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| What incubator should I buy? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Unfortunately, buying an incubator is like buying an automobile – each person has their own tastes and spending limits… one size does not fit all. There is, however, a basic formula that will help:
Using those two numbers, buy the most expensive incubator in your price range. There is a direct relationship between cost and quality. High quality incubators are expensive and cheap incubators are, well, cheap. For consumers, the following lists the highest quality incubators in order:
NOTATION: Avoid the cheap, no-name, plastic incubators made in China. While some people result good results, the electronics are cheap and unreliable – you’ll likely become frustrated and a waste of your money. NOTATION: Avoid digital versions in the lower end tabletop incubators. The gauges are frequently inaccurate and dramatic, unexpected spikes in temperature have been noted. WHAT IS THE CHEAPEST THAT I CAN GO? I remember the days when my wife and I searched under the couch cushions to find enough change to buy gas. Not everyone has the money to buy an expensive incubator with all the bells and whistles; however, going too cheap results in frustration and wasted money. Personally, if money was tight, I’d consider the still air Hovabator 1602N and plan to turn by hand. Few people use still air, but still air was used for decades with good results. Hovabator has a solid reputation and the mechanic wafer thermostat has proven reliable. Later, when more money is available, you can add a fan and an automatic egg turner. Even later when you expand, you can use the 1602N still air as a dedicated hatcher. |
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| Comparing artificial Incubation & a Broody hen... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The comparison of artificial incubation and a broody hen is flawed.
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| How long can a chick stay in the incubator after hatch? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| After they dry and fluff... generally no longer than 24-36 hours after the first hatchling has hatched. While the adsorbed egg yolk provides sufficient nutrients and water for 48 hours after hatch, high temperature, high humidity, and low ventilation can lead to dehydration and heat stress. Removal to a brooder with fresh air, fresh water, and a temperature of 95.0ºF is more ideally suitable for freshly hatched chicks. If there is an extended delay between the first and last chick -- greater than 24 hours -- then a person would do well to identify the cause of the extended hatch window and takes corrective steps before the next batch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How long should I wait before ending a hatch? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I end my hatches at the end of Day 21. If eggs do not hatch by that point, then something is wrong (health, development accident, or genetic) and they would end up being culled if permitted to hatch a few days later. For beginners, I would recommend perhaps going until the end of Day 22; however, routinely allowing hatches to go overtime is strongly discouraged. Rather, the hobbyist should strive to identify the problem(s) causing the late hatches and take corrective action. Chicks that develop too slowly are less productive and more prone to health problems than those that develop normally. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How long to wait between roosters? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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I usually wait three weeks.
“If a rooster is removed from the flock and replaced by another, it may require 3 weeks before it can be assured that all eggs will produce chicks sired by the new rooster." Mississippi State University. “The sperm host glands can store sperm for long periods of time – 10 days to 2 weeks.” Dr. Thomas Caceci, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. “Sperm can be stored and remain capable of fertilizing an egg for more than two weeks, although it isn’t likely to occur after tens.” Raising Chickens For Dummies, by Kimberly Willis and Rob Ludlow. |
How long to wait after adding a rooster? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Once you place a rooster in with hens, how long does it take the eggs to become fertile? Once mating occurs, it takes 2-3 days for the sperm to reach the sperm storage tubes and five days to reach their maximum. Since it takes 24 hours for an egg to form, eggs will be at their maximum fertility potential on day 6. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How long do eggs stay fertile after losing a rooster? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Birds store a large amount of sperm internally inside Sperm Storage Tubules and release a portion of that sperm each time they ovulate – hens need not mate daily in order to achieve a high fertility rate. Once insemination occurs, maximum fertility is achieved by day five. The average length of time the sperm remains viable inside the female varies by species and can vary greatly among individual birds.
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| Is feather sexing hatchlings accurate? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MYTH:
No, at least unless the hatchling is a hybrid bred specifically for
feather sexing (wing sexing). Unfortunately, an Internet search on
"feather sexing" may bring you to a PowerPoint presentation that
provides instruction on how to feather sex chicks (http://www.asrc.agri.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/sld001.htm);
however, this presentation does not discuss the genetics or
limitations. Some presume that this technique can be used on all
breeds... it cannot.
Feather sexing is ONLY accurate in hybrid, sex-link hatchlings where a fast-feathering male is crossed with a slow-feathering female. Then, and only then, the female chicks have primary wing feathers that are significantly longer than the coverts. The male chicks have primary wing feathers that are shorter, about the same length as the coverts. Unfortunately, feather sexing is occasionally helpful in a very few lines within a very few breeds... just enough to perpetuate the myth. Like many things on the Internet, the myth just keeps being passed around as if it were a fact. https://blog.cacklehatchery.com/what-is-feather-sexing-separating-fact-from-myth/; |
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| Are cedar shavings safe to use in a brooder? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Yes, at least they are just as safe as pine shavings.
BOTH fresh cedar and pine shavings emit fumes that can be harmful to
young chicks when used in a closed environment. BOTH should be
"aired out" prior to being placed in a brooder. Brooders should
ALWAYS be well ventilated to prevent fumes from building to a toxic
level. Personally, I do not use cedar shavings because pine is
cheaper and just as effective. I have used a cedar/pine mix with
ducklings in an open air brooder. “Clean dry wood shavings, especially cedar, makes the best nesting material… the use of cedar shavings discourages parasites… “ Gail Damerow, Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, 3rd Edition: Care, Feeding, Facilities, 2010. |
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| Is medicated feed harmful to ducks? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MYTH:
No, medicated feed is not harmful to ducks. This is an old and
common myth that probably originates from the days when chick
starter contained arsenic to control coccidiosis. While medicated
feed does no harm, it is generally not needed in waterfowl. “In general coccidiostats manufactured for chickens and turkeys will also be effective for ducks (one of the safest for ducks is amprollium, often sold under the names Amprol and Corid).” David Holderread, Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks, 2nd Edition. “Have there been coccidiostats used in the past that were harmful to waterfowl? Probably and that is why the myth began. But those drugs are no longer allowed or no longer used in the United States… Therefore, it appears research shows these drugs do not harm waterfowl if used at the rates commonly used with chickens and turkeys.” John Metzer, Metzer Farms. 2011. http://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/11/can-medicated-feed-be-used-for.html |
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| Will my hens run out of eggs? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MYTH:
No, your hens will not run out of eggs. This is an old and
common myth perpetuated by individuals who chose to give their hens
a "break" during the winter months.
A hen will naturally decrease production as she ages, and, if
she grows old enough, she may stop laying entirely; however,
this is due to health and age... not the number of eggs that she
is capable of laying. A hen is born with two ovaries but will use only one -- usually the left. At hatch this ovary contains over 12,000 ovum. If she laid an egg every day, she would not run out of eggs until she was 32 years old... Not many chickens live to be 32 years old. Some people also believe that wintertime is the "natural" resting period for hens. This description is probably also not accurate. All modern breeds of chickens originate from the red jungle fowl -- a tropical bird where the length of day doesn't vary greatly from season to season... Instead, the "natural" resting period occurs when a hen goes broody and raises her chicks. During this time, feed consumption drops by as much as 80%, the hen loses weight, and the reproductive organs revert to their pullet state. Alternatively, those hens that do not go broody have a "natural" 8-10 week resting period during the annual molt where feed consumption drops and the reproductive organs revert to their pullet state. It is perfectly fine if you give your hens a rest during the winter months. I do not use additional lighting for my bantams or heritage birds. But, it is also perfectly fine if you use supplemental light to keep up egg production during your long winter nights... the hen is not going to run out of eggs Hen Eggs: Basic and Applied Science, By Takehiko Yamamoto, Lekh Raj Juneja, Hajime Hatta, Mujo Kim, page 7. "Virtual Chicken," Auburn University, 2006. http://aufsi.auburn.edu/new/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/01/IntroLevel.ppt |
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Will red pepper improve production? Will rep pepper kick-start my hens laying? |
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MYTH:
No, red pepper flakes will not improve egg production nor will it
kick-start non-laying hens into laying. There is no sound,
scientific research to indicate that such is true. As always,
quick, band-aid approaches are discouraged. Instead, a person
would do well to identify reasons why hens are not laying or
laying poorly and then correct those short comings.
http://factorchickenpoop.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-truth-about-red-pepper-flakes.html |
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| How much space do adults need? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hobbyist tend to think in human terms instead of chickens terms
resulting in recommendations that are far larger than what is
needed, and, in some cases, larger than what is in the best
interest of the bird. Chickens do not require a great deal of
space... enough to roost, move around a little, and eat...
Breeding Pens: Unfortunately, breeders frequently cram breeding pairs or trios into small spaces. Personally, I prefer to provide as much room as possible usually at least 6ft2 for bantams and 10ft2 for standard chickens. Most people, however, do not have sufficient indoor space for such accommodations.
http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/A3858-01.pdf |
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