[Viv]

I have now got the incubator its a corti 24 and have been reading the instructions. The egg dividers come out just before hatch day and this is where it gets a bit foggy in my mind, :oops:  :oops:  once they have hatched and spent a couple of days in the unit Do I then move them to a brooder and what can you recommend for a brooder?
I have a metal pet cage with a solid floor that I was going to line with cardboard, with sawdust on the floor. Will this be ok? and
1 Is a heat mat or a heat lamp best
2.How long do they stay in the brooder  
3.What age do they join the other girls

lots of thanks in advance

[babe]

1 Is a heat mat or a heat lamp best

ive never seen a heat mat work, but i imagine a lamp would be better, as the chicks can move away or towards the heat

2.How long do they stay in the brooder  

as below, but at least 4 weeks with heat, slowly getting cooler. usually around 6 weeks

3.What age do they join the other girls

at 6 weeks , when fully feathered, you can on nice days, let them into a litle run outside for a while.

[skyblue]

Hi

Have you seen the wooden boxes that are made up on pallets they are made up in levels with hinged corners. if you use three of these sections they make a great brooder. Us a heat lamp so that they can move away from the heat if they want to, if they hundle together directly under the lamp its to high and they are cold, all sitting around the edge and it is to low and they are hot, evenly spread around the brooder just right, raise the lamp a little each day using the above as indication as to temperature.At about six weeks if the weather is ok they should be off the heat. over the next two weeks get them used to going outside and by 8 weeks you should (if the weather is ok) be able to put them out. Chick crumb for the first 4 weeks then growers until POL. Lots of fresh water. to stop them getting bored i hang up a couple of old CD,s they spend hours playing with them, you can also hang up some greenry.

[Viv]

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep you all informed how I get on