Tips for newbies. Everyone join in! :)

[Irishgirl]

Hi people!
So, I was thinking, when I started raising poultry I had no clue what I was doing, so I thought it would be nice if we could put together kind of a "This is how you could do it, but this way is easier.

(1) Always wash your hands before handling fertile eggs that you want to hatch. This can get kind of tiresome, but it's well worth the effort.


If anyone has any chicken care tips please share them!

 

[Volkova]

Hmm. I'm a teenager, so I'm no chicken guru/wise man but I've done about 9 hatches so far and read 6 books on chicks/chickens. Here's my long list of perhaps pointless tips and advice. Enjoy!

1) Invest in a ecoglow brooder from Brinsea. It's so much better for the chicks and I found that they tame easier than heat lamp raised ones.
2) Turn the eggs! Some people say it's pointless, but if you really want a good hatch then it's best to place it safe and turn 'em anyway!
3) Monitor the incubator temperature like hawk, if it rises/falls, figure out why and try to maintain it constantly. But don't be put off if it only increases by a degree.
4) Increase humidity as you get closer to the hatch date. Temperature is more important at the start of incubation, but humidity is more important at the end of incubation
5) Don't help a chick out if it's hatching unless it's taking a day or longer. It can really damage the chick.
6) Keep the lid shut on the incubator while hatching. In fact, make sure the lid is on secure each time you open the incubator!
7) Feel free to candle often (I am fascinated by it and I do it everyday, as long as it's quick and I handle the eggs carefully)
8) Take pictures of your chickens regularly, it's fun and helps you monitor their growth.
9) When moving the chicks into a brooder, dip the beak into the water gently to help them out at the start
10) Chicks learn from each other, so don't fret if they don't eat straight away
11) If they aren't eating, gently put your finger in the brooder and 'peck' the food and they will soon follow your action.
12) Take your time when moving them, they can happily stay in the incubator for at least 24 hours before moving them.
13) Only put small amounts of chick feed and water in their containers to start with, they will kick and scratch and spillages will lead to waste food, bacteria spreading and a lot of time cleaning up.
14) Consider which breeds you are putting together when hatching. Try not to buy mixed breed hatching eggs, unless they are either entirely bantams or large fowl. It causes a lot of fighting and shy chicks end up getting very flighty when they mature.
15) Persist with the taming! Remember, finger in first, let them peck, then put your palm in, they grab them slowly.
16) Let them sleep and don't wake chicks up, it distresses them quite a bit!
17) Make sure only you and maybe one other person hold the chicks for the first few times. Neighbors, young children and really old people tend to have an awkward grip on the poor bird.
18) Make sure the brooder is high or roofed, my Polish chick escaped one day and walked all the way to the other side of the house.
19) Clean up the incubator and brooder often. It's a chore but it is best if you want healthy birds!
20) Maintain good health standards with the chicks, keep everything clean, and have medicated chick feed to give their immune systems a boost. Don't go to over the top though! Chicks need some bacteria when they are young, so that they can develop antibodies and fight off serious illnesses when they are older.
21) Chickens don't like; rain; snow; thunder; sun; or ice. Make sure you are prepared for severe weather and have plans to help your chickens cope.
22) Keep everything predator proof. I have a very bad reputation among the foxes (nearly everyone that gets my chickens ends up dead), if you can shoot a predator, do it or find someone who can. Make sure there are no holes or gaps in the pens, predators can easily tear wood apart, sneak in and eat all your chickens. Place some human clothing around the place (like a scarecrow) and that can deter them away due to a human scent. I haven't tried it though.
23) Be prepared and warned. Chickens do die and this is the cycle of life I'm afraid. Putting them down can be a hard job, but don't let them suffer if you cannot do any help to them.

On a side note, if you have an aggressive cockerel that's hurting other chickens (when blood is drawn). Get a big stick or hose with running water (if you can) and chase him around with it, aim at his comb or wattle, it'll put him in his place. Repeat several times and he will calm down. It sounds like you're some kind of abuser, but it's the most natural way to tame a cockerel, beat him at his own game!

Those are all of my tips, some slightly strange, but I hope they are of use to newbies.

 

[Irishgirl]

If you have a chick push out before the yolk internalizes, don't panic. Take the chick and carefully set it back in the eggshell, wrap the shell in wet, warm paper towels, and prop it up in the corner of the 'bator 'till the yolk finishes internalizing.

 

[Irishgirl]

As a preventive measure against spraddle leg, I cover the bottom of my 'bator and brooder with paper towels until the chicks are at least 3 days old.
Lots of successful hatches and still no spraddle leg!

 

[Irishgirl]

You should never use cedar chips in your brooder, they can be toxic to the birds.

 

[Chick pea]

I use citricidal (liquid grapefruit seed extract) in my chooks water. It's anti bacterial, antiviral, antifungal. Never use it undiluted as it's irritating to the skin. It's a natural product & can be used to wash fruit & veg in. It's for human consumption & you can buy it from healthshops or on line. The small bottle goes a long way.
It's cleared up any signs of colds in my flock & so far kept them very healthy.

 

[silkielover2444]

I recently got chicks and they are now 8 weeks old. I love your chicks, they are so cute! I might be getting a silkie soon!!

At tractor supplies they are selling some chicks so when they get a silkie they'll give me a call!

 

[silkielover2444]

Some advice is: hold a chicken different ways to find out their position they like

 

[Cinnylove]

my advice: never give up...give the egg in ? some time and DON'T "help" it hatch...watch another one of God's amazing animal miracles!!! happy hatching!

 

[Irishgirl]

my advice: never give up...give the egg in ? some time and DON'T "help" it hatch...watch another one of God's amazing animal miracles!!! happy hatching!

Well said Cinny, I've accidentally killed hatchlings before while thinking I was helping them.