Features of hatching chickens from eggs

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The success in breeding any bird depends on how well the process of breeding young animals is staged. And this is also true for domestic chickens, regardless of whether the chicks are hatched in an incubator or under a brood hen. And in this matter, much depends on the quality of the eggs, on heredity and on the conditions of incubation. The success of chick hatching can be influenced both through preliminary preparations and during the hatching process. At the same time, the effect on hatching of chicks can be not only positive, but also negative.

Hatching chicks from an egg

What factors influence the successful emergence of chicks from eggs

There are a number of factors that affect how chicks hatch, and whether or not they hatch at all. They should be taken into account when breeding chicks, so as not to waste eggs, and not to waste time and energy. Most of these factors can affect both positively and negatively at the same time, it all depends on the specific situation. It should be borne in mind that it is more difficult for chicks to hatch in an incubator than for those that are bred by a brood hen. Therefore, the farmer who uses incubatormust pay special attention to the hatching process.

All factors should be divided into two main groups. And we are not talking about positive and negative influences and reasons. They are divided according to a different criterion, namely, according to whether they are bred in an incubator, or by a brood hen. At the same time, there are a number of factors that act in both cases. They will all be listed separately. You should start with those factors that affect both artificial hatching and natural incubation. Here is a list of these influences, and the possible results of their influence:

• The first factor that always affects the quality of eggs is feedingwhat hens and layers get. The hatching process of a small chick will not even begin if the embryo lacks nutrients. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the quality and quantity of the food that the parents of the chicks receive.
• The second factor, which is sometimes combined with the first, is the amount of vitamins and minerals in the poultry feed. There must be a balance here. An example is the amount of calcium a hen receives. If there is little calcium, then the shell is too fragile, and the embryo is weak, and with thin bones. If there is a lot of calcium, then the shell turns out to be hard, and the chicks usually do not hatch unaided.
• The third factor, which, of course, always affects the percentage of hatch from eggs is the breeding stock of chickens. If the birds are sick, or closely related crossing is allowed, then many chicks do not hatch, or they are unable to break through the shell. Sometimes they don't even squeak inside, but silently suffocate in the shell.
• Eggs that have been in storage for a long time.The so-called old eggs are the reason that chicks do not hatch well in the incubator or under the hen. There is even a separate table that shows how shelf life affects the overall hatch rate of chicks. And in order for the chicks to hatch on time, it is better to use a fresh egg.
• Eggs too large. Embryos in them always hatch worse, and larger chicks are weaker than their counterparts, and often die without hatching. When hatching they are more sensitive to humidity and temperature and heat up more. Therefore, the owners of these cabinets usually have to lay the larger eggs separately from the rest of the clutch.

What exactly affects hatching in the incubator and under the hen

The group of factors described below affects exclusively hatching and should only be considered by those who prefer to use artificial cultivation. But the owners of layers can also use this information if they decide to purchase or make an incubator. They are also worth considering because sometimes a good laying hen can turn out to be a bad hen, and the egg will have to be urgently transferred to the incubator. Here is a list of factors that affect hatching of chicks in an incubator:

• Indoor humidity level. Due to the low humidity, there is often no biting, and the egg is already dead by the time of hatching. And with high humidity, the baby may die after the bite has appeared. Or the shell may crack ahead of time and before the allotted time.
• Temperature conditions. For example, at high temperatures, the egg may not even bite. And if the temperature was increased on the last day before hatching, the chick may die after biting. Well, at low temperatures, the embryo may not even develop.
• Egg flips. If they are not turned over correctly, or left pointed upside down, the embryo may die. Therefore, it is worth watching the available video on how to properly turn the clutch in an incubator. The help of a more experienced farmer will not be superfluous.
• Ventilation quality. If ventilation is poorly done, it has a very negative effect on the percentage of chicks born. Too strong or weak ventilation leads to sad consequences. Possible options are the absence of pecking, the death of already hatched babies, and their adhesion to the shell.

The reasons that affect exclusively the hatching under the hen are somewhat less. The greatest influence in this case is exerted by the maternal qualities of the laying hen. In many egg-laying chickens, the maternal instinct is not developed, and the clutch has to be shifted under other birds, or artificially incubated. And in the event that the laying hen honestly incubates the clutch, a lot depends on its owner. You need to make sure that she leaves for food and drink, and also make sure that she sits back on her nest in time.

How is the process of hatching a chick from an egg

Every novice farmer should know exactly how the process of hatching a chick is going on. Chicks hatch after three weeks after hatching or artificial incubation begins. And how exactly the babies hatch can be watched in the video in order to support theoretical knowledge with observations. And incubator owners should remember that the better the egg care, the higher the hatch rate. And no matter how good the incubator model is, you need to keep the clutch in a healthy state.

Chicks are born on day 21 of incubation, but the first signs can be seen as early as 18-19 days after the start of hatching. And even if you watch the hatching of chickens on a good video, you will not be able to see this moment there. By this time, the babies have already matured enough, and within 1-2 days you can hear some movement in the egg. And if you look at it through ovoscope, then it will be possible to see the chick itself.But ovoscopy should not be done without a really important reason.

And on days 19-21, the chickens begin to move more actively. Usually at this time the first holes are hatched on the shell. But do not rush right away and try to help the baby get out. If you break the shell on an egg ahead of time, it may die. But if in the future new holes do not appear, then it is already necessary to help the chick and break the egg by hand. According to some farmers, hatching can take a day or two. And if the baby moves, but does not crawl out, then he must be helped.

Chicken pecking from an egg

If the time is right, the owners can watch the whole process from the very beginning to the end. It lasts a few hours and varies depending on the quality of the eggs and the breed of chickens. On days 19-21, the first crack appears on the egg, and the first squeak is heard. And after a couple of hours, a shell hatches at the crack site. Further, new cracks and peaks begin to appear, usually in a circle on the egg. During this period, the shell cracks within a few hours, and is ready to completely fall apart.

The cracks in the shell are due to the egg tooth - this formation in the chick is designed specifically to crack the egg. This happens no longer than a day. The duration depends on how long it took to hatch. The fact is that in all chickens, eggs should become more fragile during incubation. Therefore, the longer the incubation took place, the easier the chicken eggs should crack. And, if you look every day, then after three weeks the shell becomes very fragile, and very much thinner.

Sometimes the chick does not have enough strength to break the shell, and then, if left alone, he may die. It is not difficult to determine this moment - cracks and bites are visible, a squeak is sometimes heard from the inside, but the baby does not get out. In this case, you need to help him. What to do? It is necessary to carefully break the shell and free the chick from the egg. But this should be done when the time of birth has already come by the day and by the hour. Otherwise, this process, sometimes necessary for chicks, can lead to their death.

Helping chicks hatch from an egg

So, here is a description of the situation in which, sooner or later, everyone who breeds chickens finds himself. By the day, the time has come for the babies to be born, the farmer begins to count how many birds he will have - and the chickens do not hatch in any way. And the development had to proceed normally, but the results were not visible. And it is not clear what to do on these days. And something needs to be done, and it doesn't matter that the removal takes place at home, and many tools are not available. Otherwise, you can lose from 50 to 90 percent of the entire brood.

First, panic should not be allowed to break out - if you start breaking eggs right away, you can lose all the babies. Otherwise, there will be an unpleasant sight of dead embryos lying in their own blood. You need to start by listening to the egg. If a squeak was heard from within, a day has passed, and the baby still cannot get out - it means he most likely needs help. First, you need to spend ovoscopy... This is the process of translucent eggs, and it is quite possible to make the necessary device at home.

The ovoscope is used to pinpoint the location of the air chamber. It is there that you need to start opening the shell. This is done with a needle or other similar instrument. In this case, it is necessary not to leave unnecessary damage on the film located under the eggshell. Then one neat hole is made on this film, so as not to damage the baby's body. after that, it is necessary to examine the beak, so that after that we can begin to release the chick from the shell.

The peeling process

Usually, this procedure is carried out according to the following principle - they begin to break the shell from the beak and in a circle, if the baby cannot do it on his own.But before that, ovoscopy is not in vain. You need to see exactly where the egg sac is located, where the nutrients that the chick need in the first days of life are located. And if this bag is still full, then it is too early to free the baby. You can make an artificial bite, but not break the entire shell entirely. Otherwise, the chick will bleed out after birth.

With further release, it is necessary to clean out that part of the body where the circulatory system is not shown. It is easy to see the vessels, and if you look at the photo of the approximate location of the chick in the egg, you can understand how best to remove the shell. If every day it turns out that it is too early for the chick to appear, then it is worth expanding the bite so that there is no damage left on the film under the shell. Then the baby will not suffocate, but will not get out of the egg ahead of time. Moreover, these recommendations will fit not only for chickens, but also for other birds.

But in such a situation, the film can dry out to the calf, and it will have to be removed when the time comes. And the question remains how exactly to do this. Everything is quite simple - you need to spray the dried film with warm water, and then remove it from the body. The water should be heated to the chicken's body temperature, but not higher than this level. If you try to remove the film without wetting it first, it will pull off the first fluff from the chick and damage its skin. And such damage at an early age carries a certain danger.

Actions for the appearance of blood from an egg

When drops of blood appear from a hatched egg, it is very unpleasant. This can happen both during natural hatching, and in a situation where you had to manually clear the shell. You can try to simply put the egg in an incubator for further development, but in this case, the embryo will most likely not survive. Therefore, it is advisable to clean the blood clots with a cotton swab, and only then put them in an incubator. And this should be done even when the egg was under the hen.

For cleaning, it is advisable to use a very weak solution of potassium permanganate, heated to the temperature of an egg. Then there is a chance that the open embryo will not get infected and it will be able to develop as it should. You should clean the egg carefully, but quickly, so that it does not have time to cool down. It must be remembered that the more and more often the temperature inside the shell changes, the less chances that someone will hatch from it. But here's what the professionals say about interfering with the hatching process:

“If there is a chance that no one will emerge from the egg at all, then it is worth trying to intervene. Of course, there is always the possibility that the chick will still be born later. But, as practice shows, it is better to intervene in time than to passively wait. As a rule, with timely and correct measures, chick hatch increases significantly. Especially when it comes to artificial breeding. Although the choice remains, as always, with the farmer. "

Conclusion

To increase the chances of healthy chicks emerging, the farmer needs to know exactly how the eggs hatch. And he also needs to understand what factors affect the development of the embryo, and how to help the chick in the process of birth. Then the poultry farmer will have the opportunity to raise strong and healthy chickens.