Tips for newbies. Everyone join in! :)

[KaysKoop]

I have a banty that laid our first egg. I want her to raise little ones but she does,t sit on it. It's cold now in the 40's but wind chill 31. Do i take up the egg or let it stay and hope she or others-3- lay more and sit on them? Yes I have a rooster! Thanks.

 

[sundayafternoon]

I have a banty that laid our first egg. I want her to raise little ones but she does,t sit on it. It's cold now in the 40's but wind chill 31. Do i take up the egg or let it stay and hope she or others-3- lay more and sit on them? Yes I have a rooster! Thanks.

KaysKoop you can't make her be broody and want to sit on eggs no matter how hard you try. If she isn't sitting on the nest for the majority of the day she isn't broody. Not all hens will be broody. What kind of banty hen is she? My Rhode Island Red banty hens are good at being broody for me.

You would know if she is broody if she sits in the nest box and refuses to come out, puffs up her feathers and growls at you.

Also, this is just my opinion, but if it is her very first egg I wouldn't try to hatch it. A lot of people think they need a little while to get "regular" and the first few eggs can have lots of different kinds of issues like no yolks at all or double yolks. I would let her practice for a week at least.

If you want to try and save a few fertile eggs to put under a broody later I would suggest collecting them and storing them in an egg carton fat side up. People say keep them at "room temp" so I would just set them out of the way on the counter. I would worry about them freezing if it gets that cold outside. The longer you store them the less viable they become but I think you can save them for about a week to 10 days.

 

[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.

 

[PrairieRidge]

Thanks for your tips they are greatly appreciated!

 

[3BirdGirlz]

Very good Volkova! Pretty much how I've done it since my teen years, and I've hardly ever lost I chick!

 

[Volkova]

Oh, I remembered something I read once and I've managed to find it out for those considering whether to incubate or use a broody hen:

""While hens are naturally able to incubate and hatch out eggs well, artificial incubation done correctly leads to a much more successful hatch rate:

Average Broodiness Hen (General breeds) : 20% - 60% hatch rate from eggs. A cheap option. Stores 6-8 eggs
Broody Specific Hen (e.g. Silkie/Bantam) : 50% - 70% hatch rate from eggs. A good option for a safe hatch with chicks from fertile eggs guaranteed. Stores 4-6 eggs.
Basic, homemade incubator : 0% - 80% hatch rate from eggs. Homemade incubators tend to have some faults and 0% hatch rate if not operated properly. Stores 10+ eggs
Industry Incubators (e.g Brinsea) : 0% - 100% hatch rate from eggs. 0% Hatch rate if not operated correctly, but good for a maximum hatch rate. Stores 20-50+ and 500+ eggs

Costs

- Broody hens are cheaper per hatch. (Food, Water vs Equipment and Power)
- BUT, artificial incubators are more efficient at hatching and cost less after 2/3 repeated hatches.""

So, if you cannot decide whether to incubate artificially or naturally, consider: How many eggs do you want to hatch? Will I be hatching again or is it just this once?

Personally, I find artificial incubators are so much better than the hen, sometimes they give up and walk off, which, after several weeks, is kind of annoying.
But, it requires time and effort to take care of your incubator, consistent monitoring of temperature and humidity, risk of power cuts etc. You only need to provide the hen a dark, comfy area, safety, food, water and that's it.

^^ Just some more advice for those who want to hatch some chicks out. (Taken from 'Keeping Chickens and Getting the Best From Them')

 

[KaysKoop]

My bantys are a mixed breed I think but they have beautiful feathers as I flyfish and tie my own flys. I bought them just to watch and raise little ones for the grandchildren to enjoy. Thanks all for the info and you answered my questions as I wanted to know how to save eggs until I had a broody hen or a way to hatch them. So they will save at room temp for about a week or ten days without turning or anything?

 

[Irishgirl]

My bantys are a mixed breed I think but they have beautiful feathers as I flyfish and tie my own flys. I bought them just to watch and raise little ones for the grandchildren to enjoy. Thanks all for the info and you answered my questions as I wanted to know how to save eggs until I had a broody hen or a way to hatch them. So they will save at room temp for about a week or ten days without turning or anything?

You can store eggs and maintain fertility at 55-65 for up to a week.

 

[Irishgirl]

If you don't want to "teach" your chicks how to drink, put something shiny in the water dish, like a paper clip or marble.

 

[thearicks]

Has any one had a problem with little giant incubator and the turner causing temp to go from 100degree to 99.3 degree when between turns and will this hurt my hatch.