GETTING READY TO HATCH THE EGGS

OVERVIEW

If you have not already read Part 1 TO HATCH OR NOT TO HATCH and Part 2 CHOOSING YOUR FERTILIZED EGG(S) of our Hatching Egg(s) series, you may want to take a quick read before moving on to Part 3.

In Part 3 we look at the best way to hatch the eggs, what you will need to have ready for your fertilized chicken eggs.

GETTING READY FOR YOUR EGGS

The next step once you have decided you are wanting to give hatching ago is to decide how you are going to hatch them.

There are two different ways to hatch eggs:

Brood Hens

There are many broody hens that are very happy to sit on eggs even if they have not laid them. This is a great option as the chicks get to have a natural hen mother to help and encourage them. You can still take an interest in them as long as they are not being handled constantly.

The pros of having a brood hen(s):

Then brood hen will pluck out some of her breast feathers. This is so she can regulate the temperature/humidity in the nest. It is also to be able to give the eggs skin contact.

The brood hen regulates the temperature in the nest as per above point which usually eliminates the need for an incubator/heat/brood lamp. If nothing else this cuts down on electricity costs. Saves on energy especially as we are all striving to go greener in our ways. It is also a more natural way to hatch the egg without artificial lighting, etc.

The hen knows when to turn the eggs to ensure that they are done so correctly and for equal amounts of time. This ensures equal warming of the egg.

Hens generally know if an egg is not going to hatch or is infertile. They will rid the nest of these eggs in order to give the fertile ones a better chance.

When the eggs do hatch they have the mother to encourage them and help them come into the world.

The brood hen, if it is a breed that is also a really good mom, will teach the chicks how to feed and drink.

The mother hen will know when it is right for the chicks to venture out of the coop to teach them to scratch and forage about. She will also teach them about predators and how to groom themselves.

The chicks will be able to be introduced into the flock a lot sooner than ones from a brooder. Especially if the broody coop is next to the normal coop.

You do not have to do all the hard-incubating work the brood hen does it for you.

The cons of having a brood hen(s):

You will have to know when a hen is about to become broody. For a first-time chicken owner or the first time attempting to hatch eggs, you may need some expert advice.

See our article on The Brood hen for some tips on how to determine if a hen is broody or not.

Chicks that are hatched by a brood hen tend to take a lot more time to get to know their humans. Some may turn out harder to tame as hens can be a bit protective of their chicks. So, a person tends to back off and let her raise. Thus, you have less interaction with them from an early age. See our article on Raising a pet chicken for tips and advice on raising chicks.

Chick raised outside in the broody coop or normal flock coop are more susceptible to predators than those hand raised in and inside broody. Some known predators are rats, snakes and hawks. Rats and snakes are likely to get to eggs before the babies have even hatched. There are, of course, precautions to take when setting up your broody coop/run to ensure their safety as best as possible.

There are no guarantees that the brood hen will sit the eggs for the full 21 days or, so it takes to incubate the eggs. This will require your intervention and the need for incubating equipment and a brooder. See our article on Chicken Breeds that make the best brood hens.

Some brood hens are just not good mothers. Even those that are known to make good mothers may have a few exceptions to the rules. Just like people chickens have their own personalities and quirks. See our article on the Chicken Breeds that make the best moms!

Although you can watch for the eggs to hatch you basically take a sideline to the brood hen. There is less interaction by you.

There is not cutting costs as you still need to set up or buy a broody coop as it is not wise to let your sitters sit on eggs in the normal coop. This can cause a lot of problems in the flock. Especially with non-sitters and a brood hen does not need the stress whilst incubating her eggs.

Brood hens can only sit a limited number of eggs:
On average a Bantams can sit a maximum of 6 to 8 eggs per Bantam
On average a Standard and Large breed chickens can only sit 10 to 12 eggs per chicken

Incubator Hatching

As with brood hens there as pros and cons of incubating the eggs yourself. No matter which way you choose to incubate your chicken eggs it is still wise to invest in some good incubating equipment. As anything can happen to or with the brood hen and you will need to use an incubator and broody.
Incubating the eggs also requires a great deal of human intervention.

The pros of incubating your egg(s):

The number of eggs you can hatch is only limited to the size of your incubator. Even the smaller ones can hatch more than a hen can.

As you are the one regulating the incubator there is a lot better hatch rate.

More safety from both the elements and predators

You get to turn the eggs and watch them hatch

You get to raise them from hatchlings through to adults which makes them a lot tamer and easier to handle

Using a brooder/incubator is a great way to teach kids and is an incredible experience for them.

The cons of incubating:

Incubators are not cheap. See our article on Hatching for how to incubate eggs.

Some incubators do not automatically turn the eggs. So, you will have to know when to time turning the eggs just right.

If there is a power failure there is a chance you will lose your whole brood. So, you may want to look into buying a small backup generator that could power just your incubator. You would also have to ensure it is fully charged at all times. And that is an extra expense.

You will need a brooder for the chicks after they have hatched. You can make your own or buy one. This again has costs are you will need a heat/brood lamp. Feeders, waters, etc. See our various articles on creating a brooder, best brooder plans and various DIY articles to help make your own accessories too.

Once they get to 18 weeks old you will need to have a temporary coop/run in order to get the new pullets/cockerels climatized and start to introduce them to your already established flock if you have one.

END OF HATCHING EGG(S) PART 3

Although hatching eggs can be very rewarding and will eventually offer a lot of benefits for you and or your family. It can be costly even if you choose to do a lot of DIY you will still need an incubator and heat lamps/brood lamps.

Before taking the plunge, it is important to work out the costs of hatching the eggs to ensure you are ready to do so.

Part 4 of our Hatching Egg(s) series takes a look at how to hatch eggs with a brood hen or incubator.

If you are new to owning chickens, looking to starting out before making a choice of chicken breed it is best to have a clear vision as to what you are wanting to get out of owning chickens. Are you looking for fresh eggs, a pet, etc? For advice on keeping chickens see our “The first-time chicken owners starter guide”.