We are so happy that 4 out of our 7 eggs hatched successfully! Here is my story about how we started this incubation process: I am Incubating Chicken Eggs! With a home incubation you can expect a 50% hatch rate. Since it was our first incubation we were hoping for 2-3 to hatch successfully. We had 4 hatch! The incubation process was fun and a great learning adventure with my kids. What is incredible to me about the whole thing is how fast it all happens. Only 21 days to grow an entire chick. God is an amazing creator!
For the very first egg that hatched we came home from the gym on Wednesday night just in time for our entire family of 5 to watch it come out of its egg. It was amazing! I got the entire experience on video and it was posted on Facebook Live. Here is the link to that video: https://www.facebook.com/groups/245329795925427/permalink/268324740292599/
We plan to buy our own incubator now. We will buy the Brinea Mini Advanced, which holds 7 regular size eggs for incubation: http://amzn.to/2nlGBuw
It was such a cool experience, we want to do it again! We can also buy a variety of different eggs. If you use the term “hatching eggs” on Craigslist you can find local farms that sell eggs for incubation. These hatching eggs would be eggs that are fertilized, so they can hatch. You can’t just put eggs from your grocery store in an incubator, as they aren’t fertilized eggs. Hens lay eggs, with or without the help of a rooster. If the rooster is involved then the eggs that are laid by the hens are fertilized. Grocery store eggs are not fertilized eggs. On Craigslist the Farms typically sell by the dozen for anywhere between $10-50 depending on what type of eggs/ chicken breed you want. I want to do silkies for sure. They are cute miniature chickens that are all fluff!
Now that they are out of the incubator, they are growing and thriving in our brooder. Justin made the screen for the top with supplies purchased from Ace hardware.
The brooder (aka big steel bin) came from Amazon: http://amzn.to/2nY9y2X. Here is some information about supplies if you ever wanted to hatch chicks yourself. I found the prices on Amazon to be great for buying our chicken supplies, so I also bought our chicken starter kit http://amzn.to/2nY9y2X
I also ordered from Amazon a light fixture with clamp http://amzn.to/2nYhjGb
The chicks need the temp of their brooder to be 90-95 degrees the first week and then you reduce the temp 5 degrees each week. You reduce the temperature by moving the light further away from their brooder. I purchased an infrared heat lamp light bulb to go with this light fixture: http://amzn.to/2n7kTsO
I even bought chick feed on Amazon. http://amzn.to/2n7knuw
How did I know what to buy? I ordered this book to prepare for the arrival of our chicks. http://amzn.to/2nqJDzB It was super helpful.
It is a learning experience for both parents and kids who want to do a home incubation. I recommend having a home for your chicks before you even hatch them. It’s even better if you plan to keep them yourself! I have learned a great deal about the incubating process in the past few weeks and am happy to help anyone by answering any questions, if they plan to incubate as well. My friend Sara E. was very helpful to me during this whole experience! Thank you Sara!
Now we are enjoying our chicks until they go to my friend Becky (when the chicks are 3-4 weeks old). Our friends and neighbors have come to visit the chicks as well. These will be well socialized chickens before Becky and her family get them.
What a wonderful learning experience for all. Not only are they getting to see the miracle of the baby chicks being born, but also how to care for them. Love these cute pictures, especially the first one of Brielle tenderly holding the little one. Her eyes are sparkling with excitement.
Thank you Joanne! It has been an incredible experience for our family! I love that friends have been able to come and enjoy these chicks as well. I don’t want it to end, which is why I will buy our own incubator. I can’t get over seeing the miracle of new life coming into this world. Having my own babies scared me to death, but baby chicks I can handle.
If you are ever in the Dallas area come on by to visit.