably be saved by having the temps right, it should be worth it. I do have a folding dog crate, but it is an extra large. I can probably cut the size down with a board or something.