When to pick up chicks from a mother hen. The mother hen is the best breed of nesting and incubation. How to choose the right eggs for a hen

Mother hen. How to hatch chickens under a hen: how many eggs to lay under a hen, terms, conditions of detention and care for a hen and chickens.

You can hatch chickens with the help of a mother hen, this is an old and proven way of incubating eggs. Unlike an incubator, a mother hen will not only hatch the chickens, but will also lead them until they grow up and become independent.

Hatching chickens from eggs is the easiest way to incubate at home, but you need to take into account several important nuances in order to get a good brood of chickens, which we will discuss in detail in this article.

So, you have decided to bring the chickens under the hen, we will consider all the questions and answers in order.

When is the best time to hatch chicks?

It is optimal to hatch chickens in May - June, during this period the weather is already quite warm and the chickens will already be able to walk with the hen in the yard. And by autumn, the brood will already grow well and adapt to the cold.

How to identify a hen?

Usually in the spring, some chickens wake up the instinct of a hen, the hen can be recognized by the characteristic croaking, hence the name “quokka”. The instinct for incubation is more developed in meat and egg breeds of chickens, egg breeds are less prone to incubation of eggs.

If you notice a crocodile in the herd, then the first thing you need to do is to trace which nest it sits in and how long it sits there. If the mother hen rises from the nest several times a day, then it is not worth adding eggs to her nest yet, but if the mother hen sits in the nest all the time and leaves the nest no more than once a day, then such a mother hen can already be planted on hatching eggs.

It is important to make the right litter in the nest in the form of a bowl with a recess in the center, you need to add litter along the edges of the nest so that the eggs do not accidentally roll out of the nest and fall under the litter in the corner of the box.

You need to add eggs in the evening when it is already dark, so that the chicken does not get nervous and does not notice new eggs in the nest.

How many eggs to lay under a hen?

The number of eggs depends on the size of the hen, it is important that the hen covers all the eggs. If the chick does not cover all the eggs, then some of the eggs will not warm up properly and the eggs will be wasted or the brood of chicks will be weak. Usually a good brood hen can cover about 15 eggs, some large meat and egg breeds a little more.

How long does a mother hen sit on eggs?

The incubation period of chicken eggs lasts 21 days, in some cases, if the eggs are not warmed up properly, the incubation process can continue up to 3 days.

During the period when the mother hen is sitting in the nest, it is necessary to protect the nest from other chickens with a partition, because chickens can drive the hen from the nest and lay new eggs there. Periodically, the mother hen gets up from the nest to drink water and peck food, at this time you can look at the condition of the eggs, if there are broken eggs or no embryos, then they need to be thrown out.

How to care for chickens?

The strongest chickens hatch from the eggs first, in a day - two, weaker ones. Chickens should be immediately taken away from the hen and kept in a cardboard box with a heating pad, the navel is still healing in the chickens for the first three days of life, so they need to be warmed up on a warm heating pad.

Chickens can be fed little by little with millet or starter feed, and little by little boiled warm water can be given. Newborn chickens do not yet know what water is, so they can be directed with their beak into the drinking bowl, when the chickens taste the water, they themselves will begin to drink it.

Important! The drinker must be installed in such a way that the chickens do not climb into it and do not get wet.

When the chickens dry out, get stronger, stand on their own feet, eat food and drink from a drinker, then they can already be allowed to the brood hen.

How to let the chickens to the hen?

When the mother hen has already hatched all the chickens, only then it is already possible to let the already dried chickens, who already stand on their own feet, approach her. Weaker chickens that do not yet walk should still be kept in a box on a heating pad, and only then, when they get stronger, you can let them near the chick.

Some tips for keeping chickens:

• For a hen with chickens, you need to make a separate corral so that adult chickens cannot get to the chickens, otherwise the chickens may be pecked.
• The pen should have warm, dry bedding and a sheltered place for the brood hen and chicks to spend the night.
• There should be no drafts in the corral.
• The pen with chickens should not be placed in the open sun, only under a light shade.
• Take care that rats and cats cannot steal chickens.
• Put a feeder and a drinker for the chickens and the mother hen, it is very important that the chickens cannot get into the drinker with their paws, if the chickens get wet they can freeze and die from hypothermia.
• Periodically observe the mother hen, there are times when the mother hen begins to peck at chickens of a different color, if all the chickens are light in color, and one is dark, then the mother hen may not accept it and start beating and pecking.
• For the night, all chickens should hide under the wings of the mother hen, so the chickens are heated.

As you can see, raising chickens with a hen is not difficult, and at the end of the article I suggest watching a video about a hen with chickens.

For any animals and birds, the process of producing offspring is quite common. And although it seems that there is nothing easier than seating a chicken to hatch a clutch, there are still a lot of nuances and pitfalls in this matter, which we will talk about in this article. We will talk about how to arrange a place for a hen, which method of selecting eggs will bring more success, what conditions need to be created for a chicken during the hatching period. So, let's figure it out.

How to arrange and where to place a nest for a hen

One of the fundamental rules in placing a nest for a hen is to prevent a stressful situation for a hen, which may arise due to a sudden change in location, because some farmers allocate a separate room for the hen, different from where she was before. Such a sudden change of scenery can make the chicken nervous and do some stupid things, like pecking eggs.

Another important point is the relative sound insulation. You can’t make noise near the mother hen, she should feel protected. It is worth taking care that direct sunlight does not fall on the nest. This place should be shaded and moderately humid.

The nest filler must be replaced periodically so that it does not begin to rot and decompose.

A container with water should be placed next to the nest so that the bird can refresh itself at any time, in addition, such a container will help normalize air humidity. If the air temperature is too high, you can sprinkle the floor in the coop with water so that the hen does not get hot.

As for the nest material, everything natural should be preferred: wood, wickerwork, straw, hay, branches, etc. A wooden box or a wicker basket lined with fresh straw or hay will do.

The bottom of such a container should be covered with sawdust or ash, and straw should be laid on top. Sawdust or ash will take on excess moisture from the perch. When lining the nest with straw, you need to create a bowl shape, deepening the center and raising the sides so that the eggs stay in a pile and do not fall out of the nest.

Formation of a hen's nest: video

Sometimes it happens that the mother hen herself shows the place she likes to the owner. In this case, this fact should be taken into account and the nest should be equipped in the place indicated by the future mother.

If there are several hens, it is necessary to fence off the nests from each other with plywood sheets so that the hens do not see and disturb each other. So that the birds do not go far from the nest, you need to put drinking bowls and feeders for each of them individually and closer to the nest.

How to choose the right eggs for a hen

The selection of eggs for incubation will be an important step that will determine the further success of the work carried out in the number of hatched chicks. The following is a list of key recommendations for right choice suitable specimens for subsequent incubation:

• when inspecting eggs, exclude broken, dirty, too small and too large;
• conduct a study of each specimen on an ovoscope and exclude those where “krasyuki” were found (they contain proteins with yolks) or “cuffs” (the contents are cloudy, dark and opaque in them);
• You can lay only fresh eggs or those that were stored under proper conditions (in a dark room with an air temperature not higher than +12 ° C and relative humidity within 75%).

If necessary, you can mark the eggs of one species or another so that later there is no confusion.

Separately, it is worth paying attention not only to the selection of eggs, but also to those birds that are ready to become hens. As a rule, with the advent of spring, some chickens begin to actively manifest maternal instinct. This can be seen in a number of the following factors, namely:

• active clucking;
• excessive perseverance in the nest and unwillingness to leave it;
• plucking feathers from a chicken and putting them in a nest.

Did you know?You can check the chicken for the presence of a hen instinct with the help of tricks - any eggs or oval objects. If a chicken conscientiously sits on a fake clutch for more than 3 days in a row, then it can be recognized as fit and the fake clutch can be replaced with a real one. Sometimes such a check shows that after a day or two the chicken leaves the nest forever. Such a brooding hen cannot be used.

How and how many eggs can be placed under one chicken

The answer to this question will be the maximum area that a chicken can cover with its body.

You should not allow such a situation when part of the outermost eggs stick out halfway from under the laying hen. These eggs will not receive enough heat, and therefore the chicks will not be able to develop properly and will not be born.

The hen herself is able to calculate the number of eggs that she can incubate. To do this, put a couple of dozen eggs in a nest next to a sitting chicken. She will begin to roll them under her beak, forming the right amount. Extra specimens or those that were not covered by her body should be removed.

It is also worth focusing on the fact that the eggs need to be placed in only one layer. On average, up to 15 eggs can fit under one hen.

Did you know?The chicken is a unique bird, because her maternal instinct is so strong that she is able to hatch not only chicken, but also goose, quail, duck and turkey eggs, mistaking them for her own. Therefore, the hen can be used as an excellent brood hen for all types of poultry eggs.

How to care for a hen during the incubation period

Often, the maternal instinct of a chicken makes her forget about herself and sit in the nest all the time, not leaving it to quench her thirst or hunger. This situation can have a negative impact on the health of the hen, which can even lead to her death.

The mother hen must be periodically driven from the feeding nest.

To prevent this, you need to resort to a violent method of feeding. It is necessary to remove the chicken from the nest and take it to the place of eating and water. But one should take into account the fact that after such manipulations the bird may not want to return back to the nest.

In this case, it should be carried and forcibly seated in the nest. Over time, the mother hen will develop a certain reflex, and she will leave the nest on her own, returning to it soon. During her absence, you will be able to change the bedding and check the development of the embryos.

Important!A properly developing embryo should not be visible through the shell, because it is surrounded by a layer of protein. If, when checking eggs, you find a chick embryo in close proximity to the shell (this can be seen from the dark silhouette), such an egg should be replaced, since the development of the embryo in this case does not occur correctly. Eggs in the nest should be checked after the first week of incubation.

If you find a crushed egg, it must be removed immediately and the soiled bedding replaced.

And while the chicken leaves the nest, the left eggs should be covered with something to avoid temperature changes. Straw, hay, or a fragment of an old blanket can be suitable as such material, which should be removed as soon as the hen returns to her duties as a hen.

When the chicks begin to hatch, the cracked shell should be quickly removed from the nest, as its sharp edges prevent the hens from sitting in the nest and often cause them to escape prematurely.

How many days does a chicken sit on eggs

The average is considered to be 21 days. During this period, it is recommended to check the process three times embryonic development, using . During such checks, the quality of the embryos should be determined and, if necessary, the incubation conditions should be adjusted.

Candling chicken eggs by day

The optimal dates for inspections are the seventh, eleventh and eighteenth days from the date of laying.

1. During the first examination, you should not find the embryo near the shell. Its shadow and the development of blood vessels in the yolk are allowed. If the embryo develops incorrectly, then its vessels will be almost black and arranged in the form of a ring. This fact will indicate the death of the embryo. Unfertilized eggs will also be detected during this examination, as they will be completely light-colored, like a normal egg.
2. During the second examination, you will find that the shadow of the embryo has increased and now covers about a quarter of the entire area of ​​​​the egg. The network of blood vessels in this case will be even more dense and highly developed.
3. But at the third examination, you will already observe the mobility of the baby from the blunt side of the egg. The chick will occupy almost all of it inner space and prepare to be born.

The first chickens can break through the shell already on the 19th day. And full hatching will occur on the 20-21st day. Do not be afraid if the chickens hatched a little earlier or, conversely, a little later. These are natural, natural processes, the change of which occurs depending on the conditions in which the eggs were stored before incubation.

When the chicks hatch, they should be left for a couple of hours next to their mother and allowed to dry, and then transplanted into a separate basket or box lined with soft materials (the best option would be to use warm and dense fabric or paper).

Did you know?The numerical ratio of sexes in chickens is 50/50.

Caring for a hen with young animals consists in their timely feeding, watering and observing the necessary temperature regime.

Now you know how the whole process of hatching chickens goes: from the moment of nest placement and selection of eggs to the final stage, when little yellow lumps are born.

Guided by the rules and recommendations given in our article, you will be able to successfully hatch a new generation of chickens, and the mother hen will receive everything necessary to ensure that the entire long process of incubation is as comfortable as possible for her.

Arrangement of a place for a hen: video

How to care for a hen: reviews

vintik, how to care for a mother hen

how to care for a brood hen hen care during the incubation period determines the results of hatching. during this period, it is necessary to ensure that the hen regularly, 1-2 times a day, leaves the nest for feeding, watering and walking. therefore, if the chicken does not leave the nest on its own, it must be removed, the nest closed, and the bird let out for a walk. the hen is released for 15-20 minutes. if she does not return to the nest on her own, she is forced to return there. when the bird leaves the nest, it is better to cover the eggs to prevent them from getting cold.

you can feed the hens with compound feed and whole grains. you should also feed them various root crops and greens.

near the nest, a little away from it, for the hen you need to put a feeder with a dry grain mixture (whole or coarsely crushed barley, oats or corn), a feeder with gravel and crushed charcoal and clean cool water.

on hot days, poultry farmers sometimes put water in a flat, stable cup so that the mother hen can wet her feathers if desired. near the nest, at a distance of 1.5–2 m, you need to put an ash bath (box with ash and sand), in which the hen could “bathe”. this is very useful, as it frees the birds from insects.

For a walk, the hens usually leave the nest early in the morning. while she walks and feeds, the poultry breeder should inspect the nest. if it turns out that the hen has polluted the nest or crushed the egg, you need to carefully clean it, replace the litter. contaminated eggs must be carefully washed with warm water, but do not wipe them, as this destroys the shell film (it is better not to wash the whole egg, but only the contaminated part of it).

on the first day, the mother hen should not be disturbed, even if she did not go for a walk: let her sit, get used to the nest. but on the second day (and subsequent ones), the hen stubbornly sitting on the eggs must be removed from the nest if she did not go for a walk. you need to remove the hen from the nest very carefully: an inexperienced poultry farmer, together with a chicken, can raise an egg (in such cases it is sandwiched under the wing of the hen, and then falls and breaks).

you should observe how the mother hen walks, whether she pecked food, drank water, defecated, and how soon she returned to the nest. usually in the first days the chicken walks for 8-12 minutes (which is quite normal), and then for 15-20 minutes (up to 25-30 minutes on very warm days). if the hen “forgot” about the nest, she will have to be planted there, but one should not rush into this, especially on warm days.

at the beginning of incubation (the first 2–3 days) and at the end, during the hatching period, the hens should not be unduly disturbed and forced to leave the nest. during this period, abrupt and prolonged cooling of eggs is undesirable. at the end of incubation, before hatching, the hens sit tightly on the nest, but sometimes it happens that some leave it. in this case, the hen is kept in the nest by covering it with a basket or other device.

during the hatching period, the shells from the hatched eggs can cause anxiety for the hens, so it must be periodically removed from the nest.

In our chicken coop, the temperature is from +5 to -5 (in severe frosts). Today the chickens are on their fifth day, they leave the chicken for a walk and eat, if it gets cold, they climb into it, so no lamps are needed, when the temperature is too high it rises sharply humidity, and the chickens become uncomfortable. In the first days of incubation, the chicken may not get up to eat and drink, we remove ours from the nest once a day to eat and warm up, after the fifth or sixth day she gets up herself. the chicken could eat and drink without getting up, she calls the chicks and eats with them, they go out for a few minutes the first days, then the walks become longer, remove the litter a couple of times a day (usually 2-3 heaps the size of an egg) by 4 -5th day she already gets up and walks around the cage with them, we have hay on the floor of the cage, here they are during lunch

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If there are roosters and hens in the herd, the resulting eggs are fertilized. If the breed is good, they can be used to breed new offspring. Hatching chicks is a natural process, but you need to know what to do when the hen has hatched the chicks.

An urgent question that worries beginner poultry farmers is whether to abandon the young after hatching under the chicken or clean them up.

If the eggs are incubated by a hen, then:

1. It is better to plant chickens immediately after drying, so that the hen does not trample them or leave the rest of the eggs.
2. Transfer to a clean and dry box or basket lined with soft paper or cloth.
3. Move the container to a warm place, maintaining a temperature of at least 27C.

It is impossible to leave the chicks under the stick for longer, if she leaves the nest, then the rest of the eggs may not hatch.

Chick selection

Strong, mobile and strong babies are called conditioned, they actively respond to sound signals. The average weight is 35 g, the abdomen should be soft, the umbilical cord is tied, the cloaca is pink.

What does a healthy chicken look like?

• Covered with yellow fluff;
• The legs are strong;
• The head is large;
• The beak is short and thick;
• The wings are tightly pressed to the body.

When the bird is born, it needs to dry out.

Sitting on a brood hen

If there is a need to add chickens from another chicken or from an incubator, this must be done very carefully.

Peculiarities:

1. They are placed in a warm place.
2. They sit down to a crocodile, preferably in the dark.
3. It is necessary to observe the behavior of the hen in relation to new chickens.

It is better to take chicks of a similar color with relatives. It is also important to take into account the age, the deviation is acceptable within 3 days. Simultaneous planting with native chicks will be optimal.

Conditions of detention

After drying the chicken and transplanting it into a dry container, it is transferred to a warm room along with a hen:

1. The temperature at the bottom of the house must be at least 22C. Toddlers are very sensitive to overheating or hypothermia, so you need to ensure a comfortable indoor climate.
2. The floor should be covered with wooden boards or straw.
3. The poultry house for the chickens must be prepared in advance.
4. Containers for food and drink should be disinfected and the poultry house washed. The drinking container should be chosen shallow, flat, so that the chickens do not drown in it. To prevent adult birds from reaching the food container, you can install a picket fence along. During the rearing of chicks, disinfestation should be carried out periodically.
5. Chickens need the presence of a hen, so it can be tied to a peg or fenced in.

Feeding

Some farmers give antibiotics on the first day of a chicken's life. It is advised not to do this too early, it is necessary to normalize the intestinal microflora. Here they use cottage cheese and boiled cereals of fine grinding.

Peculiarities:

1. The optimal feeding after hatching is a boiled egg. It needs very little (1 per 30 chickens).
2. Later, you can give compound feed (starter), rich in trace elements and vitamins necessary for the normal development of young animals. You can't use old food.
3. First you need to try the food for the mother hen, while she will make certain sounds, inviting the conclusion to eat.

The diet of the first days of chickens may include not only boiled eggs, they also give bread crumb or cottage cheese. Somewhat later, ground cereals, oatmeal and millet are introduced.

It is better for chickens to give crushed food, but at the same time it is necessary to separate small fractions that the chicks do not eat. If there is nothing to grind the grain with, vitamins must be added. It is better to use additives that need to be dissolved in water, their dosage is easier to calculate.

For the first time, chickens can be released outside at a comfortable temperature (more than 18ºС), it is better to do this two weeks after hatching. Chickens of one month old can walk on their own.

Removal under the brood hen

The best period for hatching is the first spring months. The mother hen acquires the instinct of incubation, more often it manifests itself in outbred and meat and egg species.

You can identify a hen by behavior:

• Stops laying eggs
• The chicken wears twigs and torn fluff to a certain place;
• Builds a nest;
• Quohchet;
• Reacts to the appearance of strangers with disheveled plumage.

The mother hen is constantly near her hatching point, if you try to remove the female, she will still return to her place. When the chicken stays there to spend the night, it's time to lay fertilized eggs.

How to select eggs

For successful incubation, it is important to choose the right material:

1. They put under the hen or use in the incubator only clean and fresh eggs, oval in shape, without growths and punctures.
2. They need to be collected in sufficient quantities, depending on the weight of the hen, put from 11 to 17 pieces. But in winter they are twice as small.
3. You can use eggs of the same breed for laying. This is due to the different hatching period, it is slightly different for each species. A hen can hatch chicks from another laying hen. You can lay as much as the hen is able to heat.
4. The mass of the egg should be in the range of 50-60 gr.
5. A 5-7-day-old brood is chosen for incubation, which must be kept in a warm (8-120C) and dry place. Hatching material cannot be washed.
6. It is better to put them under the hen in the evening, in an odd number, which helps to warm and hatch all the kids. A caring bird will carefully cover them with itself.

Benefits of brooding

Chicken care must be handled with care. It does not need to be touched even when the bird does not come out for feeding in the first two days. If on the third day the chicken does not come off the nest, it can be carefully taken and brought to the feeder (twice a day).

The return to the roost should be controlled, if the hen does not do this, it should be put in place. While the bird is absent, you should inspect the nest and remove the broken eggs, clean the dirty ones with a brush.

Peculiarities:

1. A better incubator hen provides comfort for hatching at home. She turns her eggs on her own, often getting up to air them. If necessary, the chicken moves them to a less warm place.
2. When using birds for incubation, the pecking period ranges from 20 to 22 days. When the process of hatching a chick is somewhat delayed, you can help a little.

It is allowed to make a small hole if he is not able to punch a hole on his own. You can not tear off parts of the shell, you can not break the egg.

Incubation Method

For breeding chickens in artificial conditions, it is important to observe the temperature regime. Before using the incubator, it is necessary to test its operation in an idle state.

After laying the raw materials, it is advisable to regularly turn the eggs (up to 6 times a day), avoiding overheating:

1. Up to 100 eggs are laid in an incubator to hatch chicks.
2. Material that has been stored for more than 5 days gives a result far from the norm and amounts to 50%.
3. When using an incubator, constant human attention is required, eggs should not be thrown, heat and humidity levels should be controlled
4. After 19 days from the start of incubation, the temperature in the incubator is reduced to 7.5C.
5. It is necessary to provide a sufficient level of humidity so that the shell is not too hard, this will help the chicken to get out of it unhindered.
6. Mass hatching begins from 19 to 22 days, during this period the strongest chicks are born. If it seems that the pecking process is being delayed, you can not get the chicken out of the shell. This can only harm the baby, cause bleeding. Those eggs that have not hatched even on day 25 can be safely taken out, it is useless to wait for hatching further.

The presence of a hen next to the offspring is necessary for 30-40 days. This is due to a change in the behavior of the chicken after a month, she becomes aggressive and loses her maternal instinct.

Raising chickens is a rather serious task that requires a lot of knowledge and skills. You need to understand not only how long the chickens hatch under the chicken, but also when the chicken hatched the chickens what to do next.

Chick hatch dates

Hatching (incubation) takes an average of 21 days. But do not be afraid if the chicks decide to hatch a little earlier or a little later. This is a natural process, the duration of which may vary slightly. In many ways, this indicator depends on the conditions under which the eggs were stored until the moment when they were planted under the chicken.

Important! Having chosen a suitable hen, you do not need to immediately plant it on eggs. First, you should put it on the laying eggs. And only after making sure that the stick does not leave the nest, dummies can be changed to real eggs.

How to put chickens in a brood hen

As hens, medium-heavy breeds of chickens with a well-developed maternal instinct are most often used. Practice shows that outbred chickens cope better with the function of incubation.

In general, the future hen can be determined by a number of indicators. The chicken, which has awakened the corresponding instinct, begins to pull out feathers from itself, cackle and collect plants for building a nest. A good hen will not voluntarily leave the nest while incubating eggs. Even if she is removed from him by force, she will definitely return, and as soon as possible.

Interesting. If you look through the ovoscope on the seventh day from the beginning of incubation, you can see a small embryo in the yolk. If one is absent, this is a sure indicator that the embryo is not developing. From such an egg, a chicken will no longer work.

In the process of hatching chickens, chickens should be carefully monitored for its condition. Hatching takes a lot of energy. As a rule, in order to feed a bird, it has to be forcibly removed from the nest.

Organization of a cozy place for a hen

The hen should be created such conditions that she does not experience stress as a brood hen. It can occur if the bird is moved to a separate room, in which everything is different than in where it was previously. A change of scenery can make a chicken very nervous and peck its own eggs because of this.

On a note. In no case should you make noise around an individual sitting on eggs - the bird should feel protected.

In addition, direct sunlight should not fall on the nest, the place should be shaded and not too wet. In close proximity to the masonry, it is worth placing a container of water so that the hen can drink at any time.

Periodically, you will need to change the nest filler. If this is not done, it will begin to rot and decompose.

Important! For the manufacture of the nest, only natural materials should be used; branches, hay, straw, vines, etc.

How do chicks hatch under a hen?

The first signs of pecking of eggs usually appear around the 19th day.

As a rule, we are talking about the following "symptoms":

• a soft knock is heard inside the egg;
• a quiet squeak is heard;
• the egg begins to move (swing from side to side).

Chicks hatch from eggs

The chick hatches thanks to the so-called egg tooth located at the end of the beak. After birth, it immediately disappears.

The chick hatching itself occurs as follows:

1. A crack appears in the shell, from which a chicken squeak is heard.
2. A small hole appears in the shell, from which the beak is visible.
3. The hole increases in the center and in length.
4. The shell breaks and the chick hatches.
5. A flagellum separates from the shell, which drags behind the chicken.

Those who are just starting to hatch chickens should be aware that the entire hatching process can take from a couple of hours to a day.

Important! In no case should you interfere in the process of hatching chicks. Any action can harm the chick.

Born chicks must be immediately placed in a separate cage for drying. If the chicks are not picked up, they may begin to peck or move the unhatched eggs, and the life of the unhatched chicks will be endangered.

Born chicks must be immediately placed in a separate cage

What to do after withdrawal

Most beginner poultry farmers, when the hen hatched the chickens, doubt what to do next. In fact, the correct algorithm of actions is not anything particularly complicated. The first thing to do after the chicks hatch and begin to live is to leave them with their mother for a couple of hours. After that, the kvochka with the chickens is separated. Babies can be put in a separate box or basket lined with paper or thick cloth. Chickens should be kept at a temperature of +35 degrees (for this, they should be placed in an incubator or otherwise create suitable conditions for them), gradually lowering it every few days by a couple of degrees. Stop at +20 degrees. In the absence of an incubator for heating, it is allowed to use a low-lying incandescent lamp.

When a chick is just hatching, its primary examination is mandatory. Healthy individuals are usually quite mobile and respond well to any external stimuli.

Inspection of a newborn chick

The average weight of an individual is about 35 g. The chick should have a soft tummy, strong legs, a large head, clean and shiny eyes, a short thick beak, wings pressed to the body, a closed umbilical cord and a pink cloaca.

Conditions for caring for chicks with chickens

Important! After drying the chicks and transplanting them to a dry place, they are transferred together with the mother hen to a warm room.

The conditions for keeping the brood should be as follows:

• the air temperature in the lower part of the house should be at least 22 degrees - chickens are very sensitive to both excessively high and too low temperatures;
• the floor must be covered with straw or boards;
• containers for water and feed should be disinfected beforehand; the container itself should not be deep, otherwise there is a risk that the chicks will drown;
• so that adults do not get close to the water and feed containers, a picket fence should be installed along them;
• in the process of rearing chickens, disinfestation should be carried out periodically;
• since small chicks vitally need a hen and her constant presence, it is recommended to tie her to a peg or fence off the area in which she is located with the chickens.

Some farmers from the first days of life begin to feed chickens with antibiotics. But it is still not recommended to rush into this. Why - the answer is quite obvious. The fact is that in this case, the intestinal microflora cannot normalize in chicks for a long time. At first, it is recommended to feed the chicks with any finely ground boiled cereals and cottage cheese.

Interesting. The optimal complementary food after new chickens have hatched is boiled egg. One egg will be enough for about 30 chicks.

When the brood grows a little, you can start to include oatmeal, millet, compound feed in the diet. It is not recommended to use old food in the most urgent way.

All food should first be tasted by the laying hen. She will make appropriate sounds, from which the chickens will be able to understand when it is possible to start eating.

Chicks first walk

For the first time, chickens can be released outside two weeks after hatching. But this should be done only if the air temperature is not lower than +18 degrees.

Walking babies in more severe weather conditions is fraught with serious consequences, up to the death of young animals. Even after two weeks, they continue to love warmth and remain very demanding of temperature regime. It is for this reason that you can let the chicken go for a walk only in warm weather.

Chicks who are on the open range should always have the opportunity to return to the chicken coop at any time. For example, if something seems dangerous to them, they will get scared or freeze.

At first, the brood walks exclusively under the supervision of the mother hen, but already in the first month of life, the babies begin to show independence and go outside without being accompanied by a caring mother.

At first, the brood walks exclusively under the supervision of the mother hen.

It is not advisable to keep the chicks under the chicken for more than 30-40 days. During this period of time, it is best to start taking certain actions to dissolve the family. Quotes do not rush while caring for cubs. But as soon as they grow up, and their maternal instinct disappears, they successfully return to active egg production.

How to plant stranger chickens

Many novice poultry farmers are seriously concerned about the question of how to plant chickens in a hen. This is really relevant, because chickens are far from always ready to accept other people's chicks under their wing. We will try to find out how to properly plant chickens in a hen with chickens. It should immediately be noted that everything must be done thoughtfully and very carefully.

Chicks should be planted following certain simple rules. So, before planting, you need to do the following: place other people's chickens (for example, bought or from an incubator) in a warm place where the hen did not hear them.

You need to move them to the chicken with the onset of twilight (with blue color). As you know, chickens do not see anything in the dark. If everything is done quietly and carefully, the bird simply will not detect the changes that have occurred.

In the morning, you should definitely watch the quoy to make sure that she has begun to get used to the cubs.

Best results can be achieved if the chicks introduced are about the same age and color as her own chicks. The maximum possible age difference should be no more than three days.

Important! If the quote is good, it is very likely that it will not pay attention to the color.

It is allowed to plant other people's chickens from the second day of their life. If everything is done correctly, the chicken will take care of the chicks in the same way as her relatives.

Growing up, the chicks begin to go for a walk with a crotch, learn from her to hide on a special signal from danger and tear up the ground in search of worms.

After about 10 days, they stop climbing under the mother's wing and just sleep next to each other.

Chicks sleep next to their mother

It should be noted that the period of guardianship of hens can vary significantly. Some stop caring for their children after a month, others graze the brood for six months.

Sometimes it is not possible to deceive the chicken, and she, not accepting, begins to peck at the chicks. As a rule, this is due to the personal aggressiveness of the bird or a misperception of the situation.

Solving such a problem is usually almost impossible. Sometimes a similar problem concerns not only other people's chicks, but also their own. The hen may well hatch the eggs and refuse the chicks. At the same time, they often do not just ignore the brood, but show aggression.

Important! Fighting in such cases does not make sense. You just need to isolate the chickens from the evil bird or put the chicken itself in a separate cage.

Answers on questions

There are questions that beginner poultry farmers often ask. We will try to give detailed answers to them.

How many chickens can be placed in a chick

It is impossible to give an unequivocal answer to the question of how many chickens can be planted in a crocodile. As a rule, this indicator depends on a number of factors, including the conditions for rearing chickens with hens. Of no less importance are the mass and size of the hen, as well as the time of year. So, in winter, it is not recommended to plant more than 15 chicks under one hen, and in the summer their number may well be increased to 20 units. The breed of the quote, experience and age matter. When planting chickens, it should be understood that the more there are, the sooner the mother will leave them. For comparison: a hen usually leads a company of 10 chickens from 3 months to six months, a brood of 15 chicks - from 2 to 4 months, and 25 - no more than 6 weeks.

Important! As a rule, a month is enough for the chick to acquire the necessary skills for an independent life.

Can Hatchery Hen Breed Chicks

There is a point of view that hatchery hens cannot be hens. Allegedly, this is due to the fact that due to the fact that they themselves were not hatched, the bird's instinct does not wake up.

Hatchery hens can also be hens

This point of view has nothing to do with reality. Hatchery chickens, even without a brood hen, can do everything that natural-bred individuals (with the help of a brood hen) can: eat, drink, search and find worms in the ground and loosen everything around with their paws.

In addition, in principle, not every chicken can become a hen. That's why good hens are valued among poultry houses almost worth their weight in gold.

For any novice poultry farmer, hatching and raising chickens can hardly seem like an easy task. But having gained experience and (most importantly!) strictly following the instructions of more experienced colleagues, they will be able to understand that in fact everything is not so difficult. The result will be a regularly growing number of chickens and everything for which these birds are actually raised: eggs and meat.

Incubator rearing is common practice, but most farmers raise chicks with a brood hen. She takes care of the cubs, creating favorable conditions for them. To get high-quality young, you need to choose the right hen. A hen for incubation is chosen at the end of March, at which time her instincts appear. When chickens are born, you need to properly care for them. Young animals should receive good food and be kept in a cozy cage.

How is the withdrawal carried out?

The hatching of chicks is a crucial stage. The mother hen hatches the chicks on the 20th day. However, they may hatch sooner or later. Much depends on the breed, body weight of the quokka, the conditions in which it was placed. Before removing the hen, you should enlighten the eggs with an ovoscope. If the need arises, it is necessary to break off the shell, thus it will be possible to free the head of the young.

When the hen has hatched the chicks, do not immediately separate them. In a few days, you need to build a home for them, lay cardboard on the floor. It is better to keep chickens at a temperature of +25 degrees. The hen shows maternal instinct and takes good care of her cubs. If young animals are planted that have been raised by other hens, you need to carefully monitor the chicken. If the chicks were hatched in an incubator, they should first be placed in a warm room. Planted in the evening. The hen must accept the young as her own.

If a chick is born healthy, it is active. The approximate weight of the young is 35 g. A full-fledged chicken has a soft tummy, a closed umbilical cord, and clear eyes. Next, the hens are placed in a warmer nest. The young will not survive without heat. It is important to protect chickens from drafts. At first, they live near their mother, then they learn to live independently. They should have a separate container with water (a tea saucer is suitable), a feeder. First, food is given to the mother hen. She clucks, informing the chicks that there is food in the feeders. From the first days, chickens are fed:

• bread crumbs;
• chopped boiled eggs;
• cottage cheese.

Upon reaching the age of 15 days, the chicks are walked, but not every day. If the weather is warm, the young are longer in the air. It should be done so that the chicks can freely return to their nest. In cold weather, it is better not to let them out. The hen controls the chicks for 35 days. After - she begins to lose maternal instinct.

Chicken feeding

Chicks need to be given special attention, it is important to monitor how they gain weight. If necessary, the young are fed. Some cubs lag behind in development, they may not have an appetite. To improve the situation, you need to separate them and place them in more spacious and warmer cages. Fledglings should be fed regularly.

Chicks develop well during the first 60 days. Egg chickens grow fastest of all, meat and egg breeds. The diet of young animals should be saturated, balanced. If the chick eats spoiled food, it does not survive. It is worth remembering that the digestive tract of young animals is vulnerable. It is important to control the quality of products. Feeding begins after heating and hatching.

What foods are included in the diet?

On the first day of life, they give a crushed boiled egg. In the future, this product is mixed with powdered oatmeal and diluted with fresh cottage cheese. Such food contains vitamins and microelements necessary for full development.

On the fifth day, feed is made with the addition of chopped nettle. An alternative to this plant is crushed clover.

Young growth can eat pureed oatmeal mixed with boiled pumpkin. Carrots are also helpful. It is necessary to make sure that the young animals have received enough food. It is worth looking at the goiters, if they are full, it is not necessary to give food. A sign of satiety is good sleep.

The greens needed by the chickens are not available all year round, they are replaced with grass meal. This product contains many vitamins. Meat chicks consume more feed than egg chicks. You should include natural protein foods in your diet. It is forbidden to give milk. Young animals have a sensitive stomach, and milk is slowly digested. If the chicks eat fermented milk products, you need to place a lot of drinkers. The water in them must be fresh.

It is recommended to use drinkers fixed on the walls. It is worth including fishmeal in the diet. Chickens readily eat earthworms. In the early days, the young are fed every 2 hours. After 10 days, the body becomes stronger and more resilient: food should be given 5 times a day. When the chick reaches the age of 2 months, food is given 4 times a day. Grains in their pure form are not recommended, you need to grind them into powder and add to feed. Once a day, the chicken should eat products with fish oil. The product is mixed with powder grits. When chickens eat, you need to watch them. If the breeder sees that some chickens are crowding out others, the weak ones should be separated and fed again.

For a large number of chickens, multi-storey structures with a removable pallet are being built. You need to think about the dimensions and decide on the material. To make housing reliable, you need to make a drawing. The metal cage is ideal for young animals; chicks are kept in it all year round. To build a dwelling, you need to take a metal mesh, cut into pieces in accordance with the drawing. You will need 4 side sections and a cover. Pieces of strong wire 3.5 cm long are prepared. The structure is fixed with the help of these pieces.

Chicks feel good in a spacious cage. For one square meter accommodates 10 small chicks. With the right content, the young growth grows rapidly, in the future it needs more space. It is necessary to change the bedding in a timely manner. Chicks cannot stand dampness, in such conditions they can die. Food should be varied, the cage should be clean and warm, walking should be timely. If you follow the rules of care and maintenance, healthy strong birds will grow from chickens.