|
Babies are sooooo... cute but, what is not often
taken into the thought process is they grow up to be chickens. What you are going
to do with them should be a first factor in deciding if you are going to hatch. The next should be, Do you have a market,
or is it for personal use? If the answer is personal use, are you raising them for eggs or to butcher? The answer has a lot
to do with what breeds you choose. Breeds like the Buff orpington, Cochin, or leghorn are meaty and fast growing. While breeds
like the Rhode Island Red or the Black Australop are slower growing and are good egg producers. Of course there are other
breeds in both categories. I mention the birds I choose to raise for the various reasons. Choosing an incubator of course is a choice that has to be made, the best ones in my opinion are the forced air ones.
I also reccomend no matter wich type you choose get the automatic turner for it. This will save you a lot of time, because
the eggs should be turned at least three times a day if done without a turner. Tempatures should be kept at about 98 degrees.
Chicks take between 21 and 25 days to hatch.
Be prepared for hatching!
Baby chicks need to be kept at 98 to 100 degrees
until thier wing feathers start to develope. ( Usually about a week.) They will continue to need warmth for a couple of weeks
after but, the light should be placed where they can get out from under it if they feel hot. Give them space to move in and
out of the heat when they feel the need. They should be given fresh water and chick starter on a daily basis. ( they tend
to use thier feed and water for a toilet) Do not use open feeders or waterers the babies will gather up to keep warm and some
will be forced into the water and drown, they will scratch in the food bowl causing a loss of food and a tremendous mess.
Supply the babies with some kind of foot healthy material to walk on. I use a cage with a wire bottom that gives them grip
when they walk and, allows the litter to pass through to a pan below with news paper for easy cleaning. Never use paper for new chicks to walk on . Paper is to smooth and they can not grip thier toes. This can cause splayed
legs and cripple a chick.
Never put chicks of different ages together the larger ones
will peck at and hurt the smaller ones. This is called establishing pecking order and the older chicks will sometimes kill
the smaller ones.
|
