Hatching eggs the natural way
You can become easily self-sufficient in eggs if you have. Hatching your own eggs brings it the next level. Adding more birds to your flock enables you to sell or barter with your excess eggs. You can also raise some birds for meat without cutting off your egg supply line. Below is a rough guide in how to hatch chicken eggs the natural way.
- Chicken eggs should take about 21 days to hatch. If you want to do it the natural way you will need a broody hen. They are easy enough to spot. Look out for hens that stay in the same place for most of the day and night only leaving for a quick bit to eat or drink. They will get a little territorial and may try to peck you. Sometimes they will remove some feathers on their underside. This behavior enables more heat to get through to the eggs.
- Some breeds have a higher tendency to be broody than others. In general you will find that high egg layers can be less broody. Check out the breed before you buy.
- It's best to move your hen to a separate location. Other hens can sometimes attack the chicks or eggs.
- Find a safe and quiet spot with adequate bedding for the hen to lay. If necessary build a nest for the hen.
- Provide food and water. Try to keep the water a little away from the hen incase she spills it onto her nest.
- Between 8-10 eggs is a good amount to put under the hen. Some larger breeds can take a lot more. However the more you add the lower the hatch rate will become. Best to play it safe in my opinion!
- You may need a few days to get enough eggs for a full clutch. If so you can store the eggs in a egg box. It needs to be kept cool - about 10-15°C. A week to 10 days is the recommended safe storage limit.
- Make sure you take eggs from hens who look friendly with the cockerel. Choose undamaged and clean medium sized eggs for the best results.
- Don't wash your eggs. It can allow germs to penetrate the egg.
- Placing the eggs under the hen in one go. If you do two today, four the day after etc.. you will have chicks hatching at different times and days. You will risk the hen leaving the nest and could lose some of the late hatchers.
- Don't move or interfere with the eggs. The hen will do that naturally throughout the process.
- Once they start hatching do not handle the wet new born chicks. Wait until they have dried off and always wash your hands before. It's best to leave the chicks with the hen.
- If after a couple of days all have hatched bar one or two eggs chances are the eggs are bad or infertile.
- You will not have to feed the chicks for the first 2 or 3 days as they have enough food from the yolk in their egg. Provide chick starter feed after that.
- Chicks sometimes have a mad desire to immerse themselves in water for the first week or so. This means they are in danger of drowning if the water is too deep. You can get special chick waterers or you can try a more self sufficient method. Get a shallow plastic tray and fill with pebbles and water. The chicks will be able to dip their beaks between the pebbles.
- Provide grit for the chicks. This helps them digest their food.
- After about 6 weeks the hen will start to lose interest in her chicks. Once this happen you can put her back with the main flock.
- Some people put the chicks back at the same time. Others worry about chicks being attacked by the hens. If you are worried don't put the chicks with the main flock until they are big enough to stand up for themselves.
