10 Reasons to Hatch Baby Chicks

baby chicks are one option when choosing your first chickens

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Is hatching baby chicks right for you? Do you want to find a project for your kids to do at home during the coronavirus quarantine? Check out these 10 reasons to incubate chicken eggs and hatch your own baby chicks as an indoor activity for kids.

1. Teach Kids Biology or Science

The process of hatching chicken eggs introduces children to the reproduction process.

2. Teach Responsibility

The steps taken to care for eggs as they incubate teaches children responsibility. If the child will be carring for the chicks after they hatch the lessons in responsibility continue after the hatch ends.

3. Teach How to Deal with Disappointment

A hatch does not always end with every egg producing a chick. This provides an opportunity to speak to a child about how to deal with disappointment.

4. Learn about Candling Eggs

I compare candling eggs to a human ultrasound. Candling offers a look at the different stages of a chicks development as it grow inside the egg.

5. Entertainment

Baby chick antics bring old fashioned entertainment into a home simply by watching them. Holding a baby chick puts a smile on child’s face.

6. Provide Emotional Support

Baby chicks as a pet give a child an animal to cuddle and feel connected with in our current world crisis.

7. Connect with a Child and Instill Confidence

Sharing the process of hatching chicken eggs with a child brings about an occasion to talk with a child, explaining the process and anticipate the end result. You will be doing a project with them. I suggest involving them in the work as much as they are able. They will develop a sense of confideance.

8. Save Money on Baby Chick Prices

Did you plan to purchase baby chicks anyway? Hatching eggs offer a cheaper option to adding a rare breed to your flock.

The idea that hatching your own chicks will save you money depends on the price you would pay for chicks, the price of the hatching eggs, and how many chicks you hatch. I share additional details in the course Chick Hatching Practices. If you are new to chick hatching, consider checking out this course that offers guidance for chicken egg hatching.

Purchase now and receive the E-book, Plan Your Hatch as a bonus.

The course content is already available with additional videos, resources, and printables to be added soon. Begin today!

9. Give Expectation and Excitement during new Stay at Home Routine.

Children face a disruption of their routines as have their parents. Waiting for the chicks to hatch, candling the eggs to watch the chicks development brings a new sense of excitement. Looking forward to chicks hatching affords a distraction from all that is not happening right now. This works on adults too, or it certainly does for me.

10. Income

Sell the chicks if you are not able to keep them. If you live in a place where chickens are not allowed, connect with a homesteader or farm who would be interested in adding the chicks to their flock. You may be able to keep them for a few weeks before selling them.

You may be able to earn back part or all of the expense incurred to hatch the chicks. Either way tracking expenses and income brings another teaching option in math. A hands on lesson sticks with a person beyond book learning.

Bonus:

Teach patience.

Once you set the eggs in an incubator it takes 21 days for a chick to develop and hatch. The process happens and we all must wait for it to do so. No instant gratification to incubating chicken eggs.

Fluffy and Cute

The ways to enjoy the cute chicks abound from watching them interact with each other to holding them in your lap or perch one on your arm.

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March 18, 2020March 23, 2020

Beats that Matter ~ A Chick’s Deformity

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Less Than Perfect

Who longs to read a true story with a good ending instead of Coronavirus posts? If you like animal stories, this one is for you.

In the last couple blog posts, I shared the reasons for and against helping a chick hatch. This week I share a story about a Swedish Flower Hen chick that I did not help hatch, but still it presented a deformity.

It pipped in a bad spot and was positioned in the incubator where I did not even see it had pipped.

Over night it hatched on its own despite not pipping in the best spot.

I felt concern for what I found.

What you are looking at: An area of the abdomen that did not close properly allowing a part of the internal organs to protrude. In my mind, opening the chick up for infection.

Day 1

I know that it had a rough chance ahead of it, but I could not bring myself to cull the little thing.

That spot was squishy when I lightly touched it.

When I lightly pushed on that spot not only did it move, the chick passed a small amount of feces.

I figured I can always cull it later if it becomes as sick as I think it might. I went ahead and moved it to the brooder with the other chicks after it had dried in the incubator.

Day 2

Today the chick seemed to be holding its own. I needed to clean a small amount of poo from its vent that was hardened over it. This is called pasty butt, if you are new to caring for little chicks.

Day 3

Another day of cleaning pasty butt, but the little thing was lively enough, enthusiastic about eating and drinking.

Day 4

My heart ached when I seen all the poop stuck, not only over it’s vent but on its side. Looking at the picture below: All the area that is missing feathers was covered in poop.

Day 5

I felt horrified at the mess I found on day 5. How could this little chick go from a slight pasty 2 days ago to the nasty, gooey, stinky mess I found today? The feces caked all over its rear and the back part of its side.

It smelled bad, like when there is an infection. I debated ending its life right then. Knowing how little chicks peck at everything, I figured the other chicks may injest some of the nasty feces. The potential to make the whole group sick felt like a real possibility.

Yet, that soft heart of mine wanted to give it a chance.

Despite allowing moisture to soak into it, I am sure it hurt a little as I worked to remove the nasty, goopy, crud. The picture below shows how sunk in the chick was. I was thinking it might benefit from antibiotics.

That dark spot directly between the chick’s legs show what that deformity became.

Imagine my joy finding almost no pasty but on Day 6. The little chick wanted to eat and drink as always. It continued to hold its own over the next few days.

Week 1: The chick had not grown a bit during the first week. All the other chicks were 2 times it’s size.

Day 10

Around day 8 or 9 when I seen the protrusion dried up and fell off, I thought, ‘Amazing. Thank you Lord, this little thing may have a chance yet.’
M. Graber

Day 18

Week 2: Over the last week it is obvious the chick is growing, but is about 1/2 the size of the other chicks it hatched with.

The chick pictured at the top is about half the size of the others but it has doubled its mass in the last week. Progress it can live with.

These deformities happen occasionally no matter if a chick is helped during hatching process or not. They do seem to present themselves more often when a chick has been helped out, but certainly not every time.

Hatching chicks presents beauty and painful moments as anytime we care for and raise babies. I think we long for all to be perfect, but that is not the way this world operates.

I am excited I spent the extra time investing into the life of this little chick. Those times I spent a few extra minutes, cleaning the stuck on poop and making sure it had access to heat, food and water. While not a huge time or energy draw for me, it made a difference of life an death to that little chick.

Had I decided to let that chick go and not take the time to deal with its pasty butt, it would have died. That day the sticky poop was smeared all over the rear of the chick, not only would the chick died, the others might have picked up something. I took a risk on the little thing.

How can we take a few minutes out of our day to make a difference in the lives others today, this week, this month as our community feels fear and uncertainty that surrounds all we have heard about Covid-19 or the Coronavirus? Maybe we are being ask to take a risk? Maybe not.

I love the way this chick has pulled through and seems to be growing. It is a feisty thing that manages to wiggle in and get to the feed and water.

Christ and our Human Spiritual Deformities

I see a parallel between the life of this chick and my own. I need help to face my days more often than I don’t. My daily time with Christ provides me with the support I need to get through my struggles.

If you need peace that passes understanding, Christ sits on the throne and none of this caught him by surprise. This is where my daily peace comes from. Let me tell you it has taken me a few hours to get there some days.

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

Read in this blog post about my go to incubator in 2019. I include tips I use with this incubator.

The Janoel 12 incubator with chicks I hatched from Pen # 7.

Click on either picture. Purchase your own.

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March 10, 2020March 10, 2020

5 Reasons to NOT Assist a Hatching Chick

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Last week I shared in a post the 5 Reasons to Help a Chick Hatch (click to read). There are reasons to not give in to that sentimental, nurturing side of us, reasons that make as much sense as do the reasons not to intervene in a chick hatching.

The reasons I share below go into consideration along with the reason to help a chick hatch when I am deciding each case on an individual basis. My hope is that as you read both the pros and cons your decision will be simplified as you choose what works best for you. In this post, I am always referring to eggs that have already pipped.

These eggs were pipped and the broody hen stopped setting on them.
(Naughty broody hen!)

5 Reasons NOT to Help a Chick Hatch

Breed integrity
Survival of the fittest/Natural Selection
Deformities
Unsure how to proceed
Best Use of Time

Breed Integrity

Assisting a chick out of its shell may create a weaker breed over generations. A chick needs strength and stamina to work its way out of the shell. Helping out a weaker chick and using it produce a new generation may impact the strength of a breed over time. I personally have not researched the process, but it makes sense to be that it is a realistic possibility.

There are many factors that go into a chick’s development and hatching some are influenced by the fact we as humans are intervening in the process by using an incubator imitate a broody hen.

Survival of the Fittest? Natural Selection

In the wild the strongest survive through the process of natural selection. When we intervene in the hatching process the natural selection process becomes disrupted. A valid argument points out we are already intervening by using an incubator.

Deformities

There are times a chick is not hatching because there is something wrong with it. Some chicks actually hatch and still have something wrong with them. He development process does not always happen perfectly.

This chick hatched on its own, but the abdomen did not close up properly.

Add to the mix we are hatching chicks away from the natural process of broody hens. We are attempting to recreate the process set in place for reproduction, a broody hen. Temperature, humidity, air flow, and the turning of eggs all needing to be close to perfect if we want perfect results.

This is a process in itself, the knowing of how to properly hatch chicks from eggs. (See the video below)

The fact that the chick who needs assistance may have a deformity and need to be culled keeps some away from helping at all. I understand, one of the first chicks I helped out, I needed to cull a few hours later. I cried. That is a valid reason to choose to leave a chick to nature takes it course. Even if it is natural selection in an incubator.

Unsure How to Proceed

The fear of the unknown stops forward movement in its tracks. Feeling uncertain of how to perform a certain task brings out the procrastination in me more than I want to admit. This lack of knowledge or experience of knowing how to help a chick hatch might be the reason you decided not to try. If this is your only reason, I say give it a try. Look at the process as a way to gain information that you will be putting to use in the future.

Note: This video is not all inclusive of how to assist a hatching chick.

The fact that we are always learning throughout the hatching process is the reason I titled the course on how to hatch chicks, Chick Hatching Practices. It is a practiced skill that continues to teach me and has me asking better questions as I learn.

Best Use of Time

The chick you help out may have problems as I mentioned above. If the chick is savable and has problems, it is going to take even more time to work with it. You will want to make sure it gets a good start in its first few days of life in the brooder.

It may even need to be separated for a period of time to keep other chicks from harming it and to ensure it has access to enough food and water. If it has a handicap of sorts, the chick may have a difficult time fending for its self in a group of chicks.

Have you ever seen the way little chicks boss and push each other around? They are ruthless. So, if you help a chick hatch that is struggling you have created more work. To give the chick a fighting chance you might need to provide feed and water in a separate, second pen. Do you see how the extra time adds up quickly? This may be a reason to not help a chick hatch based on the season of life you are in, your schedule, or lifestyle.

Purchase now and receive the E-book, Plan Your Hatch as a bonus.

The course content is already available with additional videos, resources, and printables to be added soon. Begin today!

Did you see last week’s post of 5 reasons to help a chick hatch? Check it out here: https://www.dontclipmywings.com/5-reasons-to-help-a-chick-hatch/

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March 2, 2020March 10, 2020

5 Reasons to Help a Chick Hatch

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Consider the following scenario, you have researched hatching eggs and incubators, made your purchases, incubated eggs for 21 days. now there is a chick that has pipped the shell, but has made very little progress in the last 24 to 26 hours. Should you help it out?

To be clear I am speaking only of eggs that have pipped through the shell.

5 Reasons to Help a Chick Hatch

The chick has pipped in a bad spot
Last of a bloodline
Limited eggs available
Limited fertility in a rare breed
You know human error played a part

You are Feeing Sentimental About this Chick

Perhaps the little chick has tugged at your heartstrings as you watch its effort to break out of the shell. I know I have felt that pull of desire to come along side in their struggle to make sure the chick lives or has a chance to. Maybe it has been 36 hours since you noticed the egg was pipped. While the chick has tried valiantly to work its way out, it has made only a slight progress. Lets look at 5 reasons why you would help a chick out of its shell.

First, I offer a word of caution that I plan to address further in a future post. If you help a chick out, be prepared for potential deformities. There are several reasons not to help out and only allow the strong chicks to survive. In certain cases, an argument can be made for an exception such as if a hatch temperature or humidity create difficult circumstances for a chick to hatch.

The Chick has Pipped in a Bad Spot

Chicks may not be positioned correctly in the shell. They then pip down toward the pointy end of the shell. Not an optimal way for chicks to hatch. They are supposed to pip nearer the top or rounded part of the egg.

This picture shows a shell that a chick pipped in the bottom part of the shell and still made it out on its own.

When they pip toward the bottom or the pointy tip of the shell a chick has a harder time working its way out.

This picture shows the same egg next to an egg shell that a chick pipped and zipped out of correctly.

One time only there was a chick that pipped at the bottom that I helped out. One of its little legs was up over its head, completely in the wrong spot. I aided the chick by supporting it with props until it could adjust to proper leg use.

Last of a Bloodline

Perhaps one or both of the parents are deceased due to a predator attack or age related death. In this case, I consider the value of continuing a specific blood line.

Limited Eggs Available

There may be limited eggs available from this group or from a certain breed. Perhaps you paid a large sum for the eggs and only 2 eggs are pipped.

Limited Fertility in a Rare Breed

A specific breed may be struggling with fertility or even faced with extinction. If fertile eggs are truly rare, that may be a time to assist a pipped chick with hatching.

You Know Human Error Played a Part

When we incubate eggs we are in part, taking over for the natural course of a broody hen hatching her eggs. Inconsistent, or incorrect air flow, humidity, egg turning, and heat all impact the development of a chick, it’s strength and subsequent hatching. There are times that I have helped a chick hatch knowing that human error created the difficulty to begin with.

These are a few reasons I would help a chick hatch. Do you have additional reasons you would assist a baby chicken out of the shell? If so, please leave a comment below.

Purchase now and receive the E-book, Plan Your Hatch as a bonus.

The course content is already available with additional videos, resources, and printables to be added soon. Begin today!

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