How to Hatch Chicks Successfully with a Broody Hen - Quick Guide

If you use a broody hen to hatch fertile eggs, the hen will do most of the work for you. But there are a few things that you can do to increase your chances of a successful hatch of adorable healthy baby chicks.

- Make sure the hen is really broody before you put valuable fertile eggs under her. They can be any colour eggs.
- Set her up in a warm, comfortable, ventilated, draft-free broody nest that is completely free of red mites.
- Don't have her food and water in reach as she sits. She needs to get up for 10 - 45 minutes each day.
- Have a backup ready in case she abandons the eggs or attacks the hatching chicks.
- You can add chicks to her brood in the first few days, even different coloured chicks.
- Provide chick food (NOT layer feed). The hen can eat it too.
- Provide water in VERY shallow containers. Chicks that fall into deep water dishes can drown or die later of pneumonia.
- Provide insoluble grit for the chicks' digestion as soon as they are eating anything other than chick crumble. 2 - 3 mm. NOT shell grit.

For more fascinating facts, hints and tips about caring for your chickens, and the sheer pleasure of chickens, subscribe to my channel: Chickens in my garden - New Zealand
   / chickensinmygarden  

Catch up with me on Facebook   / chickensinmygarden  
Or if you are more interested in gardens than chickens, you can follow my garden page   / myplentifulgarden