Hatching

Well, I think I will fire up the incubator that was given to me, just to see if it will work when I get serious about hatching. A few of my brood hens have layed a few eggs so, I will test them. I have only used an incubator once before and that was about 15 years ago. I understand from some of the game chicken people that if you hatch 80% this is good. Let me know what you usually hatch percentage wise.

I set 17 eggs from various brood pens in the incubator 3 days ago. This is a trial run but, I'll take anything that hatches. I noticed that the site has been up and down. I am not much of computer bug and don't understand exactly what server does. What can go wrong. I guess, just about anything. I do hope this incubator thing works out for me. I am now really anxious to order eggs snd show some new blood on the yard. Just thought I would update you on the incubator deal. My humidity seems to be fluctuating a bit. This is a still air incubator so, I guess I shouldn't expect too much.

I marked my first five eggs over the last 2 days - it's a little early to be hoping this, but I was hoping to get 48 eggs in 10 days so I can fill my 'bator. I have a new Brower Top Hatch 'bator (well new to me - I bought it used but it was only used once). I've got so far in eggs: 1 silver ginger, 2 birchen, 1 fawn silver duckwing, and 1 from my new line of quails. I expect more today. I haven't hatched anything since August of last year, and that was with a broody hen. I don't let any hens set anymore after August because I found that the cold weather stunts the growth of the chicks. I think this might be because they have to put too much energy into growing feathers and staying warm. Before last August, I had eggs either in the 'bator or under a hen at all times since Spring of 2000. My hatch rates haven't been great - I didn't figure an average on them, but my first eggs were bought and shipped, so I wasn't surprised to have a low hatch rate on those. When I started getting eggs from my own hens the hatch rate was better, but the best rate has been when letting my hens hatch the eggs for me. Some of those hens have hatched 100 percent of the eggs! I've had two hens start laying just the other day finally. All the other eggs laid this year have been pullet eggs. Things are getting exciting this time of year.

If this incubator doesn't work too well, I guess I'll have to spend somemore $ and get a better one or let the little hens set. How many do they usually set on with no trouble(I guess maybe 11) and do you take them away from her once they get a pretty good start and put them in brooder? I know they learn to take care of themselves better when they are raised by the hen.

I like letting my hens raise their chicks all the way to adulthood if they will, both for me and for the hens' and chicks' sakes. There is nothing as enjoyable as watching the caring and protective mother hen teach her chicks all of what to do to survive as a chicken in the natural world. This is especially great if one can let them out to roam without worrying too much about predators and such. When hens are getting ready to hatch chicks, they produce antibodies to anything they've been exposed to in the immediate environment. They pass these antibodies on in their manure so that when the chicks scratch and peck they will pick up the antibodies from the dirt. Sometimes the hens will even pass manure, seemingly deliberately, into the feed dish where the chicks will be sure to get into it. I leave the pen with hen and chicks alone until the chicks are at least 6 weeks old so that they hen can pass as many antibodies on to the chicks as possible. I know this sounds gross, but they never do get sick and they do much better all their lives it seems than those raised in the brooder. I found out, though, that if the weather is too cold at the time of hatch, the chicks can have a hard time, and their growth gets stunted - sometimes permanently. For this reason I only let hens hatch their broods between the months of April and August.

The most chicks I've ever had hatch under an Old English Game banty hen is nine. Cochins and larger hens could probably hatch more, but usually 9 is all I leave with them. They will hatch any and all kinds of eggs that you want to give them and raise the chicks as their own.

Usually my hens have begun a separation process from their chicks at about age 2-3 months where they farther and farther away from the chicks for longer and longer periods of time. This sometimes develops into them taking the chicks to a whole different area of the yard, or even to the neighbors yard, and leaving them there to fend for themselves and find their own ways home. Usually by then they are almost as big as the hen.

There you go, once again I learn something new about chickens. I had no idea that the hen provided antibodies to their chicks through their manure. There I was cleaning their cages, feeders and waterers as much as possible. I know you still have to clean their waterers but the rest you just let be for six weeks. Makes since, because it also doesn't disturb the mother hen by upseting the apple cart so to speak. Mother hen sometimes by accident hurts chicks, even kills chicks when upset. Thanks again Jos.

Sure. This is one of my favorite topics as you can probably tell. It's nice to be able to write about setting hens and hatching chicks without getting an argument going with those who believe in using only incubators. The horror stories I hear about what happens when hens hatch chicks just haven't happened with mine yet in any considerable number. My best banty mother hen, Missy, was on the nest night before last, but I picked her up and put her back on her perch. I wasn't ready to have her setting yet. She's still got all 6 of her last batch of chicks from last August with her. They all need pens before she can set. I do have eggs for her when her house is ready. Here's a picture of her with some chicks she hatched Spring 2001: Jos

Thanks for the pic Jos. The man that we got our game fowl blood from used to do the same thing. He might have 30 or 40 chicks with one hen. them not being all of her chicks but she would raise them just the same. I may keep a couple of game hens other than the mean one that I have especially for raising chicks.

Jos, let me see if I have the incubator procedure straight. Please coreect me if I am incorrect. Thursday of this week will be three days untill hatch time. I will transfer my eggs into another incubator that I just acquired and have tested. At this time the turner has been taken out. I will fill the water resivoir that seems to be there just for hatching. Humidity should be increased to 65%. I will also pull the plug from the top of the bator. I have partitions for the different varieties. Is there anything else you can think of that I haven't mentioned. If so please respond. Thanks Paul.

Hi Paul. It sounds like you have your plans well made for hatching a good batch of chicks. I'm not too up on the humidity because I haven't had a hygrometer or a way to balance the humidity up to now. Need to do so for the next hatch. Hope you hatch a bunch of nice chicks this weekend :)

Thanks Jos for the encouragement. Evidently I have followed the right steps. Two days away from hatching and I don't see anyeggs moving yet. I don't know if this is normal or not. Good luck with yours also. I will let you know how well or not, I do.

They should start rocking by the 20th day or so. Sometimes they will be late, but mine usually start going off on the 19th day.

Bad news Jos, I hatched 3 only and 1 of the three is cripple. I checked those that did not hatch and they all were formed chicks except 1. I guess the fluctuation did not help, I ain't giving up though I have another 23 in the bator now and they are in the house. If I don't do any better on this run then I will give it up. Just thought I would let you know this bit of bad news. I feel lousy.

Jos, what would make chicks hatch 3 days early? You know I had 2 hatch at 19 days on this last batch! Is it too much heat at one time or another or just the eggs?(Paul)

19 days isn't all that early. The normal time is between 18 and 21 days. My past hatches in my plywood 'bator have mostly all begun at 19 days. I'm a nervous wreck now watching these eggs here in my Brower Top Hatch (first run), because day 19 began at 3 a.m. this morning. So we're not even to day 20 yet and I'm expecting something to happen. One pipped early at an hour before 18 full days, and it hasn't done any more yet. I don't know if it will. Anyways, maybe it is a little too much heat that would make them hatch at 19 days, but it's no emergency. It could be the eggs, too, as I've often had the OEGB eggs hatch at 19 days under several different hens outside. Jos

Thanks Jos, I sure can't figure out why they are full developed in the egg but are not piping and yet some of them are.(Paul)

Well Bator king I am not! 3 out of 23 good eggs. The 20 that did not hatch all had fully developed chicks. In fact 2 of the piped but never finished. Sorry but there will be no more incubating on my yard. I finally got a game hen srting and I have 15 eggs under her. I am looking to do 95 to 100% here! Just thought I would let you know the outcome. Just a little biy better than your last batch huh.

Well, Paul, that's too bad. I'm sorry about your hatch. At least there wasn't only one that hatched. That seems like it would be the worst thing because the little thing would be so lonely with no companions to keep him moving. Brooding 3 chicks is almost as much work as brooding more, but oh well, par for the course. I wanted to let you know that Missy my brown red hen hatched 7 chicks on April 2nd. I just got to see them yesterday. The two unhatched were barely alive in the shell so I peeled them and put them in the 'bator to warm up. One looks like he might be okay once he finally got his neck straightened out last night. It's amazing they were still alive after two days fully developed and even dry and fluffed out in the shell. I'll put the one back with his mom and siblings when he gets a little more perky. I candled two days ago on the second setting in that 'bator, and 43 of 48 candled real good with no doubt about any of them. If they all hatch, it would almost double my record hatch to date. I'm worried now about pen space, and I had plans and had even begun colleting eggs for the next batch. If all the ones in there now hatch, I'm going to have to be extremely selective on what to hatch for the rest of the year. There's a chick auction in 3 weeks at the show, so I might have to take some of them down there to donate.

Jos it's great to hear you are now doing so well with the new bator and thermometer. Well my luck seems to be changing a little, as 2 of my OE hens have gotten broody and one is actually setting on 7 eggs. The other is acting weird.

Wow, congratulations on the hen setting!!! Plus I want to announce that 42 of my 43 made it to the hatcher (my old plywood incubator), 24 have hatched, and more are hatching. It looks like mostly all of them will hatch today. I'm a little in shock because I've never had this many hatch. Plus I have another 48 in the Brower in case very many didn't hatch which isn't the case. Looks like I'll have my numbers way back up higher than they were before I got rid of as many birds as I could part with all last year. A lot of chicks !!! Among them are some special ones - first generation silver gingers and some homemade birchens to name a couple.

Update on the hatch - there are 31 nice chicks out of the 42 I thought would hatch. Two blues died in the shell after pipping, one ginger hatched with an abnormal umbilical cord and is not expected to live, and eight eggs never pipped. I think my humidity was a little too high this time due to the tight seal on the Brower top hatch. I'm running this next round starting with 2 vent plugs open, 3 open at 7 days, and all four open at 10 days until moving to the hatcher at 15 days this time I think. Last time I moved them at 16 days, and they seemed to already be getting in place for their pipping work. Anyways, it was a good hatch altogether although I'd rather have seen them do better after being placed in the hatcher. Jos