Chicks Archives - A Country Girl's Heart -Beats that Matter

April 17, 2020April 17, 2020

Hatching Baby Chicks

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Do you know what you need to hatch your own baby chicks? If not, read on. If items you will need may be obvious, may I encourage you to give thought to a few details when preparing to incubate chicken eggs.

4 Items to Hatch Baby Chicks

Hatching Eggs
Egg Candler
Incubator
Brooder (for chicks after they hatch)

Hatching Eggs

Yes, to hatch chicks you need hatching eggs. I am sure you all are aware. Let’s consider, for a minute, where you will get chicken eggs.

4 Places to Obtain Fertile Hatching Eggs

Hatcheries
Private Breeders
Local Private Breeders
From your own Chickens

Hatcheries

Commercial operations often offer many different breeds to choose from, both hatching eggs and chicks. If you are looking for a variety to hatch, here is where you often get the most choices. Sometimes the quality of the breed may not be top notch as hatcheries often go for quantity over quality. If you are not planning to show your birds, or breed your birds to a breed standard and want a pretty back yard flock, consider this option.

Private Breeders

Private breeders offer a smaller selection of breeds., but there may be several to choose from. Another option is ordering from different smaller breeders. This can be coordinated so that the hatching eggs arrive at the same time.

Local Private Breeders

If you find a local private breeder producing the breed of chicken you are looking for, you will not have to have your eggs shipped. This should potentially should increase the number of chicks hatched. Shipping hatching eggs can reduce the viability. The local breeder hopefully will package the eggs similar to if they were shipping them. Even a car ride can cause the eggs to be shaken up a bit.

From your own chickens

If you have a rooster, most likely you will have fertile eggs, needed to hatch chicken eggs. It is possible for a rooster to be infertile, but if so, you have the option to find a different rooster. The way to find if your rooster is fertilizing eggs is incubate them.

If you would like to learn more about hatching chicken eggs amd other homesteading practices consider joining the Facebook group, Hatching Eggs, Ideas, and Homesteading Practices.

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.

Incubator

Incubators imitate a broody hen to the best of technologies ability. There are many to choose from in today’s market. Some are produced in the USA and others are imported. Incubators come with different prices tags and corresponding functions. Often the more automated the process the higher the price. Particular brands carry a higher price, but with that comes an expectation of superior performance.

If you are interested in hatching a large number of eggs at one time as in hundreds, investing in a cabinet incubator may be the route you choose to go.

Features of Incubators: Air quality, humidity, and turning the eggs are all critical for proper incubation.

Fans

Forced air meaning an incubator has a fan moving the air around in the incubator. This feature promotes incubator air to be a consistent temperature throughout. It also pulls in air from any available air vents.

Humidity

The humidity levels are controlled by adding water. Tools are available to automate that process. Or another feature may be a exterior port to add water so the incubator does not need to be opened when adding water. A hen will generally get off her next one time per day so I am not convinced that opening a lid to add water is a terrible detriment to hatching success. In fact, there is a newer incubator on the market that can be programmed to intentionally cool the eggs one time a day.

Turners

A tray attached to a motor will turn eggs for you. If an incubator does not have an automatic turner you are responsible for turning the eggs approximately 6 times a day. Many incubators can be fitted with a turner. However, a draw back is the number of eggs that can be fit into the incubator at one time. As an example, one of the incubators I use is set to turn around 9 eggs, but I can fit around 25 eggs with out the turner

Egg Candler

From setting the eggs to trouble shooting a hatch once it has ended, an egg candler with be most useful. When I started I used a bright small flashlight and went to a light marketed for the sole purpose of candling eggs. I am all about using what you have and when I started a small bright flashlight was what I had. A candler plugs into an outlet instead of using batteries as a small flashlight would. I now use a small bright flashlight once again. I have at times used the light on my phone. If you are interested in saving money, use what you have on hand.

Brooder with Food and Water

Once a chick hatches and dries, they will need to move into a brooder. Brooders come in different forms, material and shapes. On a homestead they often are a product of using what one has available and develop out of creativity. There are commercial brooders that can be purchased at stores. They all serve the same purpose, to provide dry shelter, heat, food, water, and protection from predators.

Newly hatched chicks need to be provided with a heat source of 95 degrees in a shelter safe from predators. Dry clean bedding, clean fresh water, and chick starter should be in place near the heat source. The temperature in the room needs to be a match for the heat source. A pen that meets the above criteria will qualify as a brooder. What creative ideas have you seen, thought of and possibly used for a brooder? 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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April 13, 2020April 13, 2020

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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April 24, 2018April 29, 2018

Roots and Wings: New Life ~ Chickens

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Have you ever reached a point in the journey of your life, stopped for a moment and wondered, How did I get here? That describes how I have felt these last few weeks as I wrote about my memories of new life and how it pertained to goats and horses.

I turned down the opportunity to foal out mares this year. A difficult decision for me to reach, largely due to my health. Staying up all hours of the night disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm. This negatively impacts the adrenals. Since I am working to create an environment for mine to heal, I believe it would be counter productive. A smaller percentage of the picture is the fact that I have a limited amount of energy and I have chosen to direct it to my current goals of breeding chickens and a homestead lifestyle. I am hopeful that I will discover a way to add foaling mares back into my life in the future. If that doesn’t happen, I will simply relish the memories of that season. To read my blog on seasons click here.

Swedish Flower Hen chicks hatched at CG Heartbeats Farm

I adore babies of almost any species. Spring time brings new life in plant and animal form. I like to see the tiny plants pushing their way up through the soil, but not quit as much as seeing new life appear when a mother gives birth or an egg hatches.

How did I go from foaling out horse to hatching chicks? I see some humor in the fact that an egg or newly hatched chick is about the size of a foals hoof. Now that is quite a big difference, going from one to the other. My health goals have played a part in directing my current path. It is a simple truth that when making room for change in one’s life certain activities must be let go of to make room for new. An area I struggle with at times, letting go. Some days, I actively choose to stay focused on the new adventures.

Silver Gray Dorking and Swedish Flower Hen chicks hatched at CG Heartbeats Farm

Hatching chicks

Hens make hatching chicks easy. They do the work of an incubator and brooder after the hatch. One of the Swedish Flower Hens went broody last fall. Click here to read the story. The relationship a chick has with a broody hen seems like it would provide an education. However, the incubated chicks seem to know instinctively to peck at food and drink water. Again the power of new life is amazing.

Today, as I write, new life abounds around me in the form of hatching chicks. Yesterday, the little chirps greeted me before I even seen a pip. Today I have been privileged to watch them pop out of their shells. Some times I need to work hard to pop out of my shell. It is tempting to stay where it is safe, comfortable, and truthfully, easy. Working to get out of a shell takes effort, and then just when I accomplish breaking out, I find myself faced with changes. Like a chick who suddenly finds space to stretch and learn to walk and balance. Freedom to move is one of those changes. I mean what chick would want to stay cooped up in a shell. In reality, a chick dies if they don’t break out in time. Similarly, we risk a different kind of death( I am not referring to an eternal death here) if we too stay in our comfort zone.

Last year incubating chicks became a new challenge for me. I have used 3 different incubators to hatch chicks in the last year and a half. The Little Giant, Incuview and Janoel12 produced chicks, but offer different features that seem to influence hatch rates. The Little Giant, a styrofoam, I used only once when I borrowed from a friend. I hatched only 2 chicks. Perhaps with time and experience I may have improved the %. I like the plastic incubators best for the easier clean up after a hatch. Both the Incuview and Janoel12 are constructed of hard plastic. They clean up nicely. And oh those newly hatched chicks make a mess.

They are adorable though once they dry off and the fluffiness appears.

A discussion on different incubators would provide enough material for its own blog post. In the hatching course, I am preparing, I include info on different incubators and a worksheet to help you decide which one suites your financial need and personal preferences.

Consider joining the wait list while I finish up the e course on hatching chicken eggs. If you are not needing this type of information, perhaps you know someone to pass this opportunity onto? There are going to be a few bonuses for signing up early.

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October 26, 2017October 27, 2017

Using what I Had

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2014 found me feeling frustrated and defeated with my present circumstances….

I knew I was not going back to previous jobs(for a long term solution) working as an equine trainer and manager. My current health would not allow it. Recovering from a tough onset of Mono while dealing with other chronic illness left me floundering. I found some encouragement in 2015 as I participated in the 2015 TCA Thoroughbred Makeover with Navajo Bo. As 2016 rolled around I was giving serious thought and prayer to what was next. I strongly desired to raise my own food. I had a few ideas rolling around in my head. Chickens for eggs and meat, my own milk, butter and cheese via a cow, a garden, canning, a green house, perhaps a spring house, and a hydroponic system were some of my farming/homesteading ideas. Somewhere in all that I should be able to find a way to earn an income was my thought.

Using what I had….

I looked around at what buildings were currently standing on the almost 12 acres. One was a large chicken barn. The design did not leave room for creating stalls for horses or cattle. It was however double walled and even had some insulation were it looked like a previous owner had started to make a shop out of it.

Chickens became the first project to pursue. With 3 heritage breeds, they are all a developing work in progress. I like many qualities of Scottish Highland Cattle for milk, butter, cheese and meat. I do not have them yet and have strongly considered the American Milking Devon. Truth is, until I actually own them, there is that possibility I will change my mind.

Chicken Project

Thirteen Swedish Flower Hen chicks were my first purchase in May of 2016.

I have since added Swedish Flower Hens from 3 additional farms to create diversity in the breeding stock. In the fall of 2016 two more breeds caught my eye, Silver Gray Dorking and Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner. Both are rather rare and hard to find I discovered but by mid November 2016 I had chicks from each breed.

Fruits and Vegatables

I planted garlic for the first time in the fall of 2016. I also grew Sweet Potatos in buckets during 2016. I transplanted wild Black Raspberries to create a row of black raspberries. I started some grapes plants from vine cuttings and will be producing concord grapes in the future. Did you know that in 1849 Ephraim Wales Bull planted 22,000 seeds before deciding on the what we now call the concord grape? Amazing! Has me wondering what variety I could develop.

The spring of 2017 found me foaling out mares for an Arab training barn.

The additional work left no time for me to plant and garden in 2017. The exception being a harvest of garlic in August.

I am always on the look out for ways to accomplish my goals with what I have, be it material possessions or personal skills, and building on that to achieve other dreams I have.

One way I helped to finance my chicken project and this website was through Swagbucks. In 2017 I earned over $225.00. While not a huge amount, it all adds up.

What ways have you accomplished goals and seen dreams come true using what you had available?

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October 6, 2017April 10, 2018

A Broody Swedish Flower Hen

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Fact: 20% of Swedish Flower Hens go broody. Not a high number really considering 50% of my Silver Gray Dorking Hens went broody at under a year. (3 out of 6) My first group of 8 hens(SFH) are well over a year old and no broody among them. Out of 18 (SFH) hens this is the first to go broody. I was trilled to realize that one of the Swedish Flower Hens was indeed broody and at 6 months old. Hatched on March 9, 2017, she had only started laying the beginning of August. I have not even placed a rooster in that pen of hens yet. Her efforts are in vain. There is no way she has fertile eggs.

If you have read any of my September posts, I was having a rough time loosing my horse McCoy, struggling with my own health challenges while attempting to keep up caring for the animals. “There is nothing new under the sun.” The truth of Ecclesiastes 1:9 has been a source of comfort to me, knowing others have indeed experienced these trials and lived to see another day. I chose to see an opportunity for growth.

Catching up on pen cleaning and farm maintenance needed to come first, in my opinion, before giving thought to hatching eggs. Happy when I received an order for Silver Gray Dorking chicks, I decided to use the IncuView Incubator.

Thursday(yesterday) proved to be a beautiful October fall day. I did not move quickly for that is not in the best interest of my health, but rather I slowed down, accomplishing needed tasks in a relaxed fashion. For one who once sported the nickname “energizer bunny” slowing down is an accomplishment in itself. That, readers, is my sense of humor showing, for the simple truth, presently, I am not physically capable of working as I have in the past.

Feeling confident that I can, once again, care for the animals to meet my standards, (Clean! Clean! Clean!) I decided to attempt to give the broody hen eggs to hatch. After consideration of different options, I brought in a 100 gallon tank and set her up in there. Bedding and Swedish Flower Hen eggs from a different pen went in first. I removed her from the eggs she was sitting on, totally changing her environment. It was a bit of an experiment for me. I felt hopeful but not sure what to expect. I chased away the believe that I required a perfect outcome of my choice. It was going to be okay if this didn’t work. I would learn from this. I was going to get feed back from my results.

She was drawn to the eggs but was anxious about her new house. She became occupied with pecking at the hardware cloth top. I added feed and water after seeing her sit on the eggs. Oh, but then when I came back she was off them. I lifted the lid, a quick intent look from her and suddenly she flew out. I caught her after what felt like several minutes, but did not take me that long at all. Well, “I will give you 24 hours”, I decided silently. I told myself I was going to stay away from her to give her time to settle. NO peeking at her for one hour and I looked at my watch. In my excitement, I had not realized she was receiving constant checks, like every few minute checks. Silly of me really, but I so badly wanted this to work.

I reduced my checks to periodically throughout the evening. Before going in for the night she was indeed setting on the eggs. This morning found her still flattened like a pancake covering all 11 eggs. Excitement!!

Both, the eggs in incubator and the broody hen should be hatching near the date of October 26th, fulfilling the 21 day incubation period. Did you know the exact temperature will shorten or lengthen the time it takes for chicks to develop? Stay connected on social media for up to date reports on the hatches.

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September 21, 2017October 8, 2017

And the Greatest is Love

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Along the lines of keeping my farm/homestead experience honest I am moved to write this post. I have been struggling to stay positive and it began the night of my aunts passing on July 31, 2017. Grieving is expressed through various emotions over time and loosing my horse McCoy added a sadness of its own. I needed to look deeper for the root of my heartache and the Lord is showing me a little at a time areas I need him to heal my heart in. Sunday I was feeling better, nothing like sitting around the campfire with friends Saturday night to ease ones pain. But a series of events had me reeling back into heartache by Tuesday morning.

Finding one of my grow out Silver Gray Dorking birds dead Sunday night had me perplexed. Finding another Monday morning and then Monday night was upsetting me! I found a clue though. Blood in the stool of the living birds in that pen lead me to believe they were fighting cocidiosis. Not completely uncommon for chickens to acquire. I felt self loathing creeping in. I had not kept their pen clean like my heart intended. For over 2 weeks upon returning from being gone for over 4 weeks, I had been able to do only what was absolutely necessary. I want to insert here that I struggle with low functioning adrenal glands, leaving me easily exhausted. I am learning to pick and choose how and where to expend my energy. Also these chicks were hatched to sell, not to keep. The intended buyer was unable to take them and I found myself raising chicks I had not planned on. Monday night I began treatment for cocidiosis, removed them from their pen, and began cleaning the pen they had been housed in. No rain was forecast to my knowledge. I looked.

Tuesday morning I had hopes of attending the Scottish Highland show at the St. Joseph County Fair in Centerville, MI. Attending the 2016 show taught me basics of where the breed is today while providing an opportunity to meet SCH breeders. I awoke to realize that it had rained overnight on the Silver Gray Dorking grow outs and one of the newly hatched chicks did not make it. (That chick was in the barn) No cattle show for me, I was staying home to attend to the animals I have. I am not sure what happened to the one little chick. Perhaps another hen had killed it? Not sure, but I had believed it to be safe. Lesson learned! That being said I am still working on a plan to move the momma and baby to a different area. So far as of Wed morning the other chick is doing well. New pen for them is in the works. I felt horrible the grow out SGD chicks had no cover from the rain and dealing with an illness to boot. By Tue evening I had 6 left. I doubted some of them would survive, but at that point I only wanted to show them love. I do not like to play God and decide who lives and who dies. Although I have in the past culled diseased chickens.

One protocol for not spreading disease is to care for the sick chickens last. I practiced this yesterday, spending my energy first cleaning waters and caring for the healthy chickens to help prevent future illnesses. After that I brought the sick chickens into my house. Some I warmed with a hair dryer. I have saved kittens that way in the past. One in particular I spent well over an hour removing eggs from it’s feathers. It seemed like it had some fight in it. Little thing woke me up chirping during the night. The only way to quiet it was to sit by it or hold it. I opted to wrap it in a towel and sleep with it sitting on my chest on the recliner. I don’t know if it is going to make it or not, but I know I showed it kindness and comfort by holding it.

These events have me questioning my goals and my ability to achieve them. My head knows, setbacks are common and no failure only feed back. My heartache and feelings of failure threaten to overtake my thought patterns. Oh, but I know I can change my thoughts. I am reminded that the Lord says He loves me in spite of my shortcomings. That I am more than my failures. I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)

It seems the more I have been hurt, the harder it is to put myself out there. For instance, I felt hesitant to put forth too much effort to save those growing SGD yesterday. I felt, what would it matter, they might die anyway. After all, I had pushed myself beyond what I felt capable of to try to save McCoy and I lost him anyway. I prayed and found peace in the simple act of showing these birds love even if I knew they probably were not going to make it. Translate to human relationships. I find it easy after being wounded by people or circumstances for me to withdraw and give up. It feels safer to stop putting my true heart out for all to see. Truth is my expected outcome is not the most important when relating to others. Knowing that I showed someone love while maintaining healthy boundries becomes more important than my personal expectations of a particular outcome.

I am still discovering take away lessons from the first half of this week. I tend to feel like things are my fault. I strive to look for what I can do differently. I see several areas that a different choice on my part would have provided a different outcome. Feeling like a failure seems to follow. I need to remember NO failure, only feed back! Have you ever felt like you were not enough? That it might be easier to give up on a dream or plan? Or perhaps give up on yourself? Leave me a message or a comment about how you went from a valley to a mountain top. If we are honest, we all have both in our lives, don’t we?

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September 14, 2017October 8, 2017

Silver Gray Dorking Hens go Broody

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I did not get a picture of all three hens in one nesting box, but that is what I came home to when returning from my trip out west. I am excited to share my trip, but that is for other posts. They had been setting approximately a week when I returned on August 29th. I have been rather impatient checking under the hens. If one left the nest another one would gently use her beak to pull the exposed eggs under her.

Sunday morning at feeding time I found a lone Silver Gray Dorking chick out with the adults birds. I placed the chick back in with the setting hens after offering it a drink. I knew I needed to set up a pen for the coming chicks but was still working out ideas in my head. There was only one chick so far. It was going to need a momma and access to water and chick starter.

This is what I came up with. I pulled out the closest broody hen and placed in the cage with the little chick. The chick could get out of the cage, but I was hoping with time it would bond with the hen and remember where the food and water was located. I was confident the adult birds would be kind should it wonder out of reach of Momma hen. Earlier on Sunday I observed the chick had left the broody nest (again) and was following one of the roosters around. The rooster was talking to the little chick! My heart loved that!

Yesterday, as in Tue, two days after the first chick had hatched I was being nosey again and found that a chick had piped under the die hard broody hen. I still have two hens broody but one is definitely more dedicated to her position. I was excited and impatient. I know it is best to allow nature to run its course. I have had enough heart ache to last me for quite some time and I was looking for some positives around here to ease my broken heart. More on that in another post. Last night, at last, I felt the tiny legs of a chick under broody momma.

This morning I removed it from the broody nest and gave it to momma hen. Kind of like natures version of an incubator and a heat lamp when I am presented with 3 broody hens. Oh yes, I have tried moving the hens to other boxes and giving them other eggs. They left them. Perhaps, if I placed them in a separate cage I would improve the outcome.

I never get tired of watching babies. Check out this video.

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