hatching chicks

[PHILMT]

my daughter got given a little incubator for her birthday and is keen on getting some eggs in it.  we have had chickens for over a year but never hatched our own.  i have read the info that came with the incubator but i cant find much about what to do after they hatch. i know we will need a brooder and heat lamp but not sure how long to leave chicks in incubator after hatching and when to put them in brooder and about food and water ect.... any help would br good.. thank you x

[PHILMT]

[teresa]

I wrote this on a previous thread saves me doing it again but gives you some idea.
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,44097.0.html
Do try to get a candler to watch the growth inside the egg realy wonderfull.

[PHILMT]

Thank you very much - The thread you linked to was started by my daughter - she said she forgot about it!   - just shows its not very often the computer is free for me to use nowadays with all the kids taking over my life ha ha!!  I will give her a talking to for not thanking you all for the good advice ha ha.. I suppose if i wasn't so lazy i could have scrolled down and spotted it though.. Thank you again.

We have ordered a candler today and getting excited now!

[teresa]

Oh small world, I just copied it saves me typing it out, I have got photos of candling somewhere will find them it makes it more interesting if you know what your looking for ha ha.
I love the candler you can dispose of infertile eggs before they explode and damage ( contamanate) the rest. You can check them growing and of course dieing on route to the 21st day.
But thats life not all make it but the ones that do make it all worth while the excitement of them pipping to breaking out of the shell and the hours they take to recover. I does take it out of them but 24 hrs later there running around and cheeping and your mother hen to them.
You can tell I love hatching, its a great hobby, and 21 days to create life that is something.

[waitingforland]

PHILMT I do hope you get to incubate some eggs!
I bought a little manual incy a couple of weeks ago and filled it with eggs, i have been turning them religiously and keeping a chart, it's so exciting. If i have done it all right i should have hatching chicks next Friday!!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D
Big kid aren't i?

[PHILMT]

Hiya .Ye we have put 6 eggs in - it only a little incubator (12 eggs Max).  its very hard to believe they will only take 3 weeks!!. Got candler in post this morning so might try it out later. My daughter as wanted an incubator for ages but i was always a bit worried - i am still a bit. i think I'm most worried that we end up with lots of cockerels!!  I bought a ceramic heat lamp yesterday and have a old bird cage that we are going to use once they have hatched . very excited x

[waitingforland]

Any news on your eggs?
Have they hatched yet?

[ACE]

I used to incubate them years ago in a parafin incubator, over 200 eggs at a time. Mostly ducks but I would sometimes do a batch of chickens. I was lucky that it had a handle on the side and when turned it rotated the eggs inside.  I built a brooder made of straw bales and the heat was provided with earthenware  flowerpots used as shades over 100 watt lightbulbs. These were very  low to the ground so as to stop the chicks getting underneath. If a bulb blew the flowerpot acted like a storage heater until the bulb was replaced.

When I look back this was such a recipe for a disastrous fire, I must have been very lucky as I used the system for over 5 years with no problems and I suppose I had a 75% success rate. The ducks were khaki cambells and I use to sell the lot within 3 days of hatching unsexed 10 bob a time and the chicks went at  half a crown.

[PHILMT]

We didint have any look with first batch.  we candled them but no development - we waited antoher week and checked again and still nothing.  We will try again though - just waiting for some fertile eggs

[teresa]

A old way to check if eggs are fertile is to take a needle ( sewing) and cotten and hold over the egg.
If it swings around in a circle is fertile if it does not move its not. ;)
Also when a chick is hatched say day or so old hold said needle and cotten over it.
A circle movement its a girl straight a boy. ;D
It works for me? how I dont know but its a bit of fun in our family to see if mum gets it right. ha ha. ::)

[waitingforland]

A old way to check if eggs are fertile is to take a needle ( sewing) and cotten and hold over the egg.
If it swings around in a circle is fertile if it does not move its not. ;)
Also when a chick is hatched say day or so old hold said needle and cotten over it.
A circle movement its a girl straight a boy. ;D
It works for me? how I dont know but its a bit of fun in our family to see if mum gets it right. ha ha. ::)

My Mom always did this whenever someone was expecting a baby, she's done hundreds and had 100% right. Don't know how it works either but i wouldn't doubt her predictions.

[labrat]

I have to say I've used those string and needle (or medallion or whatever) techniques in the past and it is random. I kept a log book for years and I still got loads of cockerels that I didn't want.