Yay for me! wait what?!

[chickenlover237]

Ok so for a few months now I have been begging my mom and dad to get me chickens well one of my aunts and uncles have some hens and a rooster and they said they would gather me up a dozen fertile eggs, and my dad aggreed to help me build a coop! I have never had chickens before and I am only 13 (almost 14) and I have no experience so any tips on incubator building, incubating eggs and anything else that could be helpful? Thanks

 

[Wolftalk]

Thats Great!!!! Congrats!!! I begged my mom for chickens for 3 years and then i rescued some eggs from a girl who i was house sitting for. My wish came true!!! Heres some advice:

*Do your research and get the best incubator you can.

*Read as many posts, books, and internet sites as you can.

*Print out ANY usefull information you find and put it in a BINDER/FOLDER.

*Look at coop info and blueprints NOW!!! Time goes by fast and youll need that coop faster than you think!

*Make a complete typed list of EVERYTHING you will need for raising chicks (ex... 1) Chick starter 2) Heat lamp & Reflector 3) Feather Duster etc.)

*Make sure you have a plan if you end up with more roosters than you want.

*If youve got a dog, dogs chase things that run. Make sure you have somewhere to keep it away from the chicks/chickens.

As for incubating :

*Make special note of the humididy, it plays a big roll!

*Dont forget to sleep on the the last few days before they hatch!!!! Its fun to watch them wiggle in thier shell

Hope that helped!!!! If you have any more questions ... Just ask!!! the People on this fourm are so smart and we will try and answer all the questions you have!!!

 

[eggscetera]

Oh you are in for some fun now! Enjoy your new chicken hobby. Good luck with all the hatching/coop building/learning about chickens. You've come to the right place - these folks know their chickens!

 

[Hunter0704]

Be sure to check out BYC Breeds, Coop Designs, Raising Chickens 101, etc. You will find all kinds of great information to help you in your endeavor. I have had two coops built from the designs I found at Coop Designs that fit my needs.

Good luck to you!

 

[chickenlover237]

wow! thanks! How bout any info on like how to build an incubator out of things you would find at your house because I dont think my dad will be willing to buy me an incubator. he just said to make one out of a cardboard box and I dont think that would work very well... thanks for any mor info! and thanks for what you have allready provided!

 

[cmom]

Here is a great thread on homemade incubators. I'm sure it will give you a lot of ideas to help you and your Dad to build one.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/chicken-coop-incubator.html