With the onset of spring, poultry rearing people have a lot of new trouble. It is better that the chicken lays on its eggs in April: this month there are already quite a lot of warm days, but the heat is still far away. If the chicks appear in May, it will not be difficult to keep them: the first weeks, of course, they will need additional heating and lighting, but as soon as they grow up a little, it will be warm on the street for walks.
Beginner farmers are most interested in the question of how many days the chicken hatches eggs. This information must be known in order to optimally determine the time at which it is better to bookmark the offspring. Of course, the ideal option would be if the brood hen shows a nesting instinct, and she lays on her eggs. It manifests itself quite noticeably: the bird becomes nervous, but at the same time it can sit in a nest for a long time. If the chicken stopped laying eggs, lost weight, her earrings and comb decreased, and her stomach began to be exposed - in front of you is a hen.
Try to put it in a laid out nest, and you will learn from experience how many days the chicken hatches eggs. This method of obtaining chicks is considered ideal, because it does not require any outside intervention. The chicken will not only warm the eggs for 21 days, but will also help the chickens to be born, will take care of them, feed them.
If possible, it is better to use only proven hens. Sometimes it’s not enough just to know how many days the chicken hatches eggs. Some young individuals may exhibit a breeding instinct, but their patience can last only for 2-3 days. To check the brood hen, you can place ordinary eggs or wooden dummies under it. If she will sit quietly for several days, will not jump up and cluck when a person comes to her, then she is suitable. Otherwise, it is better to look for another mother for chickens.
If none of the chickens shows a particular desire to hatch eggs, you can try to get them to do it. To do this, you need a prepared socket and a box with slots. After sitting the chicken, cover it: usually the bird who has been sitting for 3-4 days begins to show the instinct of nesting, and already voluntarily agrees to become a brood hen. Do not be afraid that she will leave the chickens that have not yet been hatched prematurely, because she does not know how many days the chicken hatches eggs. The hen will warm them until they themselves begin to hatch in the light. When they appear, the chicken can be entrusted with the care of other chickens that were hatched in the incubator.
When choosing individuals for hatching, what types of chickens you choose are also of considerable importance. The best moms are considered local mongrel, meat and egg breeds are also suitable. Do not be afraid to lay eggs from another poultry under them: they will sit on ducks, and geese, and turkeys.
But hatching in a hatchery is much more difficult. If a hen is sitting on the eggs, the main thing is to feed her, she will worry about the offspring herself. In the incubator, you will have to not only turn over the eggs daily, but also monitor the temperature and humidity. It is important to ensure the warmth of the first days and short-term access to cooler air after 11 days of incubation. Note that ventilation should be strictly dosed, and the time for heating the eggs after cooling should be reduced to a minimum. It is also important not to overheat them - this can cause death or deformity of chickens.