Caring for chicks after the incubator at home. Incubator heater: the purpose of the part What kind of light bulb to heat the chicks after the incubator

Some summer residents are afraid to have small chickens because it is a very responsible and troublesome job. Small chicks require special conditions of detention. It is very important to maintain the temperature of the chicks, feed them properly and keep them in the right conditions. Keeping chickens after an incubator is not easy, but if you try, the result will delight the owner.

How to choose a good chicken

Not all hatchery chicks are in excellent health. And the cost of an unhealthy chicken would be too high. Therefore, you need to remember some criteria by which you can choose a good young growth for your chicken coop:

• a healthy chick should confidently keep on its feet;
• his movements are clear and fast;
• the chicken instantly reacts to emerging sounds and flickering of light;
• the chick should have a developed pecking instinct;
• the abdomen should be soft and taut, and the umbilical cord should be completely healed;
• pay attention to the cleanliness of the cloaca;
• the chick's eyes should be sufficiently prominent and shiny, and the wings should fit snugly against the body.

How to care for chickens in the first days of life

The first weeks of life are considered the most dangerous period for the life and health of chickens. At this time, they require special attention to themselves and should be kept in optimal conditions. A caring owner must provide them with the best possible care at home:

• the required air temperature in the room;
• good, balanced nutrition;
• constant access to fresh and clean water;
• proper housing conditions (chicks should always be clean and warm).

Chicks that have dried out should be transplanted from the incubator directly below the hen. If you do not have such a chicken, then prepare a cardboard or wood box for them in advance. It should be of such a size that all chicks fit there and they have room to move. In such "houses" they quickly adapt and get stronger. The box should be kept in a dry and warm place so that future hens feel good.

Put a cloth folded in several layers at the bottom of the box. Some summer residents lay a newspaper, but this cannot be done. A slippery surface can dislocate or break a weak leg.

Where to relocate

When the first days of life are over, the chickens have grown strong for a long time, they can be moved to the chicken house. It is necessary to prepare this room in advance. To prevent the development of infections, you must maintain a clean, warm and dry house at all times. So, here are the basic requirements that must be met regarding the premises:

• complete disinfection of the room should be carried out;
• you need to ensure complete safety against cats and rats;
• air humidity should not exceed 70%;
• chickens should be spacious, so there should not be more than 12 heads on one square meter;
• the floor should be covered with hay.

For the first walk, chicks can be taken out within a week after birth. On the first day, they should walk no more than one and a half hours, and then you can increase the time spent in the fresh air. When the chickens get used to the outdoors, they can spend the whole day in an equipped pen. It should be made of netting that will keep the fugitives out of the paddock and keep the bait hunters out. As you know, the sun's rays are a source of vitamin D. When receiving it, chickens undergo a preventive course against rickets.

Optimum temperature for chicks

Caring for young animals also includes providing the right temperature and light. In the first month of life, chicks of chickens have practically no thermoregulation, so the owner must carefully monitor the temperature in the place where the chicks are. On the first day after the incubator, it should keep at around +35 degrees v. Further, one can gradually reduce to 30 degrees.

Experienced farmers use conventional incandescent bulbs to heat the box or chicken house. They should be located at a height of forty centimeters from the floor... Chicks should be able to stand under the lamp at any time if they are frozen or hide from its rays if they become too hot. The temperature should be monitored for the first month and a half.

In the place where the chickens live, there must be a thermometer. It should be hung ten centimeters above the floor. If its initial indicator should be +35 degrees, then by the end of the second month of life, +21 degrees will be enough for the chicks.

It is very simple to determine whether young animals are comfortable living. It is enough to observe their behavior for a while. Chickens, which are cold, try to stick together, move a little, huddle together. This condition leads to illness and even death. And if they play, have a good appetite, it means that they like everything and the owner can be calm.

Light is another important factor. In the early days, chicks need constant lighting.... You can later turn off the lamp for 15 minutes. The older the young grows, the shorter their daylight hours should be. Light is an excellent growth stimulant for chicks.

How to feed chickens at home

What else does the correct development of chickens depend on? From food, of course. The pecking instinct is developed in them from the very birth, so you don't have to bottle feed them. Their menu should include the following products:

For the first ten days, chickens should receive feed every two hours, then 6 times a day, and then no more than four. It is recommended to scatter feed in the places where they are located. Food in the trough can cause severe crush. To make sure that the chicks are full, watch them. Well-fed chickens go to bed after eating.

If among the young you notice that some chicks are less active and eat poorly, then it is better to place them in a separate box. There they will be able to grow stronger and quickly catch up with their fellows. And in a common box, they can simply be trampled.

Chickens always have fresh boiled water must be poured... A saucer and a jar turned upside down are used as a drinker. Thus, the water constantly fills the saucer and does not get fluff into it. It is important that the water is always fresh and the drinker clean.

How to raise broilers

There are two ways to raise broilers, but experienced farmers have chosen one for themselves, the best - intensive growing:

• from birth to slaughter, broilers are kept in small cages of 12 individuals per square meter. This is necessary to restrict movement and quickly gain mass;
• the feeder should be located in such a way that three centimeters of area are available for one head;
• throughout the life of individuals, they must be kept in the same temperature regime;
• the first five days of chickens' life, the lamp in their cage should not go out. Then, until 22 days, the lighting time is gradually reduced by several minutes every day. As a result, their daylight hours should be 18 hours;
• you need to feed these chickens with a special balanced compound feed. For broilers to gain weight quickly, they must have 24/7 access to food.

Raising chickens under a hen

Raising young chicks at home under a hen is the safest way to raise healthy chicks. A responsible laying hen will teach the chicks everything she knows herself. She will be able to show them how to get food and protect themselves from enemies. Keeping chickens with laying hens greatly facilitates the fate of the owner.

If you decide to give the chicken chicks from the incubator, then it is better to do it at night. After all, she may not accept chickens, therefore, on the first night, while the mother sits on the eggs, several day-old chicks are placed under her. In the morning, the owner watches to see if she has accepted them. If the result is positive, you can put the rest on the next night.

In early spring, a hen can heat up to 15 chicks, and in summer, up to 20 chicks can be placed. The laying hen will now provide care for the chickens, and the owner can only provide her with optimal conditions for raising the young.

Chicks that are born in natural conditions are at first under the constant care of the brooding mother. If yellow-haired babies hatch in an incubator, then it is your responsibility to look after and monitor them.

Therefore, in order to avoid various troubles associated with the health of growing pets, you need to follow the rules of feeding them, maintain the required temperature regime and provide your "squeaky pupils" with appropriate conditions for good growth.

Breeding chicks using an incubator

This method of raising chickens is in rather high demand, as it has a number of significant advantages. , among which the following can be distinguished:

Premises

After the incubator, keeping chickens at home is not difficult. To do this, you should remember a few basic requirements for caring for the home where the chickens are located:

Cleanliness is one of the most important conditions for a chicken house. To do this, you need to clean the place of residence of the chicks every day, in order to avoid the appearance of various infections.

If there is bedding, it needs to be changed regularly so that it is almost always dry and clean.

It is not advisable to keep a large number of chicks in one place of their keeping. It is important to provide free space for the young so that the chicks can run and walk freely, while exercising all the motor functions. Therefore, the area of ​​the room for keeping yellow pets directly depends on their number.

Permanent retreat indoors is not recommended. The poultry population needs regular walking, but it is advisable to do this when they are already one month old. Additional green food in the open air will help the chicks digestive system function well.

Light

Adequate amount of light is also an important condition for keeping poultry. Depending on the age of the young, the light regime is also determined.

During the first days of a chick's life, daylight hours should be maintained at a minimum of 18 hours. And when the chickens reach four months of age, this value can be reduced to 10 hours.

Such a light regime is applicable for any breed of domestic young animals, regardless of whether it is egg or meat.

In winter, the duration daylight hours are maintained with the help of artificial lighting devices, which are selected taking into account their power and the number of birds in the room.

Chick temperature

The temperature regime also depends on the age category of the bird.

Daily individuals up to five days need a temperature regime of up to 32 degrees above zero.

From the sixth day of life to nine days of age, the temperature should be gradually lowered to 28 degrees above zero.

From the tenth day to the twentieth, it should already be 25 degrees.

In subsequent periods, the temperature must be maintained at 20-24 degrees above zero.

The optimum temperature level can be ensured with appropriate artificial light bulbs. And in winter, additional heaters should be installed.

A variety of products can be used to heat a chick crate or cage. To maintain a comfortable temperature regime in the place where newborns or young chickens are located, the following types of heating are used:

Particular attention must be paid to the correct mounting of the lamps. The fact is that when heating a box with chickens, one should not forget about their safety and remember about the ability of individual heat sources to heat up excessively or, conversely, cool down. You also need to know that the heating of the air usually occurs unevenly and the temperature in the opposite corner from the heater will be correspondingly lower than directly next to it by about 3–6 degrees.

Egg chicks are often more mobile than their broiler counterparts. Therefore, a large chick house can be divided into several parts to save space for the first few days. This will help conserve energy and precious little energy. It is necessary to heat boxes or cages until the age of one month, and after which a temperature of about 18 degrees is set for the chickens in their dwelling. If there is deep bedding warming up should be carried out at a level of 15 degrees.

Red lamps for heating chicks

Sources of infrared radiation that are used to heat chicks must be protected from moisture penetration, shock, possible shock and nosy chicks. Also, do not forget about the risk of accidental fire, which can lead to serious consequences, therefore, the infrared lamp, covered with a protective casing, must be suspended at a safe height. Currently, many options for such equipment are being produced, among which the following can be distinguished:

Mirror red lamp with a red or transparent flask. In the first case, all the energy consumed is converted into heat, and in the second, in addition, also into a luminous flux. These lamps are quite powerful and allow you to heat small chicks without interruption and reliably.

A lamp with a ruby-domed bulb. This appliance heats up instantly and is very economical due to its reflectivity.

The heat flow parameters also depend on the lamp mounting height, which must be adjusted depending on the age of the chickens.

Newborn chicks and up to one week of age they are heated with a lamp from a height of 50 cm.

From the second to the third week, chicks are heated from a height of 72 cm from their litter.

For older individuals, the lamp is set at a meter height. As a result of the lamp removal process, the temperature of the chicks is lowered and the heating and lighting area is noticeably increased. The use of red lamps helps to stimulate the chicks to grow rapidly and develop good immunity.

How to care for chickens: nutrition

Newborn chick food: care from day one

Immediately after hatching, you need start feeding chicks. But first you should wait until they dry out and get stronger.

After that, a little corn grits are poured onto the bottom of the box or into a flat feeder, since it has a fine structure and will be the most suitable food for newborn chicks.

It is not recommended to give crushed yolk to newborn chickens, since it is rather fatty for yellow-haired youngsters. Among other things, veterinarians believe that such food will not be a normal load for the muscular structure of the stomach of a newborn chicken. And the result of this may be violation of the structure and formation of the walls of the fragile stomach of a newly hatched baby. Roughage is also contraindicated for young chicks, as it can cause digestive upset.

Feeding day old chicks

Daily chicks, unlike newborns, can diversify their diet and, in addition to corn grits, give the following types of feed:

• Wheat groats.
• Millet.
• Semolina.
• Ground oatmeal.
• Barley groats.

Feeding day old chicks should be done every two hours and feed should be given in small portions. At the same time, it is advisable not to mix cereals, otherwise the chicks will peck them selectively, choosing the one they like the most, and in the future they will only eat this type of product. Therefore, feed mixtures best served dry and individually.

For full development and growth, in addition to cereals, other components must be included in the poultry diet. Cottage cheese will be very useful for young individuals, since this product saturates the body of chickens with calcium and nitrogenous substances. You can start giving cottage cheese already on the second or third day after the chicks are born in the morning, after mixing it with cereals.

You should know that dairy products are very beneficial for newly hatched babies. Therefore, instead of water, you can add liquid kefir or whey to the drinker.

On the third day of chicks you can start feeding greens. As a green food, the following are good:

• Nettle.
• Clover.
• Mokrets.
• Plantain.
• Dandelion.

Feeding weekly individuals

Chicks one week old they are already beginning to give a mixture of the following cereals:

• Wheat.
• Oat.
• Barley.
• Corn.

The cereals are mixed in equal proportions. As an addition, dairy products and chopped greens are added to the mixture.

During this period, young chicks are fed less often, but in greater volume. Feeding should be done up to five times during the day.

Feeding one month old chicks

When the chicks are one month old they can already be released into the yard for walking. Therefore, during this period, the main diet of chickens is green fodder. Eating grass or other greens enriches the growing poultry body with vitamins and other beneficial elements that are necessary for proper metabolism and healthy growth of chickens.

In addition, laying hens need to introduce coarse grains into the diet, and starting from one and a half months to feed them with whole grains. And also, you can give food waste and meat and bone meal.

Diseases of chickens

Chickens, like all other chicks of other bird species, are subject to various diseases. The most common of these are the following diseases:

• Salmonellosis.
• Coccidosis.
• Digestive disorders.
• Avitaminosis.
• Poisoning.

For the correct treatment of diseases, you need to know what symptoms they are characterized by, and if necessary, urgently contact the veterinary service.

Chick disease prevention

Preventive measures serve as fairly good protection against various diseases of the chicks. Here are some useful tips and advice from experts in this regard:

Breeding chickens is a rather time-consuming process that will require you to take a responsible attitude to this matter. ... To chickens they grew up healthy and developed rapidly, it is imperative to follow all the rules for their maintenance. Among other things, one of the main conditions for the full development of your yellow-throated pets is warm care and constant care for them, as a result of which you will receive an appropriate return.

If you are faced with the task of raising chickens, then you need to understand that they need special care. Creating comfortable conditions should be a top priority, otherwise it will hardly be possible to raise a healthy bird.

Raising chicks under a brood hen makes the job easier as there is no need for additional heating. Chicks also learn from their mother to find food and water. However, nothing is impossible, and it is quite possible to raise healthy chickens without a brood hen.

What kind of bulbs are used to raise chickens?

For installation in an aviary with chickens, you can use different types of lighting:

• Fluorescent lamps.

The main advantage is efficiency. The main drawback is frequent flickering, which is invisible to the human eye, however, the vision of the chickens is much sharper. Because of this, the light can irritate the birds.

• LED.

They are also economical in terms of energy consumption and have no flicker effect. In addition, such lighting has a long service life, has an adequate level of protection, and emits light of a different spectrum. The main disadvantage is the high cost, so not everyone can afford this lighting.

• Combined.

They give both infrared and are a good option for installation in enclosures with chickens.

• Infrared.

They help to save on electricity, have an acceptable cost. According to poultry farmers, this type of heating is most suitable for birds.

For raising chickens, heating pads, water heating, and a stove are also used as heaters, however, infrared lamps are invariably most popular, which help to solve the problem of lighting and heating at the same time.

What is an infrared lamp?

It is the highest quality heat emitter. It has gained great popularity not only for this reason - high productivity can be achieved with minimal energy consumption, which is especially important when raising a large number of birds.

Terms of use

In order for the chicks to be safe, it is necessary to adhere to the rules of operation. Therefore, the bird lamp must be used in conjunction with lamps fitted with ceramic holders. This will help prevent moisture and flammable straw from entering them.

Principle of operation

The IR lamp for heating chicks functions very simply - in the process of its operation, electricity is converted into infrared radiation. The design is quite safe, since thick glass is used in the production of a glass bulb, which is protected from moisture and shock. A special reflective material is applied to the inside of the glass to help focus and direct light and heat to the chicks. Lamps must be installed at a height of 30-40 cm from the floor.

A 250 W heating lamp for chickens can illuminate and heat a room of 10 square meters. m. This is quite enough for raising birds. However, it is wiser to install multiple bulbs in the chicken brooder in case one burns out. Otherwise, if you are not around, the chickens will be left without heating, and this can turn into a tragedy for them and for you, respectively.

In order for chicks to grow, it is necessary to observe two factors: the organization of a closed space and a heat / light regime, since they are highly sensitive to temperature extremes.

Chick behavior

Birdwatching can help you find out if they are comfortable living in a brooder. If the chickens run all over the room, then there is nothing to worry about - they are warm and comfortable. If they huddle together, concentrate near the lamp, then they are cold. Then it is necessary to install the IR lamp lower or increase the heating.

When the room is too hot, the chicks will be quiet, breathing heavily and scattering to the sides. It is worth reducing the heating or installing the lamp higher.

You can breed broilers and chickens of egg breeds. The latter are much more mobile so that they do not waste their energy, you can build fences. It is also necessary to install a drinking bowl and a feeder.

What are the benefits of a heating lamp for chicks?

• It is able to maintain an optimal moisture level in the brooder with chicks due to the fact that the excess moisture particles in the air evaporate when heated.
• Infrared illumination emits a calm and soft light that does not irritate the chicks and reduces aggressiveness.
• Helps improve bird appetite and feed absorption.
• has a beneficial effect on the immune system of chickens.
• Such a heater has a high efficiency.
• Electricity costs are 4 times less than other heaters.
• IR radiation dries out the litter.

It is worth remembering that heating of chickens with an infrared lamp is acceptable, but not for adult birds.

How to organize a brooder correctly?

The place where the chickens will live is called a brooder. Day-old chicks are immediately placed in it, the care of which in the first days of life is most important.

Chicks are in the aviary for 3 weeks, after which they will need to be transplanted into a brooder with feeders around the perimeter.

In the early days, newspapers or cloth should be placed on the brooder floor to keep the chicks warm and not blown from underneath. It is also necessary that the heating lamp for the chickens exude 30 degrees of heat, this will help dissolve the yolk in their bellies. The growth and health of birds will depend on this. Such conditions must be maintained for 5 days. Further, on the 10th day, the temperature should be at the level of 26 degrees, then every week it is necessary to reduce it by 3 degrees. To quickly navigate the level of heat, it is worth installing a thermometer.

A brooder for chickens can be made with the following parameters: length 70 cm, width 50, height 40. It is better to choose plywood as the material for the side walls, and roofing iron for the bottom.

While the chickens are growing, they are kept 100-200 units in an aviary, after they reach three weeks of age, they are seated in 50 chickens in new aviaries.

Light mode

If you have day old chicks, grooming and proper light conditions will have a big impact on their performance.

Experienced poultry farmers raise chickens in windowless enclosures with ever-shrinking daylight hours. Reducing weekly daylight hours by 30 minutes can delay puberty in chicks, but it will also promote good growth, moult completion before laying, which will help produce larger eggs with stronger shells.

On the farm, such a regime is appropriate only for chickens taken for growing in June, when it lasts 15-16 hours. If chickens are raised for the April-May brood, then they should be kept in an aviary with curtained windows and walked after sunrise. Long daylight hours provoke premature egg laying, and this leads to a decrease in productivity.

Thus, it is worth paying attention to every little detail in order to succeed in raising chickens. It is worth remembering that the chicken heating lamp is of particular importance in the poultry industry. In addition, it is used in raising livestock.

The procedure for raising chickens after an incubator consists of many manipulations, on the correct and timely implementation of which it will depend on how healthy and strong they will grow.

Raising chickens: highlights

1. The most optimal solution for day old chicks is rearing under a brood hen, which can provide them with the necessary level of heating and comfort.
2. If the chicks after the incubator are kept at the wrong temperature, then there is a high probability of their death: in search of heat, the chicks can crush each other.
3. Conditions that are too cold cause poor appetite, and excessive heat makes chicks thirsty and immobile.
4. If the temperature is correct, the chicks will eat well and move actively along the entire perimeter of the cage, which will allow them to gain strength faster.
5. For day-old chicks that will be raised in artificial conditions, it is worthwhile to equip a special fenced and heated place in advance with high quality. For these purposes, a box made of wood, upholstered with insulation on the inside, or a cardboard box, the height of which is 40-60 cm, is perfect.
6. The box or box in which the chickens will be kept must be installed not on the floor, but on some surface. The inner space should be covered with thick paper, which will make the bottom warmer. Once the chicks are 4-7 days old, the paper can be replaced with bedding.

What should be the lighting?

For the first 10 days, the chicks after the incubator should be kept under 24 hours of daylight. As the bird matures, the time will need to be gradually reduced to 9-10 hours, until the chickens reach 2 months of age. It will be necessary to adhere to such a light regime until the young chickens begin to lay eggs.

For lighting, you should use electric lamps, the power of which is 1 sq. the floor should be 3-4 watts.

What should be the optimal heating?

The first thing to consider before keeping chicks out of the hatchery is optimal heating, which can be achieved in several ways:

• The first option involves the use of an electric lamp, the power of which is in the range of 100-150 W, and reflectors with a metal mesh. If the chickens are in a box or box, then 1-2 reflectors should be installed on top of it, into which ordinary incandescent bulbs are screwed in place of the heating elements (their power should be 40-60 W).
• A more energy-saving option would be a flask filled with hot water or a heating pad, previously wrapped in woolen cloth or ordinary cotton wool. But when using this heating method, it will be necessary to replace the water in a timely manner. However, it is this option that is most acceptable for chicks from the incubator, which eagerly accumulate near such a pleasant source of heat.

What should be the temperature?

The optimum temperature for keeping chicks out of the incubator will help keep them healthy, which is why this issue should be taken especially seriously. To control it, you will need to install a thermometer at a height of 0.5 m from the floor.

As the young grows, the temperature will also decrease:

• from 29 to 33 ° С - the first 5 days;
• 26 ° С - from 5 days to 10 days (inclusive);
• every next 7 days, the temperature regime should decrease by 3-4 ° С (the temperature should be lowered until it reaches 16-18 ° С).

How and what should chickens eat?

For optimal growth of chicks, you will need to organize a special diet for them. However, not everyone knows how to feed the chickens after the incubator, which leads to various diseases and poor growth of the young.

The chicken diet should look like this:

• Protein feed - milk (dry), whey, boiled peas, fish and meat waste, sunflower, cottage cheese. These products are introduced after the 5th day of the chick's life.
• Grain feed - corn, barley, wheat, rye, oats.
• Various mineral additives - chalk, shells, charcoal, ash, salt. They should be given starting from the 5th day of the life of the young.
• Various vitamins - pine needles, pumpkin, carrots, hay.
• Greens - sorrel leaves, clover, nettle, woodlice, dandelion leaves.

Ready-made compound feeds called "starting" are very convenient. They contain a complete set of necessary nutrients and vitamins, so that the brood can only be fed with ready-made feed, gradually introducing ground grain.

As for the number of feedings throughout the day, it should look like this:

• 1 week - 8 feedings;
• 2 weeks - 6 feedings;
• 3 weeks - 4 feedings.

The chicks must have fresh water in a special drinking bowl, which prevents the feet from getting wet and, as a result, colds. The drinker is easy to buy in the market or in the store, it is put on a glass jar of the required volume.

How to walk the chickens?

Chickens should be taken for a walk from the 5th day of their life. Sunlight can have a positive effect on the body of young animals, while activating the production of vitamin D, due to which the likelihood of developing rickets in chicks is excluded. The enclosure where the chicks are located should have enough sun, as well as a shaded area.

Such walks should take place exclusively on sunny days and calm weather. If it is too damp and cold outside the window, then young animals should be kept indoors until 2 months of age.

Before raising chickens after an incubator, it is imperative to follow all the recommendations listed above. Only with proper and timely care will it be possible to raise really strong and healthy chicks.

The owners of subsidiary farms are regularly faced with the task of replenishing the livestock of birds. It is not necessary to count on solving the issue with the help of hens. Chickens of modern breeds rarely become brood hens, and the volume of brood chickens is insignificant. If we add to this the subsequent decrease in the level of egg production in layers, then using an incubator for hatching chicks is the best way out of the situation.

Preparatory stage

Having set a goal to get chickens from the incubator, you should initially study all the nuances of the technological process of their hatching. It is allowed to organize activities at any time, but beginners should think about the further maintenance of chickens. Therefore, a favorable time is the beginning of the warm season, that is, laying eggs in April, hatching chicks in May. So that the efforts expended are not in vain, first of all, it is necessary to organize adequate nutrition for chickens. In addition to the usual feed, during the cold period they add to the diet:

• artificial vitamins;
• cake steamed in boiling water;
• vegetables.

Important ! Lack of nutrients during the laying period will negatively affect the health of the hatched chicks.

Selection of eggs for offspring

Eggs to be hatched in a chick hatchery are carefully selected:

• On an industrial scale, they are weighed; at home, it is enough to estimate the size of the egg by eye. It is not recommended to use too large and too small specimens, the correct solution for hatching in an incubator is an average size.
• Next, carefully examine the surface of the shell. An ovoscope will be of significant help in this lesson. Cracks, build-ups, pimples or depressions are unacceptable for hatching eggs. If a specimen with a notch belongs to a rare breed and is of particular value, experts recommend applying a thin strip of starch-based glue to it. Incorrect egg shape is another reason to refuse to lay it in the hatchery.
• The ovoscope helps determine the freshness of the egg. The slightly darkened spot at the blunt end is an air chamber that increases with each day the egg is stored. Chicks hatched from stale eggs are lagging behind in development.
• A sharp displacement of the yolk when turning indicates a torn cord, such a specimen must be discarded.

The material selected for the incubator must be disinfected. Small volumes are carefully cleaned with a rag dipped in a manganese solution. Large batches are treated with formaldehyde vapor.

Attention ! Dirty eggs are not suitable for hatching chicks in an incubator.

Eggs intended for further placement in order to hatch chicks are stored upright with the blunt end in an upright position. The room temperature for short-term storage is 18 ° C, for a longer period it must be reduced, the air humidity indicator is about 80%. The maximum permissible shelf life before being placed in the incubator is 6 days, the quality of the hatched chicks is higher if the eggs are stored for no more than 2 days.

Unit installation

All devices have differences in technological parameters. Therefore, before starting the process of hatching chickens, you must carefully read the operating instructions for the incubator. Before the initial setting and after each hatching of the chicks, the mechanism is thoroughly cleaned, while the use of chemicals is prohibited. It is recommended to check the new unit in idle operation for 3 days, observing the serviceability of all mechanisms and sensors. The incubator is installed on a flat surface in a well-ventilated room, the air temperature in which is 22-24 ° C and is not subject to significant fluctuations during the day. There should be no heating devices nearby, and the likelihood of its heating from the rays of sunlight should be excluded. To humidify the air during the hatching period, water trays are installed in the incubator. Depending on the design, the incubator is turned on for heating 3-24 hours before laying the eggs.

Before laying future chicks, they should be brought into a warm room in order to warm up and to avoid a sharp drop in temperature in the unit in the first hours after placing the eggs. The incubator for hatching chicks can function in the mode of automatic turning of eggs or with the need to carry out these actions mechanically. In the second case, the eggs are marked with different marks: these can be the letters "U" - morning and "B" - evening, or a stick and a cross. The sign does not matter, the main thing is that it should be applied with a simple soft pencil, the use of markers or other means with a chemical base is unacceptable. Such actions are necessary to control the overturning process in full. If future chicks differ in size, it is recommended first of all to lay larger specimens, after 5 hours - medium ones, last of all - small ones. This will allow you to get offspring in the incubator at approximately the same time.

Important ! Compliance with temperature and humidity levels are key conditions for hatching healthy chicks in an incubator with minimal losses.

The high temperature provokes the development of the embryo at an accelerated pace, however, "overheated" chickens are smaller, often they do not have time to overgrow the umbilical cord. Breeding in an incubator with a low temperature gives offspring with a delay of one day. In this case, the embryo may die before hatching, and the surviving chickens have a reduced activity. There is a risk of the beak and skin of the chicks sticking to the shell. Deviations in incubator humidity also negatively affect hatching results.

In order not to subject future chicks in the incubator to serious tests, the periods of embryo development before hatching and the optimal conditions for each of them should be studied. The chick formation time is divided into 4 stages:

1. from 1 to 6 days after being placed in the incubator;
2. 7-10th day of development;
3. 12-18 days (until the first squeak of unhatched chicks appears);
4. Day 18-21 is the final hatching period for chicks in the incubator.

In the period of development from the first to the third period, future chicks undergo regular turning. This will prevent the growth of the embryo in the shell. Experts recommend different time intervals between manipulations. Some agree that twice a day is enough to hatch chickens. Others insist on 4 single procedures: early in the morning, late in the evening and 2 times during the day. Rare professionals advise turning over every 1-2 hours, when at the same time to sleep, even being the owner of an automatic incubator, it is not said. The golden mean in the form of a 4-time process during the day is quite enough for the correct maturation of the embryos of chickens in the incubator. Manual actions are carried out carefully; during the operation of the mechanism, it is necessary to periodically check whether the laying of future chicks has not been disturbed. At the final stage, from day 18 until hatching, the turning procedures are stopped.

If the volumes of setting in the incubator are not industrial scale, at the end of each period of embryo formation, the eggs are examined on an ovoscope and discarded. It is not recommended to report new ones during this period due to the differing conditions of hatching at different stages. The correct development of chicks in individual incubators is impossible without regular ventilation and spraying to increase moisture levels.

The decrease in temperature in the incubator is associated with the development of the chick embryo and self-generation of heat. The increase in ventilation time is due to the increased metabolic rate and increased gas exchange in future chicks in the incubator. You should not completely rely on an automatic incubator, it is recommended to periodically check the serviceability of the mechanisms, if possible, have several devices for measuring temperature, placing them in different parts of the unit.

Caring for chickens in the first days of life

After hatching the chicks for 21 days, they are left for some time to dry completely in the incubator. Subsequently, the chicks move to a specially prepared place (nursery). Healthy individuals have the following characteristics:

• shiny down and strong legs;
• react to sounds and move actively;
• the eyes of the chicks are slightly prominent, clear, the beak is short;
• the umbilical cord is soft, the belly is not sagging.

Some abnormalities in the form of a dried blood clot, a slightly enlarged abdomen or dull fluff with mild pigmentation should not be the reason for culling. Chicks may experience an umbilical hernia after hatching as a result of slight overheating in the incubator. The problem is solved by gluing the hole with an adhesive plaster, which will tighten in a few days. Weak individuals are recommended to be killed immediately. The high mortality immediately after hatching in the incubator is influenced by two factors: poor quality of eggs during setting or deviations from the established incubation conditions.