Hatching chicks first time questions!

[KahlanAmnell]

We are hatching chicks with a plan to keep any hens, but I have a few questions, apologies if they are really daft we are just learning!

How long do you have between when they are laid until they are set in incubator - is here an optimum time?

Is the day you set them day 0 or day 1?

Finally, we are planning to make a brooder from a plastic tub with an ecoglow in it - does anyone have pics of a similar setup they could share please? Not sure what tub is best.

Thank you

[Scarlet]

I wouldn't store them for longer than 7 days, store pointy end down and make sure they are moved several times a day. (I tilt my box slightly and then tilt the other side)
I start with day 1.
Not sure how you are going to make a brooder out of a plastic tub? The floor needs to be quite "grippy" so that they don't have splayed leg problems...and I don't know what an eco glow is either?
Have you got pics of what you were thinking of using?

[muddled]

I only ever hatch under broodies I'm afraid,

What are you going to do with your cockerels?

[Scarlet]

What eggs will you be setting?
Do you realise that you may not be able to tell if they are boys or girls until they are 3/4 months old and as a rule of thumb you can expect at least 2+boys to every girl? I set 10 eggs once, one didn't come, I had 8 boys and 1 girl. Hatching your own isn't a cheap option. Its much cheaper to buy in some young hens.

[Guest]

Hatching is not for the faint hearted. Scarlet has touched on this but there are so many factors to hatching your own eggs. How the parents were raised, their blood lines, breed etc thus hopefully making for strong hatching chicks. Not always the case. If they are weak you get erratic hatching times and as a newbie it is horrible watching wondering if it is right. Some chicks can hatch from chipping the egg to fully hatched in 20 mins others can take 12 hours. By all means have a go but you might find it changes your outlook where chickens are involved.

[Guest]

Sorry my last post wasn't very helpful. Here you go

How long do you have between when they are laid until they are set in incubator - is here an optimum time?

Ideally eggs should be no more than five days old, so seven days old at most kept in a cool place with their points down and the freshest egg should have been allowed to rest 24 hours before incubating.
Where are you getting your eggs from?

Is the day you set them day 0 or day 1?

day 0

Finally, we are planning to make a brooder from a plastic tub with an ecoglow in it - does anyone have pics of a similar setup they could share please? Not sure what tub is best.

Are you sorted for an incubator? This is just a brooder for once they have hatched. Some incubators will also act as the brooder aswell. Anyhoo, brooder - do you mean this sort of thing SMALL POULTRY BROODER FOR DUCKS/QUAILS CHICKENS COMPLETE PACK AFTER INCUBATOR | eBay I have a similar setup but use newspaper and woodshavings which I change daily. You can get condensation issues over time, usually around the stage they are flighty but not ready to go outside - typically.

I hope this helps

[Scarlet]

This is just a brooder for once they have hatchedSMALL POULTRY BROODER FOR DUCKS/QUAILS CHICKENS COMPLETE PACK AFTER INCUBATOR | eBay I have a similar setup but use newspaper and woodshavings which I change daily. You can get condensation issues over time, usually around the stage they are flighty but not ready to go outside - typically.

How many chicks do you fit in those? What age do you move them into different premises it doesn't look tall enough to last for long.
I use a heat lamp and a wooden surround.

[Guest]

How many chicks do you fit in those? What age do you move them into different premises it doesn't look tall enough to last for long.
I use a heat lamp and a wooden surround.

Well spotted, mine are taller than that with a split/folding lid. As for details for me it varies from brood to brood unfortunately but if I was advising someone it would be up to 10 chicks for 7-14 days before splitting or finding other accommodation. And guess what...............I have a pic too sorry its a bit blurry tho

[Scarlet]

I use a corti for incubating large numbers. Keep them in it for a few days as it doubles as a brooder and then move them into outside housing with a heat lamp overhead on a chain.
CORTI 25 MANUAL INCUBATOR *FREE DELIVERY* (Incubators)

[Zelenina]

Are they baby Norfolk Greys, Norfolkgrey?

[Guest]

Are they baby Norfolk Greys, Norfolkgrey?

I wondered before posting if someone was going to ask what breed and typically I can't remember , but they aren't norfolk greys. I think they are some old english game I hatched for my Dad

Here you go - some lil norfolk greys with a broody

[Bill HH]

As a child I used to hatch pheasant eggs under broody hens, the nest had a three inch grass turf at the bottom to provide humidity.The hens often ate the chicks unfortunately.
Commercialy we hatched 5000 chicks a week in large walk in incubators, I don't remember getting much less than 50:50 cock to hen ratio.The hatching eggs were stored for up to 14 days prior to incubation.

[Zelenina]

Yeah, with big numbers I'd expect a 50:50 ratio, but with small numbers it's more of a lottery. You can be lucky or unlucky. But I guess people remember better the times when they were unlucky. And even 50% cocks is far too many unless you're planning to eat them.

[kathyd]

It's the idea of hatching your own isn't it? It seems so romantic and exciting, and I have to be honest, it's definitely very cute and fascinating to watch . However... the first time we hatched I used fertile eggs from someone else, and gave all the chicks back to her at 8 weeks so I knew I wouldn't have a problem with too many cockerels. Last year I bought 6 fertile eggs from her because I didn't have a cockerel, and decided I'd keep 2 girls and a boy to add to my existing flock. Suffice it to say my flock's increased by 1 girl and 2 boys... * sigh *. I can't face eating my own birds, and didn't even want to give them away to someone else to eat unless I got desperate. I managed to re-home 3 cockerels, but struggled with the final one. I'm not planning on hatching any more because I know I won't be able to harden my heart and give them all away to someone's freezer, so the best I can hope for is to find someone else who's willing to hatch 'my' fertile eggs, give me back a couple of hens, and keep the cocks for themselves! Hah, chances of that?? But it was a truly lovely experience, it has to be said, and if you can cope with the cockerel problems and don't mind finding the odd dead chick etc, I can see why you're tempted .

[Scarlet]

Yeah, with big numbers I'd expect a 50:50 ratio, but with small numbers it's more of a lottery. You can be lucky or unlucky. But I guess people remember better the times when they were unlucky. And even 50% cocks is far too many unless you're planning to eat them.

We eat them so they don't go to waste but I can honestly say I've never had a hatch with 50:50 always boy heavy
Though, that said when hatching turkeys it's best to have the boys as they are much bigger for the table. So there's swings and rounds abouts .