2 Methods About How To Hatching Eggs And DIY Egg Incubator
Seeing the lovely chicken that you raise entered the laying season is such a happy thing. It means that you will have some new chickens. What should you do? Yap, you may think you have to hatch the eggs properly so they can hatch successfully. How to hatch the eggs at home or by yourself?
There are two methods for you to hatch the eggs, which is hatching eggs without an incubator and hatching eggs with an incubator. The first is traditional or manual and the second one is in a modern way.
Method 1: Hatch Eggs Without an Egg Incubator
This way is the simple way to hatch the egg manually and exactly it doesn’t need an egg incubator. What steps should be taken to hatch eggs without an egg incubator?
1. Make Sure You Have a Broody Hen
The important thing in this method is you need a broody hen around you. What kind of hen that better to use as a broody hen? Among the many hens, you can choose silkie chicken, cochin chicken, or Orpington chicken. These chickens are good hen and will incubate the eggs well in the nest.
In case you don’t know, a broody hen is a hen who instinctively and hormonally she wants to incubate her eggs. Then, how to know a broody hen is broody? The characteristic of the broody hen that you can observe is that the broody hen will usually be more often in the nest or cage. She will also be a little more fierce, especially when someone or other chicken intrudes on his territory. Usually, the fur will expand like when it incubates.
2. Setting The Nest / Cage For The Place Of The Eggs To Hatch
It will be better if you set the place for broody hen in a separate place, calm, quiet, clean, windless, and far from predators. Make sure the broody hen cage has enough space for her to eat, drink, and move. You can set the nest as comfortably as possible and give it a pedestal like rice straw.
If you are sure that the cage for the broody hen is ready, prepare your fertile eggs and put them in the nest underneath the hen. You can do this in the night because you will not bother the broody hen and make her still calm. Don’t forget to provide some enough food and drink for your broody hen, and place the food and drink away from the nest, so that if it spills it won’t hit the nest.
3. Make Sure There Aren’t Someone or Other Chicken Who Bother Her
After your broody hen starts to incubate the eggs, let her in the cage calmly. If you want to candle eggs, do it carefully and quickly. If you have another broody hen, it will be good. Because we will never know whether the broody hen will continue to incubate the eggs or if she suddenly leaves the cage and forgets the eggs. If this happens, you can still save the eggs and move them to another broody hen.
4. Wait Until The Eggs Fully Hatch
After approximately 21 days, the eggs will begin to hatch. However, it could be faster or longer than 1 or 2 days. Usually, the eggs will crack first and the chicks will come out on their own. Don’t move the eggs while they are still hatching and you don’t need to worry if the chickens don’t fully come out of their shells. Wait for 2 x 24 hours, if it still can’t get out of the shell, slowly help with your hands.
Hatching eggs using the manual method without an egg incubator is indeed something that is challenging. There is a chance of success, but of course, the percentage of the successful hatching is greater if you use the egg incubator. However, you don’t need to worry, make sure you do each step correctly, and be sure that all your eggs will hatch well. Hatch eggs naturally using a broody hen, no need to turn the eggs. Because the hen will turn the eggs independently. For surveillance or candling, you can do it once or twice very carefully to make sure the eggs you are going to hatch are fertile and develop properly.
Method 2: Hatch Eggs With an Egg Incubator
Besides using the manual method, hatching eggs can also use modern methods, which is using an egg incubator. The percentage of eggs that will hatch if you use an egg incubator will be higher. The capacity of an egg incubator also varies. However, if it’s only for home use, it looks like you don’t need a large capacity.
The price of the incubator also varies. If you don’t want to buy it, calm down. We will share how to make your own egg incubator at home.
How To Make a Simple Egg Incubator?
This egg incubator is very simple, you can get the ingredients around you. What are the ingredients and how are they made?
Tools and Materials You Will Need
- Thick cardboard with a size of 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm. If the box is not thick enough, you can coat the cardboard of the same size.
- Good quality 5-watt bulb with good and stable heat.
- Several meters of cables and other electrical equipment to supply electrical power to a simple egg incubator.
- Scissors or cutter.
- The solution.
- Rice Straw.
- A place to put water, approximately 8-10 cm long.
How to Make a Simple Egg Incubator
- Prepare the cardboard, make a ventilation hole at the top of the cardboard with a size of 6 cm x 6 cm.
- Make another vent hole with a size of 1 cm, located at the bottom.
- To maintain air humidity inside the cardboard box, place the water container in one of the corners of the cardboard side.
- Place the rice husks on the bottom of the cardboard with a thickness of 3 cm. It should be covered under the husk using the newspaper.
- Install a light bulb with a power of 5 watts right in the center of the box, and the distance from the surface of the egg is 8-10 cm.
Hatching eggs requires patience and caution. If you do all the processes with joy and confidence, and on the basis of sufficient knowledge, you can start to hatch eggs independently.
Hopefully, our article helps, if you have criticism, suggestions, or questions, please comment on this below.
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