Right - first timer on incubating/chicks - any advice?

[eco-mick]

I don't think my Welsummer is broody - but geez she makes "alot" of noise.

Anyhow, this evening have taken the plunge and placed my order for the next gadget for the self suffiencent lifestyle - yup, just invested in a R-Com Sumo incubator I must be mad as I even said on Facebook that this chicken business is some expensive hobby lol. Note for the recorded I only "intended" to place a order for the coop door auto opener and bits and bobs for the birds + egg boxes... but saw the Sumo and started reading, then compared it with the Brinsea Octagon... and though, I quite like that one that looks like a Monorail car

But, as a first timer on the incubating to chick front (the rest I am okay on) is there any gerenal advice that one can give?

In time, what I would love to do, is hatch out the years supply of meat birds for the table as chicken meat "will" become a Luxury food in this house and not resorting to organic chickens from the supermarkers like T***o or asda (as in time I want to cut down on this as much as I can as well)

[darkbrowneggs]

Hi there

There is some info I have put on my site http://www.darkbrowneggs.info about all sorts of hatching and rearing stuff. Why not have a mooch about, and if more questions come up it would be useful to me to know I haven't covered it

All the best
Sue

[eco-mick]

In fact I do have 2 questions:

Before placing this order, I have a suspect thought that the welsummer is broody (but at the not sure stage at the moment) as what she is doing is laying her egg for the day, then she will roll the orpingtons eggs into her "Nest" in the coop - she will sit in the corner for a 2-3 hours and then give up.. Am I thinking she is becoming broody but not quite yet. Or as these hens are all coming into lay I find it odd that 4 hens all lay in the "same" spot :)

Second question that we all have to deal with but not me yet - but what do you do with a dead chick if that issue comes along?

[darkbrowneggs]

Sounds like she is thinking about it.

I might add something to my page Is my hen broody

What I would suggest you do is get some false eggs, or something vaguely egg shaped and remove the eggs she is laying, replacing them with these "dummy" eggs. (If you intend to hatch her eggs put them somewhere temp 50-60 F ish, and turn them each day - if not eat them)

You should find that each day she spends longer and longer on the nest, until eventually she refuses to leave.

Take a look at my page Care of the Broody Hen and if things arent clear I really would be grateful if you tell me. It is so difficult when you know a subject inside out not to forget to mention the (to me) obvious.

Look forward to hearing all the bits I have forgotten to mention

All the best
Sue

[eco-mick]

Again good you mentioned about dummy eggs, as I have infact placed 3 white dummy eggs into the nest boxes (that went on yesterday) but as part of my order I placed with the incubator I did order 2 brown dummy eggs to go with it too :D

[darkbrowneggs]

You mentioned about them all using the same nest box, in fact they like to do that, and what is more they will still get in with your broody girl if she really starts to sit and she will add the eggs they lay to her clutch, which causes endless problems, as she will end up with far too many eggs to cover and unless you have taken steps to mark the eggs she is sitting you won't know which is which.

It is never a good idea to let them sit in the laying house, as they seem to do better somewhere quiet on their own.

One of the uses for dummy eggs is to put in the empty nest boxes to encourage the hens to lay in the place you want them to. If you are leaving the eggs during the day that might be what is encouraging your Welsummer to go broody, as a nice clutch of eggs is a real spur, whereas if they are removed regularly it helps to keep the hen laying. It all depends what you want really

I try to breed the broody gene out of my birds, as if they have gone broody it takes about 2 or 3 weeks to get them back into lay, then they just lay about enough for a good clutch and go broody again. But lots of people like to have them broody, and I must admit there are few things more charming than a broody caring for her chicks

All the best
Sue

[eco-mick]

I didn't mentioned that I've fitted the nest box to the coop until yesterday [woops} I placed a white dummy egg in each of the 3 box sections. Since she is one of the 2 welsummers (dark brown), and the others are orp's (light eggs) I caught her this afternoon moving them over to the corner of the coop (her spot) and this very bird.. makes such a racket in the afternoons lol

But as they only all come into lay within the last 10 days, one or two of the orpingtons just lay outside where either she is standing... I know which one it is (the one with yellow leg tag) so will place her in the box tomorrow for the afternoon :)

Quite an hobby this chicken keeping :D

[darkbrowneggs]

Don't worry - when they first start to lay it takes them by surpise, so often the eggs will be laid anywhere, even from the perches at night. But they soon get the hang of it and will go into the nest boxes to lay, especially if they can see and egg (or dummy egg) in there already.]

If you don't want them to go broody take care to collect the eggs regularly, as a hen with broody propensities will be encouraged to brood by a nice nest full of eggs.

Did the info on my site make good sense?

all the best
Sue

[bonniethomas06]

Hi Sue,

Just spent ages on your site, really really helpful advice. I think I just about followed your instructions when incubating my duck eggs, but we are now on day 24 and when I candle it all I get is a bit of a cloud, which moves about, so I think something went very wrong

But thanks, very useful site and when I have space in my henhouse again I will try some Marans for a change.

[darkbrowneggs]

Hi Sue,

Just spent ages on your site, really really helpful advice. I think I just about followed your instructions when incubating my duck eggs, but we are now on day 24 and when I candle it all I get is a bit of a cloud, which moves about, so I think something went very wrong

But thanks, very useful site and when I have space in my henhouse again I will try some Marans for a change.

Yes - I think they sound a definite no-go. By this time you should clearly see the air sac, and probably even the beak. I must put some info about candling and what to look for.

What many people don't realize is that you can "over-candle" and damage the embryo especially their eyes, but anything "swishing about" at this late stage tells me they are addled

If anyone has any comments about what is missing from the info I have put on my site please - I would be delighted - let me know. When I started the site it was for people hatching Marans. But I can see some more general info may be useful

All the best
Sue

[darkbrowneggs]

In fact I do have 2 questions:

Before placing this order, I have a suspect thought that the welsummer is broody (but at the not sure stage at the moment) as what she is doing is laying her egg for the day, then she will roll the orpingtons eggs into her "Nest" in the coop - she will sit in the corner for a 2-3 hours and then give up.. Am I thinking she is becoming broody but not quite yet. Or as these hens are all coming into lay I find it odd that 4 hens all lay in the "same" spot :)

Second question that we all have to deal with but not me yet - but what do you do with a dead chick if that issue comes along?

Hi - I posted your question about dead chicks here

http://www.thepoultrygarden.com/phpbb/v ... 4&start=15

Which might give you some info

all the best
Sue

whooops - I thought I had PM'd you , Hope its alright posting a link to another forum if not - Please Mods Remove