It is possible to renew the chicken stock not only by buying birds at the market or farm, but also by laying eggs under the brood hen. In order to get chickens naturally, you should carefully study the conditions of detention and hatching.

How many days does a chicken incubate chickens?

The hatching process takes 21 days. To control the formation of embryos, there is an ovoscope, which is taken on days 7, 11 and 18. To study the eggs, they choose the time when the brood hen has moved away from the nest. Starting from day 19, the chicks can already hatch. The quality of the eggs and the way they are stored may slightly change the hatch period.

How to choose a brood chicken

Not all hens have maternal instinct. There are 3 types:

• with instinct for incubation and care for chicks;
• with a weakened instinct when the bird sits on its eggs, but can spontaneously leave the clutch;
• birds that do not have a hatching instinct (leghorns, various crosses and industrial hybrids).

There are breeds that are famous for their maternal instinct, but not all individuals of this breed possess them to the right degree. The hen needs to be selected individually!

Did you know? Outbred domestic chickens, which have a strong instinct and sufficient mass to shelter the masonry, are often the best hens.

The mother hen is planted in May or in the first weeks of summer, when the natural environmental conditions are most favorable for the removal and growth of babies. Looking closely at the hens, you can immediately notice which of them are ready to hatch. These birds:

• make specific sounds (kvokhchut);
• pluck feathers and feathers, line their nest with them;
• do not want to leave the nest;
• demonstrate a decrease in egg production.

Having noticed such signs, it is necessary to plant the chicken on the eggs, "tricks" and make sure that it does not throw the clutch. If you did not find a suitable bird, you can take a proven old chicken and fix it with a basket or box in a nest with tricks. The chicken is taken out only for food and toilet. After 5–7 days, the brood hen should whine, otherwise they will take another chicken.

Important! The mother hen must be completely healthy! Before planting, you need to make sure that there are no parasites and treat the feathers with preparations or ash.

Before landing in the nest, the chicken should eat well. The optimal landing time is night or late evening to reduce stress.

Video: How to choose laying hens and see if the chicken is flying

Nest preparation

The best base for the nest is a wooden box with ventilation or a wicker basket. The nest is located in a calm place where no one will disturb the chicken. The universal size is 35x55 cm. To protect against rats, the nest can be located at a low height.

A layer of fresh clean straw is laid in the nest, which the hen then tamps on his own and decomposes as he wishes, adding fluff and feathers. In the center, make indentations and lay out 10–15 selected eggs. The number of eggs is selected according to the size of the brood hen, since the bird must reliably close and warm the clutch.

When there is no hen, the litter must be inspected and, if contaminated, replaced.

Egg selection and preparation

For effective incubation, eggs are taken that meet the following criteria:

• from healthy and sexually mature (over 7 months) chicken;
• not older than 6-7 days and storage at +15 ... + 20 ° С and humidity 75%;
• clean and whole, medium sized.

They do not take large eggs for hatching, which may contain two yolks and small ones, with a high probability of an unviable embryo. An examination on an ovoscope will help to identify internal problems with fertilization, which are displayed in the form of dark or blood blotches.

Care for the brood during the brooding period

Chicken should not be disturbed at the beginning of the process because, due to noise or irritants, it can leave a clutch. A similar regime is maintained at the end of incubation.

Important! It happens that the chicken separates from the masonry or buries an egg. It should be checked for viability.

The bird should go out daily for feeding, movement and bathing. The feeder and drinking bowl can also be placed next to the nest. Walks should last a maximum of 20 minutes, then the chicken must be returned to the eggs. During the absence of the hen, the masonry must be covered and heat saved. While the walk lasts, they carry out the cleaning of the nest, monitoring the condition of the eggs. If the hen does not want to leave the masonry, it must be carefully removed and let go for a walk, and the entrance is temporarily closed.It is necessary to increase the nutritional value of the diet in order to provide the bird with energy to maintain the hatching temperature. A periodic check of the plumage of the chicken will help to identify parasites in time and eliminate them.

What to do with the brood immediately after hatching

It is necessary to prepare a warm box, in which the born chickens are immediately cleaned, and the others wait until they hatch. Chicks should not be in a draft, so you need to cover the box, put a heating pad down, and put a blanket on top. A small hole is left for ventilation, and the temperature is maintained at +30 ° C. Dry chickens are returned to the brood hen. For the first feed you need millet, boiled chopped yolk and fresh water.

Did you know? Chickens can hatch not only their eggs, but also other birds (ducks, geese, swans)

Hatched eggs are suitable for personal farming. For industrial needs, an incubator is better.