First time hatching chicks

[Ilovechickens2525]

Hello! I have hatching eggs on order for the very end of Feb and have a few questions…

I plan to move them after maybe the first week to a big wooden brooder my father in law built, it’s out in our heated garage. Opinions on heat lamp vs brooder plate? Also the bottom and sides are all hardware cloth, he read that that will make it easier to clean. I’m worried about their little feet catching on the bottom…

I have 24 eggs ordered, I assume not all will hatch, and I plan to give away the roosters (I have people who will take them). Assuming though that a lot hatch or take a while for me to give away (if others want them to be bigger before taking for example). I’m thinking they’ll outgrow this brooder, it’s decent size but 20+ chicks is a lot. Any ideas for someone who is not handy and doesn’t want to spend a bunch of money lol. I already have this nice brooder and a very expensive secure run.

Once they are bigger and I’ve pawned off my roosters. How/when do I introduce them? I currently have 9 hens and no roosters. I’ve had to quarantine and reintroduce injured chickens before so I’m ok with sorting out pecking order issues, but wondering at what age it would be safe to introduce (as I said I’m concerned about them outgrowing this brooder) and wondering about having the original 9 on layer feed and new ones on grower feed, how do I handle that?

It’s really not feasible for me to wait until 6-7 months to introduce them, nor is it feasible for me to build off a separate secure area for the new ones. We have a lot of predators and roaming neighbourhood dogs in our area so I can’t throw up a cheap temporary run or they’ll all be killed.

My heated garage IS very large so they can stay in there until they can fly, possibly longer if I brought them out into a temporary run when I’m home supervising during the day and then put them back enclosed in the garage in the evening. My original 9 lived in this garage for a few weeks when we got them as chicks last spring until they were big enough to go out without heat, so probably lived in there for 3 weeks or so.

I am definitely sure I’ll have more questions as I get closer to the incubation/hatch but these are my questions I have now in order to get myself prepared/figure out a plan for their arrival so I’m not scrambling! Should add that this breeders egg have very high hatch rate as her packaging is excellent and they are just coming from nearest city so not an extremely far distance to travel, so I may have more hatch than some shipped eggs… meaning more space issues in the brooder lol.

Thanks in advance!

 

[nuthatched]

You're definitely counting your chickens before they hatch.
I ordered 30+ eggs and got 2 to hatch.


I personally prefer a lamp over a plate.
Feed everyone grower until the chicks are full grown, layer actually isn't great for chickens, just make sure they have access to oyster shell.
Put the brooder in the coop and let them in the coop once they outgrow the brooder, or around 3-5 weeks.

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

You're definitely counting your chickens before they hatch.
I ordered 30+ eggs and got 2 to hatch.


I personally prefer a lamp over a plate.
Feed everyone grower until the chicks are full grown, layer actually isn't great for chickens, just make sure they have access to oyster shell.
Put the brooder in the coop and let them in the coop once they outgrow the brooder, or around 3-5 weeks.

Haha yes literally!

Ok so even my full grown hens can eat grower once these newbies join? I do have oyster shell for them so that’s not a problem.

If only a few hatch then just gives me an excuse to order more and hatch again I guess

 

[nuthatched]

Haha yes literally!

Ok so even my full grown hens can eat grower once these newbies join? I do have oyster shell for them so that’s not a problem.

If only a few hatch then just gives me an excuse to order more and hatch again I guess

Yep, your girls can eat grower, it's much better for them than standard layer.

 

[Slothinc]

I am excited for your first hatching experience! I too would try not to worry about having too many until you are actually hatching the chicks. I just barely had my best shipped egg hatching experience and managed to hatch 15 out of 20 eggs. But for the most part on shipped eggs I’ve been lucky to hatch 1-2 per dozen. If you end up with more chicks than you want to keep, just sell those ones. People will start wanting chicks in March so you probably won’t have too difficult a time selling any extras.

This past spring/summer I ordered over 100 hatching eggs and less than 20 of those hatched. My plan had been to sell off any extras and re-coup some of my egg expenses Nope - I didn’t sell a single chick from my shipped eggs. I grew them out and then gave away a ton of cockerels. I ended up with only 7 pullets from my shipped eggs and then a neighbors dog killed 2. So all that work and $$$$$$$$$$ for only 5 girls. I pray that you have a much better experience ps not trying to discourage - I love hatching and would do it again! You’ll have a blast incubating yours!

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

I am excited for your first hatching experience! I too would try not to worry about having too many until you are actually hatching the chicks. I just barely had my best shipped egg hatching experience and managed to hatch 15 out of 20 eggs. But for the most part on shipped eggs I’ve been lucky to hatch 1-2 per dozen. If you end up with more chicks than you want to keep, just sell those ones. People will start wanting chicks in March so you probably won’t have too difficult a time selling any extras.

This past spring/summer I ordered over 100 hatching eggs and less than 20 of those hatched. My plan had been to sell off any extras and re-coup some of my egg expenses Nope - I didn’t sell a single chick from my shipped eggs. I grew them out and then gave away a ton of cockerels. I ended up with only 7 pullets from my shipped eggs and then a neighbors dog killed 2. So all that work and $$$$$$$$$$ for only 5 girls. I pray that you have a much better experience ps not trying to discourage - I love hatching and would do it again! You’ll have a blast incubating yours!

I’m setting my hopes on one pullet per breed lol! But if I don’t get that, I will use it as an excuse to order more I am really excited to give this a try!

 

[Slothinc]

I’m setting my hopes on one pullet per breed lol! But if I don’t get that, I will use it as an excuse to order more I am really excited to give this a try!

Which breeds are you trying to hatch??

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

Which breeds are you trying to hatch??

Legbars, mosaics, Swedish flower hens and marans.

I’m really hoping for a legbar hen as I had one that my son picked out as a chick, but didn’t notice that she came with a crooked neck because my son was holding her. I think she’d been trampled before we got her. Anyway, she was the sweetest thing and she didn’t make it. So glad they are auto sexing so at least I’ll know right away if I get one lol!

 

[talkinboutchickens]

I plan to move them after maybe the first week to a big wooden brooder my father in law built, it’s out in our heated garage. Opinions on heat lamp vs brooder plate? Also the bottom and sides are all hardware cloth, he read that that will make it easier to clean. I’m worried about their little feet catching on the bottom…

I vote heat lamp. Just my personal preference Also, I've never tried a heat plate before..
I would say, the more pine shavings or other bedding you put in there, the less of a chance there will be of their feet getting caught because if you put 3-4 inches in, their feet will not be able to reach the bottom. At least that's my theory.

I have 24 eggs ordered, I assume not all will hatch, and I plan to give away the roosters (I have people who will take them). Assuming though that a lot hatch or take a while for me to give away (if others want them to be bigger before taking for example). I’m thinking they’ll outgrow this brooder, it’s decent size but 20+ chicks is a lot. Any ideas for someone who is not handy and doesn’t want to spend a bunch of money lol. I already have this nice brooder and a very expensive secure run.

I would have another 1 or 2 rubbermaids (totes) on hand for back-up brooders just in case, although it is not likely that even close to 24 eggs will make it...I set 24 eggs this year, and only 12 hatched, sadly. Many were yolkers (unfertilized eggs) in the first place, though. It all depends on your incubator, your temp, your humidity, how many eggs were fertilized in the first place, and so much more. Rubbermaids are pretty cheap. Or, if you don't want to spend any money, you can use large, old cardboard boxes.

Once they are bigger and I’ve pawned off my roosters. How/when do I introduce them? I currently have 9 hens and no roosters. I’ve had to quarantine and reintroduce injured chickens before so I’m ok with sorting out pecking order issues, but wondering at what age it would be safe to introduce (as I said I’m concerned about them outgrowing this brooder)

I would say once they are fully, completely feathered- so maybe 1 month old to 1 and a half months old or so?? Also depends on the breed I think..??

and wondering about having the original 9 on layer feed and new ones on grower feed, how do I handle that?

I don't believe there is a way to have different aged chickens living together and eating different feed, unless there is a way I haven't heard of before...Once I introduce new chickens, then they are on the layer feed from there on out even if they aren't old enough for it since there is no way to have them eating grower feed and for the hens to eat layer feed seperately

It’s really not feasible for me to wait until 6-7 months to introduce them, nor is it feasible for me to build off a separate secure area for the new ones. We have a lot of predators and roaming neighbourhood dogs in our area so I can’t throw up a cheap temporary run or they’ll all be killed.

You don't have to wait that long. Once they have all their feathers they should be able to go outside with the hens. As I said before, about 1 to 1 and a half months old. I guess you can introduce them at 2-3 months old, but any longer than that is too long because they are cooped up in the garage for over half a year. When you do introduce them, do not do it all in just one go- I would start to introduce them by having the chicks in a cage in the run with the hens for the day and then I would take them inside for the night- and I would repeat that for a few days until the hens and chicks pretty much know each other. It would be very stressful for both the chicks and the hens to just throw the chicks in.


And...If you have any more hatching questions, I will be very happy to answer them!

 

[talkinboutchickens]

I vote heat lamp. Just my personal preference Also, I've never tried a heat plate before..
I would say, the more pine shavings or other bedding you put in there, the less of a chance there will be of their feet getting caught because if you put 3-4 inches in, their feet will not be able to reach the bottom. At least that's my theory.

Wait sorry..Whenever someone says hardware cloth I always picture that garden fabric that you might put under gravel to prevent weeds lol... Yes, the hardware cloth might be problematic. It could injure the chick's feet and/or give them possible bumblefoot. Not only that; it might be uncomfortable for the chicks. The only things that could work as bedding is hay because it won't tend to fall out of the holes like pine shavings or other beddings might.