Complete newbie - any advice?

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone

I'm completely new to chicken keeping and after any advice you can offer. My other half came home on Monday with 4 fertilised eggs he'd been given! We've always wanted to hatch some eggs and have pet chickens but I wasn't prepared at all for him to just come home one day with some eggs! :roll:

I've been undecided about whether we should hatch these eggs or not as I was concerned over the chickens housing once bigger and about any cockerels we may hatch as there's no chance we could keep them here (to say I was very unprepared is an understatement!). After many phone calls and decision making I've now found a fantastic farm home for ALL cockerels that may hatch, I've got a coop and run sorted, and I've got a brooder sorted.

I'm just about to buy an incubator online, and then just need a heat lamp for when the chicks hatch (plus the food and water containers but they are easy enough to pick up).

I'm not sure if the eggs are going to be any good once the incubator arrives as they were laid last Monday, how long do they stay fertile for?

I've been doing plenty of research but would love any tips/hints/advice you guys can pass on, personal experience is invaluable.

Many thanks, Ria

 

[Davidd]

Hello and welcome
the eggs should still be ok, keep them cool -but not in the fridge, and turn them daily until your incy arrives- with only 4 eggs you may not get many hatch- depends on how many are fertile and how many make it out- what kind of incy are you thinking of getting? automatic? or manual turn?
just do as much reading/ internet trawling as possible- and ask as many questions as you can on here of course
good luck,
regards, David

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks David. I think I'm going to get the Covatutto 7 as I dont want a massive one, and I dont want to shell out too much on one that is only going to be used a handful of times.

I've kept the eggs on the side in the kitchen so far but I haven't been turning them, will this be a problem? We've had them 6 days now. I'm hoping the incubator will arrive Wed or Thurs so the eggs wont go in until Thurs/Fri. I realise that 4 eggs isn't a lot and I'm wondering whether to get some new ones (7 to fill the incy) seeing that these ones have been around so long and there's only 4, what do you think?

With regards to the brooder, what should I put down on the bottom for bedding type material? I've seen that I will need slipmats and guess that will be for entire floor space? How long do the chicks need to have the heat lamp for?

 

[Davidd]

Hello, covatutto 7 is ok- just need to turn eggs- if your around most of the day that's no problem- have you looked at the Brinsea mini- an automatic one is about £90 but it does everything for you- and is digital - it's a better buy if your budget can stretch to it- i would perhaps get another 6 eggs then you will have a better chance of some chicks
They need heat for six weeks at least- if the weather is very warm you can get away with less but they need a secure/dry/draught free house at night. I wouls use anti slip mats for a day or two- once they are steady on their legs and eating /drinking well then i use wood shavings- they peck at it but wont eat too much if they know what their food is- chick crumbs
regards, David

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks again David.

I'll have a look into the Brinsea one, I really must purchase one by tomorrow though so its here next week. Manual turning isnt a problem for me as I'm home during the day.

With regards to their feeding, what sort of feeders do you use whilst they are in the brooder? Is there a smaller version of the big round ones, or are the long thin ones better? And the water, I've read about the possibility of drowning, how is best to avoid this?

Do they need anything else in the brooder? Heat, food, water, bedding???

 

[Davidd]

Hello, you can get little plastic chick drinkers, they cant drown in those- quite cheap and do the job well- once they are a day old and fluffed up -and in the brooder - I normally dip their beaks in the water so they know where it is- as for feeders- the first day or two i normally just put he crumbs on a small plate as they instinctively peck at anything- again, just drop some in front of them and they should peck at it - then, after a few days i put the crumb in a little plastic feeder- a round one, but you can use any you can get hold of.
regards, David

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all your help David. We spoke to some very knowledgeable people today and we've now decided to get some young chicks instead of incubating our own. Hopefully we'll have some in the next week or two.