When can a hen hatch her own eggs?

[babbs]

I've had chickens for 10 years but have learned more here on backyard chickens in the last month then I thought I ever knew. I made a candeller and candled her eggs on day 2, day 7, day 10, day 14, day 19 and yesterday when they were due to hatch. I've never monitored it so closely before. I had hens hatch out eggs before but it was a surprise and only one of my hens let me do anything. It is very cold here too and I don't think the heat lamp does that much, I could be wrong though. I agree that hens have been doing this for many years and if she wants to she will hatch them out and keep them warm, as long as you have a place to keep her away from the other hens. I lost 6 eggs from other hens breaking them on her so I put a grate over her nesting box and she feels very secure there. I kicked this particular hen off her nest for 2 days before I let her set because I was afraid of the cold. I will probably move her and her chicks to a brooder in a couple days to make sure they stay warm.

 

[airmom1c05]

Cool! I think it would be sad for the hen if she couldn't stay with them after hatching them. How often do you remove the grate so she can get food and water, etc. How soon will you start to feed the chicks? I read tonight that they can go for 48 hr. after hatching before food and water are necessary. What kind of brooder set up do you use. My DH won't let me spend very much on chickens since we spent so much on the pen/run and coop remodeling. I've been pricing brooders and incubators tonight because my local feed and seed will be getting day old chicks in a week or so and a lot of folks on this site sell fertile eggs. I'm so tempted to purchase at least a brooder starter kit, but for DH's sake, I'm trying to figure a way to do this more slowly and economically. That's why I posted this thread. DH is a little "CHEEP" (lol) right now regarding my chicken "ministry".

 

[babbs]

Not cheep I say......chicken conservative. My hubby is too but boy is he good with little or no money. And I was very surprised that he even let me go ahead and let the hen sit on eggs. He was the first to suggest that we find a place to put her. So far we have converted our 30X24 foot garage into a barn with 2 stalls, a pig pen (inside and out) a turkey pen and a chicken coop(inside and out) and all it cost us was the price of 1 gallon of paint. It looks pretty good too.

 

[airmom1c05]

Aw, you are sweet.

Have any more chicks hatched? I like the idea of natural hatching if my little bantam is willing. I've read they are good brooders and mamas. I'm praying for a very warm spring with no surprise frosts. Last year was the best March I remember in my lifetime, but we did have 3 freezing days in a row at Easter. I didn't have chickens then, but I had plenty of flowers. Every available sheet, blanket, old bedspread, etc. were covering a lot of flower beds and rose bushes. DH was a dear about covering in the evening and uncovering when the sun came out. I think he appreciated all the hard work I put into establishing flowers around the house. He might let me get the brooder starter kit from Murray McMurray Hatchery. I need to do it quickly if I'm going to purchase even just a couple of Buff Orpington chicks very soon. I've looked at quite a few homemade brooders, and I could actually get by with a cardboard box, small feeder, small waterer, and an infrared light with reflector. DH is just opposed to having the chicks inside the house. The back porch would be great except for the cat, and the garage is overcrowded. I was hoping to put them in my dining room which I can close off to the cat. Incubators are cost prohibitive or I would just wait and buy fertile eggs. Of course there is a slim possibility of acquiring eggs if and when my hen goes broody assuming I can get the eggs quickly. So much to ponder. I feel so happy just reading about everyone elses baby chicks and hatching eggs, I admit I'm a bit overanxious to experience it myself. Congrats to you and your hen. Good luck with your new chicks. Thanks for your feedback.

 

[jmhappycowboy]

airmom, I don't live that far from you. Canton, MS and I had a Golden Sebright hen hatch out some chicks on Christmas Eve day and I left them with her just put the brooder pen in a shed where the wind couldn't get to them and they are doing fine. As far as their eating chick food and her eating hen food. When my hens have chicks I always let the hen eat the chick starter along with the babies. after the chicks are a week or so old I will then add some corn chops but she will do just fine eating the chick food.

As for the weather here changing I've always had several to set and hatch succesfully and raise their chicks here in the winter.

If you need help in any way I will do what I can to help you. I have a large incubator and if you need some eggs hatched I will even help you out and hatch some for you until you get your own.

James

 

[airmom1c05]

I'm jumping up and down for joy inside and out! You are an angel! This is fantastic news. Thanks so much. Now I can quit chewing my fingernails and start planning. I'll PM you as soon as I hit a stumbling block in my planning. It's great to know I won't have to worry so much about the weather. My brother once raised to chicks he got for Easter in a cardboard box with a regular end table lamp in it! Of course he was only a young boy, and he actually slept with those chicks under his covers! We caught him bathing with them and drying them with the hairdryer. Lol. Those birds survived and grew up to be huge, beautiful white roosters. All they ever had to eat was dry dog food and grass from the yard. All the information available today just had me thinking I had to do everything just right! That's why I chew my nails because I start worrying I'll mess up. You are the first person nearby who I've met on BYC. To take an old slogan from Toyota: "Oh what a feeling!" How many chickens do you have and what breeds? I only have 4 so far. It's so nice to meet you.

 

[jmhappycowboy]

Its nice to meet you also. I can relate to your brother, I got my first chicks as a young boy also and they where little games I had 2 of them and raised them in the house in a cardboard box and fed them canned cat food. But they both grew up and I had a pair, guess thats what started me in the chickens.
You can pm anytime you like and I can give you my phone number so you could even call if you had questions.
As for what I have I have around 35 or so Grown chickens, 9 grown ducks, and around 85 chicks that range from 1 week to 2 1/2 months and oh I'd say probably close to 200 eggs in the incubator. As for what I have lets see if I can remember them all.
I have Orpingtons in Blue, Black, Splash and Buff (standards) 2 pair of Bantam Orpingtons, 7 Araucana Bantams. I also have 3 Naked Neck hens and a few Golden Sebrights left. In the ducks I have 6 Grey call ducks and a trio of Black East Indie ducks.
In the incubator I have Welsummer eggs, more Orpington eggs in the Bantams and Standards. Araucana eggs, Duck Eggs and Domonique eggs. I think that about covers it. LOL
James

 

[babbs]

Right on Airmom: Glad you have someone close to help you. I've had to learn the hard way for alot of years until I started checking this site. I made a brooder out of a box I got from Sears that a stove came in. It is the perfect size. Good luck on trying your first hatching experience and keep it posted so we can see how you are doing.

 

[airmom1c05]

James, I would love to see pictures of the splash and bantam orpingtons. I wonder if you looked at a picture of my unknown mixed Brandy hen (avatar) if you could suggest the perfect kind of rooster to breed to her for some pretty interesting looking chicks. I sure wish I knew what kind of mix she is. I would love to have some more that look like her or even better if that's possible. My bantams are much easier to care for, and I also have one alleged Ameraucana young/age undetermined pullet. She is a pretty black/dark gray color; no comb or wattles just yet. I think she's actually a pig in chicken's clothing! lol. Other times I'm sure she is a clown in a chicken suit. I have her separated in a pretty big homemade pen in the coop so she eats her food and not the older bird's food. On pretty dry days, I do take her out into the run yard. She does so much want to hang out around the older birds, but they don't care too much for her.....yet. It will be poetic justice when she outgrows them all. The little bantam hen actually kind of warmed up to her when her roo was separated due to a bloody peck wound where he lost a couple of feathers. He's fine now, thank God! You must REALLY love chickens having so many. I would have to build more chicken houses if I got into it that much. I want some more big birds for big eggs, but with the Seramas, I have to be careful that they all get along until I can build separate accomodations based on size. Thank you again for your support and willingness to help out. I'm in love with this new hobby and chickens in general. My family thinks I've lost my marbles, but I tell them I did that a long time ago. Other than talking TOO MUCH, I think I fit in pretty well with the folks on this site. I'll PM you for your number and give you mine as well.

 

[babbs]

I think anyone that doesn't get caught up in the joy of raising chickens thinks we are nuts. That's why this site is so great everyone is nuts about chickens. When I emailed my photos of my hatching egg and new chick to my family I got some strange responses. But I love my birds and they know it. 3 out of 4 of my kids are grown and it helps keep me sane. That's why people go through the empty nest syndrome. They don't have chickens and their babies to keep them excited about the joy of life. And what other being can you watch all the way through right to the hatch itself. Sooooo cool.