Hatching chicks in an incubator at home

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Chicken rearing is a profitable business that does not require a lot of time and effort if you have the skills. Many farmers use the incubation method. Hatching of chickens has its own characteristics, which will be discussed later.

Suitable Breeds

In the incubator you can grow chickens of many meat and egg breeds. The most popular among farmers are:

1. Brahma chickens.
2. COBB-500.
3. Master Grey.
4. Kuchinsky yellow chicken.

Do not grow Lohman Brown at home. The breeding procedure for this bird is complex.

Loman Brown

A hatched chick cannot inherit the qualities of its parents. This is due to the peculiarity of the selection of the breed. When creating suitable conditions for the content, it will be possible to save only some characteristics.

The breed of chickens is in demand in Russia, as it has taken root in the country. Breeding birds usually buy chicks or hatching eggs sold at genetic poultry farms.

COBB-500

Chickens of this species are in demand because their survival rate is 97%. Such chickens have yellow skin, besides, they quickly gain weight. Farmers slaughter the bird when it is 1 month old. Chicks of this species are hatched according to the standard procedure described in this article.

Incubator

Hatching chicks is only possible with a quality incubator. The device will replace the hen, so it is important that favorable conditions are created in it for hatching chickens at home. Incubator:

• temperature and humidity levels must be stable;
• a certain mode must be supported;
• there must be a mechanism for rearranging or turning the trays.

Automatic appliances are expensive, but much easier to work with. There are mechanical and homemade devices. Each device has its own characteristics of work.

Egg selection

It is necessary to choose suitable eggs from which he althy chicks will hatch. It is important to make sure they come from a he althy chicken. When selecting, you need to consider the following rules:

1. Smell should not be.
2. Optimum weight - 50-60 g.
3. Perfect shape.
4. Egg must have been laid no more than a week ago.
5. No damage.

Washing and wiping eggs should not be done, as this damages the microflora of the shell. A transillumination device - an ovoscope will help to check them for compliance. Thanks to him, it will be possible to checkwhether the yolk and air sac are correctly positioned. The yolk is in the middle or near the blunt edge. The air bag is located near the blunt end. You should not choose an egg whose yolk is close to the shell or the air bag is less than the volume of a teaspoon.

Due to the translucence of eggs during selection and during cultivation, it is possible to determine the pathology of the embryo:

• spots indicate the presence of bacteria;
• lack of transparency confirms the presence of putrefactive bacteria;
• prisushka will be when the shell dries up and the presence of a pungent odor;
• bloody patches give out pathology;
• presence of Krasyuk confirms the presence of a uniform orange structure;
• if the shell membrane is damaged during transillumination, the current will be noticeable.

Egg laying procedure

Chicks will hatch without complications if properly prepared. Before laying the eggs must be placed in a warm room. The egg temperature should be 25 degrees. The incubator during preparation for laying eggs must be cleaned and disinfected. It is advisable to check the incubation mode first. Before laying the temperature should be 36 degrees.

Eggs are placed blunt end up. If the device is automatic, then it is not necessary to control the tilt of the tray, temperature and humidity. With the use of a mechanical apparatus, it is necessary to monitor these characteristics very carefully. Horizontal laying of eggs is also carried out, and then the trays must be rotated 180degrees. Bookmarking preferably in the evening. After 4 hours, medium ones should be laid, and when 4 hours pass, small ones. Then the brood will be uniform.

Incubation

Chicks hatch in 21 days. During the first stage (up to 7 days), important organs appear. During the first 3 days, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 37.8-38 degrees, and humidity - 65-70%. From day 4, the indicators decrease to 37, 5 and 55. If there is no automatic coup, then you need to carry it out up to 3 times a day at the same time.

During the second stage (from 8 to 11 days) the formation of the skeleton, claws, beak takes place. Suitable temperature is 37, 6-37, 8 degrees, and humidity is 35-45%. Flipping is performed in the same way as in the previous step.

With the onset of the third stage (from day 12), the embryo acquires fluff and a stratum corneum on the claws. Suitable temperature is 37.2-37.5 degrees, and humidity is more than 70%. The necessary conditions are created by fans. Chicks should be checked with an ovoscope. The circulatory system should be visible. On days 19-20, the eggs are turned over, leaving space, then this is not necessary.

How do chicks hatch? The chicks break the air bag, and then the shell. They take in the air, they make a squeak. Then their eyes open. The birds are released from the egg. Chicks after hatching are placed under a hen or in a brooder. This is how chicks hatch in an incubator.

Inspection of chicks

Egg breeds should be inspected after 6 hours, andmeat after 10. Chicks have the following characteristics:

• closing cord, no blood;
• shine and softness;
• no cloudy eyes;
• hard beak;
• wings close to the body;
• activity, reaction to noise.

If it is important to know the sex of a bird, you can use simple methods:

1. When taking the chick by the scruff or paws, the cockerels hang quietly, and the hens raise their paws or pull their heads.
2. During incubation, the hens are the first to emerge.
3. Chickens have alternating long feathers with short feathers, while roosters are all the same.

You can determine the sex by the egg:

• The presence of bumps and a ring during probing indicates a hatching rooster.
• When translucent with an ovoscope, the air sac in the male is in the middle.

Care

After hatching, chicks need to be carefully monitored for their condition, especially during the first week of life. For several days the chicks are kept in a box.

During the week, you need to follow simple rules:

1. 24/7 lighting needs to be provided.
2. The temperature should be 30 degrees, and after 5 days it can be reduced to 28.
3. The box must be kept clean. At the bottom you need to lay paper or soft material, which should be changed every day. After 5 days, the chicks should be transferred to cages that have a fine-mesh floor and a litter shield.
4. Seatingabout 30 heads per 1 sq. m - so the chicks will be more comfortable. Space increase required from 4 weeks.
5. Feeding after 12 hours. The first meal should be corn grits. Then you can give other food - semolina, wheat groats, as well as dairy products. From day 3 you need to give greens. The grass must be treated with boiling water, crushed, mixed with cereals. Feeding for 7 days is done after 3 hours.
6. Drinking water should always be clean. In the first hours they give a glucose solution, and from the second day - yogurt.

If you follow these simple rules, he althy chicks will be born. It is important to correctly perform all the stages of raising chicks, because only then will they be he althy. Chickens are suitable for meat and eggs. Raising birds in an incubator will bring a lot of income if you do it well.