Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: mad mark on April 15, 2009, 22:37

Title: Anyone into hatching eggs? What incubator do I need?
Post by: mad mark on April 15, 2009, 22:37
First five weeks of having chickens has inspired me to think about hatching some eggs. Which is the best incubator to hatch a few eggs? Can you use something like a yoghurt maker or do you need the real deal?
Thanks for the answers 8)
Title: Re: Anyone into hatching eggs? What incubator do I need?
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on April 15, 2009, 22:56
You need the real deal!

There are some little incubators that do just the 3 (rcom 3) and you can work your way up from there to thousands.
Don't recommend the RCOM 20 as I have had loads of problems with humidity control. Think I have heard that octagon ones are pretty good.
Title: Re: Anyone into hatching eggs? What incubator do I need?
Post by: chooknewbie on April 16, 2009, 07:22
for chook eggs my octagon 10  is brill but am having probs with the duckie eggs...humidity probs... nightmare!!
Title: Re: Anyone into hatching eggs? What incubator do I need?
Post by: Briony on April 16, 2009, 08:05
I have got a new octagon 20 Auto advanced really good digital and does it all for you no need to set it just add water every third day so long as the vents are open to what it recommends and reads humidity levels automatically.

Would'nt hesitate buying another one.
Title: Re: Anyone into hatching eggs? What incubator do I need?
Post by: Foxy on April 16, 2009, 09:34
Agree with briony, I have an Octagon 20 and its brilliant. Bought mine from hatch-it -incubators as they have a really good after sales service and are always on the end of the line if you are not sure of anything.
Have you considered using a broody hen though? Very useful if you just want to hatch a few and very cheap -no one does it better than mother nature! :D
Title: Re: Anyone into hatching eggs? How do you help mother nature along?
Post by: mad mark on April 16, 2009, 13:08
Thanks will have a look at those on the interwebthingy ta. With mother nature how do you help that along as none of my ladies seem interested in sitting in a nest box when there is scratching and eating to be done. Do you just leave an egg in the nest and see what happens? Cheers for the help. :)
Title: Re: Anyone into hatching eggs? What incubator do I need?
Post by: Vember on April 16, 2009, 13:42
Some breeds are more likely to go broody than others MM. Silkies are very good and I find Light Sussex great also :)

Leaving eggs in may help, I've done this in the past and have had birds go broody whether this was due to the eggs or just because they were ready remains to be seen :)

100 times easier if you can get the hen to do the work for you in my opinion, it's not so much the sitting but the after care, right temp showing them how to eat etc... you can't beat a Mum for those things :)

Flip side the hand reared ones are fantastic and really friendly :D


Sarah :)
Title: Re: Anyone into hatching eggs? What incubator do I need?
Post by: Foxy on April 16, 2009, 13:58
Good broodies are: Silkies and silkie crosses, pekins, sussex particulary the bantams, cochins, orpingtons, australorp bantams, old English game.

Hybrids tend to have the maternal brooding instinct bred out of them.
Title: Re: Anyone into hatching eggs? What incubator do I need?
Post by: chooknewbie on April 16, 2009, 15:55
scratch that re the octagon 10...it was me being dense   :blink: :blink:   brill lil incy but you will need to buy a hygrometer..
Title: Re: Anyone into hatching eggs? What incubator do I need?
Post by: treacleminer on April 16, 2009, 18:26
Just bought this month's practical poultry - it has an article on incubators and hatching eggs you might find interesting and links to possible suppliers of eggs!
Title: Re: Anyone into hatching eggs?Broody chicken tips.....
Post by: mad mark on April 18, 2009, 21:38
Any tips for seeing if your ladies are broody? What are the signs of this? Do we just leave an egg in the nesting box and see what happens? Dont want them to start eating eggs, I have got them so well trained the two nesting boxes are beautifully clean!! I have four and I am getting three eggs a day regularly for the last three weeks. One of the ladies makes a fuss when we collect the eggs, is that a sign of her  being broody?
How would a little chick get out of the nesting box as mine are quite high off the ground in the shed? Getting abit ahead of myself here!! All tips gratefully recieved... thanks a zillion.. :)
Title: Re: Anyone into hatching eggs? What incubator do I need?
Post by: Vember on April 19, 2009, 14:03
Hi Mark

Sometimes broodies wont like you taking the eggs, they'll peck at you  >:( They also tend to be more talkative but not a noisy cluck more of a purr.
The way I tell is by placing my hand under the hen (palm up wards) and if she's broody she will snuggle down onto your hand :)

Re the chick in the nest, if you get a broody hen and she sits fertile eggs to hatch she is best moved in to her own quarters as soon as possible where she wont be disturbed by the other hens. Then if/when the chicks hatch they'll be safe. Moving is best done in the evening or at night :)
Some people use arks for this but they will need some extra room.
Chicks need to be kept safe from over head predators like magpies & seagulls as they will take babies :(

Sarah :)
Title: Re: Anyone into hatching eggs? What incubator do I need?
Post by: mad mark on April 21, 2009, 11:44
Hi Vember

When you say move into her own quarters do you mean in a different location from the other ladies? I have four in a converted garden shed and a fixed run attached, so I would have to either fence off an area or bring them out and put them inanother house all together... Do the other ladies attack, peck other ladies chicks?
Thanks for the help.
 :wacko:
Title: Re: Anyone into hatching eggs? What incubator do I need?
Post by: Vember on April 21, 2009, 13:22
Hi Mark

Yes she'll need to have a separate house and run for whilst she's broody and for rearing the chicks.
The other hens could kill the babies :(


Sarah :)