What is the temperature under a hen that is hatching eggs? Production of young poultry by natural incubation of eggs. How long does a chicken sit on goose eggs?

One of the most popular types of domesticated animals is chickens. The choice fell on these particular birds due to their ease of care and fertility. Chickens are widely spread. You can meet them in almost every household.

Proper arrangement of the chicken coop will help to obtain a stable supply of eggs from laying hens. Basically, chickens lay 2 eggs within 3 days. Mandatory components for normal life are: a well-equipped poultry house, a spacious walking area, a balanced diet, timely cleaning of the premises, and maintaining daylight hours. If all components are followed, problems with keeping chickens should not arise.

Who are brood hens?

Not all chickens have the same attitude towards the process of incubating and hatching chicks. Currently, all types of chickens are divided into 3 types according to the nature of the manifestation of maternal instinct:

In a general flock, you can identify a good laying hen based on certain characteristics. Such individuals are distinguished by frequent clucking and begin to build a nest, plucking out their down feathers. In addition, the future hen may begin to collect eggs for herself from other individuals and show aggression when trying to drive her away from the nest. In addition, when choosing a chicken, you should pay special attention to its health. If an individual clearly shows all the characteristic signs of readiness to hatch, but is not in good health, it is prohibited to use it for hatching chicks.

Incorrect placement of the hen on the masonry

If it is difficult to choose a particular chick, there is a method of stimulating brooding. In this case, the choice falls on those individuals who have already bred offspring. Old chickens that no longer lay eggs are well suited for such purposes.

Among all types of chickens, several stand out based on their most productive laying ability:

• Loman-Brown;
• Kuchinskaya Yubileinaya;
• Hisex;
• High Line;
• Leghorn.

Peak activity of chickens in the process of hatching chicks occurs in the spring. Therefore, this time is considered ideal for placing the hen in the nest.

Important! Raising chickens in the warm season allows you to get stronger and healthier offspring.

How a chicken hatches eggs

Before planting the quonka on eggs, a preparatory stage should be carried out. Carefully choose a calm, quiet and secluded place for the nest. You can install a fabric canopy so that the hen is not distracted by extraneous noise.

Attention! When planning multiple brood hens, it is important that the nests are spaced far apart. If placed frequently, the chickens will become stressed.

The nest itself should be made small, lining the inside with turf or straw. Chickens are picky about the size of the nest; it should not be cramped, otherwise the hen will not sit in it for the entire required period. If the nest is too large, the eggs will not lie compactly, and the hen will lose some of them. Be sure to make indentations for the eggs. This will prevent them from rolling out of the nest and subsequent damage. However, the height of the sides should not be too large; when jumping into the nest from a great height, the hen can crush the clutch. To prevent rats from destroying the nest, you should raise it above the floor level.

You should not immediately place the hen on real eggs after demonstrating the characteristic signs for a hen. First, it is better to install dummy copies in order to make sure that the hen is chosen correctly. If the hen begins to behave accordingly within a few days, then you can hook her up with real eggs.

Landing on eggs in a nest

One of the main questions for novice poultry farmers is: “How many days does a chicken usually hatch eggs?”

The eggs are incubated until the chicks hatch, usually this period is 20 days, plus or minus 2 days. At the same time, 1-2 times a day the hen leaves the nest for 15-20 minutes to relieve her own needs and then continues to hover the clutch.

Example of nest arrangement

If the chicken does not leave the place, it should be carefully removed and released for a walk. At this time, to avoid temperature disturbances, the eggs should be covered with a cloth.

Based on the average number of days a hen sits on eggs, you can plan to purchase day-old or raised chicks to add to the hen.

Choosing eggs to hatch

Choosing the right brood hen is half the success in getting offspring. The correct choice of eggs is of great importance. According to the description:

• The eggs must be of the correct shape, smooth, and not too elongated;
• Eggs that are too large or small are not suitable. Small eggs hatch into weak chickens, which subsequently produce equally small eggs. Larger eggs often have 2 yolks - with this pathology they are not suitable for hatching;
• The shell must be intact, without chips, growths or cracks;

Important! Only clean eggs can be used. Those washed with water become unsuitable for hatching, because... water destroys the shell film and clogs the pores intended for breathing.

• Eggs must be fresh and stored for no more than 10 days at a temperature of 15-20℃.

Optimal shape of eggs suitable for incubation

For greater control over the quality of eggs, you can conduct research with an ovoscope:

• upon inspection, the chicken yolk should not turn or leak to another place when the egg is turned;
• There should be no inclusions in all contents; they look like spots against the background of the shell.

Beginner poultry farmers are often interested in the question: “How many eggs can be placed under a hen?”

The choice of the number of eggs placed under the hen depends on the size of the individual and breed. It is important to consider how many eggs you can put under a chicken. Absolutely all eggs must immediately fit under the hen, being arranged in one layer. If there are any that are not completely covered, they should be removed. It is optimal to lay an odd number of eggs, so they are evenly distributed throughout the nest. A maximum of 13-15 pieces can be placed under a healthy, strong bird. If you try to lay more eggs, the hen will throw out the excess and they will disappear.

Interestingly, chickens can also hatch goose, duck, and turkey eggs.

Note! You cannot lay new eggs during the incubation process; with the appearance of the first chicks, the hen may leave the nest.

Egg hatching time

How long does a chicken sit on eggs? The average incubation period for eggs at home is 3 weeks. From the 19th day you should carefully monitor the nest. Chicks may not hatch at the same time. Only hatched chicks can be placed separately from the hen only after complete drying. Until the last chick hatches, it is better to keep the brood separately from the laying hen at a temperature of 28-30℃. After complete hatching, you can move them back to the chicken.

How to feed a hen

During the process of hatching eggs, chickens experience a decrease in appetite. Poorly fed chickens can become malnourished. To avoid this, you should adhere to the following rules:

• the proportion of grain products high in protein and fat should be increased;
• daily supplementation of vitamin-mineral complexes is mandatory;
• the frequency of feeding should not be less than 2 times per day;
• There should always be access to clean water.

Example image of a grain mixture

It is known how many days a chicken hatches eggs. Normal terms range from 19 to 25 days. There are cases when chicks do not hatch on the 21st day. Therefore, there is no need to worry ahead of time. If by the 25th day there is still no progress, the eggs can already be disposed of.

If the eggs are laid in an incubator, then on the 19th day you can spray them with warm water to soften the shell.

You can start transferring chicks from another laying hen from the 2nd day. It is better to choose chicks that differ in age by no more than 2-3 days. You need to make sure that all the extra chicks fit under the chicken’s wings. The maximum for high-quality rearing is 25 chicks per one black chickadee.

Attention! It is better to choose chickens of a similar color to the laying hen.

If the hen has recently sat down to hatch eggs, you can leave 5-7 eggs and add 3-4 chicks at night. After a day, you can replant all the remaining ones.

If the hen is restless, it is better to replant in the evening, while the bird is sleepy. In the morning she will accept the chickens as her own.

Advice. Young laying hens may have problems accepting other people's chicks. In this case, you need to place a couple of hatching eggs on it. After hatching them, the hen will be able to accept chicks.

When comparing young animals bred in an incubator with those bred by a hen, the offspring are less susceptible to disease. At the same time, more time spent caring for offspring is typical for black whales with fewer chicks.

To summarize, we can say that the process of raising your chicks is very interesting and exciting. However, there are certain points that require special attention from the breeder. These include careful preparation of the nest, monitoring the behavior of future hens, and maintaining a balanced diet. Hens with aggressive behavior should be excluded from laying applicants. Young hens may begin to peck at new chicks. Preference should be given to adult chickweeds that are not capable of laying eggs on their own. Care should be taken when placing other people's chicks under the chickweed. By observing all the prescribed conditions, you can get a brood of healthy chicks.

The classic way of raising chickens under the care of a hen is the most natural and less energy-consuming. It is necessary to adhere to several rules for caring for chicken and provide the correct living conditions. Due to the fact that the female is only able to care for a certain number of unhatched chicks, you should know how many eggs to put under the nest.

The answer to the question of how many eggs to place under a hen depends on their origin. Responsible females are able to incubate not only their offspring, but also the offspring of birds of other species.

Optimal quantity:

• chicken: from 13 to 15;
• duck: from 8 to 10;
• goose: from 4 to 6;
• turkey: from 8 to 10.

It is advisable to lay eggs from hens of the same breed.

How to choose eggs for a brood hen

Which eggs to place under a hen is a complex science. The survival rate of chicks depends on the correct choice.

A smart hen is able to assemble the clutch on her own. To increase productivity, they also add other people’s “products”.

Chicken eggs are collected over several days and stored at room temperature. It is not advisable to place recently laid ones under the female.

Unsuitable specimens are rejected according to the following criteria:

• presence of cracks;
• a large layer of dirt;
• presence of roughness;
• large or too small size;
• 2 yolks.

An ovoscope or a flashlight without glass will help to make sure that the egg is fertilized. When candling an unfertilized specimen, only a homogeneous white spot is visible.

Selection rules:

1. The ratio of males and females in the herd: 1 rooster per 10 black chicks.
2. The bird is no older than 7 months.
3. The maximum shelf life of the product before incubation is 6 days.
4. Recommended storage temperature is from 15 to 20°C with a humidity of 75%.

Condition assessment

During incubation, the eggs are inspected three times. Larger quantities are not recommended, as there is a risk of shell damage. It also negatively affects the emotional state of the hen and the embryo.

1. The embryo is not yet visible, but blood vessels are already visible. If the chick has died, they become dark.
2. Blood vessels envelop the light spot in the center. If the formation of the embryo does not proceed according to schedule, then the vessels do not completely cover the lateral space. The dead embryo, which is visible at this stage, looks like a small dark spot without blood vessels.
3. The embryo is clearly visible upon examination: the outline of a neck is visible at the blunt end.

After each candling, rejected specimens are destroyed.

How an egg is born and laid

The yolk is formed in the ovary, and is overgrown with protein and shell in the oviduct. Stages:

1. In the first half of the day, the yolk comes out into the funnel of the oviduct.
2. The yolk remains in the funnel for about 20 minutes and passes into the “protein” section of the reproductive system, in which protein is formed over the course of 3 hours.
3. After moving to the isthmus, the future embryo becomes overgrown with the subshell membrane within 1 hour.
4. The shell takes approximately 16 hours to form in the uterus.

The process takes about 1 day. If you follow the feeding regime, light and heat, the hen will lay eggs in a timely manner.

How to choose a good hen

In early spring, laying hens' instinct to hatch their offspring becomes more intense. This impulse should be used to benefit the future livestock and more females should be accustomed to brooding.

It’s easy to identify them: you need to observe the behavior of the birds. Signs that a chicken is ready to hatch:

• remain in nests for a long time;
• rarely leave the coop;
• often make sounds called clucking;
• collect laid eggs.

During this period, the chickens' bellies become exposed and some of their feathers fall out. To be completely sure, you need to do a test with artificial foundlings. If the female leaves the roost 2-3 days after sitting on the decoys, she will not hatch eggs.

When the brooding instinct appears, the bird becomes calm, becoming nervous only in the presence of a person. The female is aggressive and defends the roost when contact is attempted.

Caring for chickens during hatching

It’s easy to provide complete care to your tussocks. A well-equipped nest is 90% success.

Rules for organizing a roost:

• a wooden box with an area of ​​55 by 35 cm is taken as a basis;
• the entrance is covered with a light cloth so that the chicken can easily enter and exit;
• the bottom is insulated with earth, a layer of 5 cm, and the top is covered with dry straw;
• A hole is dug in the center of the perch so that the eggs are constantly lying under the chough.

Rules for caring for hens:

How long do hens sit on eggs?

There are specific deadlines for each variety.

Chick hatching schedule:

Caring for a hen with chicks

A newborn chick can be heard by its characteristic squeak. When the baby is dry, it is placed in a brooder or cardboard box and covered with cloth or gauze. The chick house is placed in a warm room with a temperature of 26 to 28ºС.

It is better to place babies under the hen in the evening. The optimal number is 20 to 25 chicks.

After the chicks have hatched, it is necessary to pay attention to the female:

How to place eggs under a chicken and why natural hatching is more effective than using an incubator - the answer to the question is simple. Chicks hatched by a female, compared to those hatched, have a better developed immune system and higher productivity indicators. Subsequently they become good mothers.

Independently with an incubator or with the help of a brood hen. When choosing the second method, a number of requirements must be met in order for egg production to be high.

Egg hatching time

With natural breeding of birds, chicks hatch from eggs on the 21st-23rd day. During this period, laying hens do not leave the nest and hatch their chicks in a calm environment.

Note! Chickens with developed maternal instincts do not leave the nest to drink water and eat food. The owner of the poultry house must take care of the laying hens and remove the birds from the nests on time.

Controlling the development of the chick in the egg

The further development of the released young consists of feeding and keeping them in a place inaccessible to predatory animals. The chicken, thanks to its innate maternal instinct, takes care of its offspring on its own.

Raising chicks by a hen – an invaluable help for the poultry farmer. The hen allows you to save time, labor and effort of the owner. But the process requires control, a competent approach and knowledge of the nuances.

Breeding nuances:

1. If there are several hens in the house, and the owner places them on eggs, then the nests should be located at a distance of 1 m.
2. When the first chicks hatch, they should be removed carefully, replacing them with dummies. If the hen notices the substitution, she will get up from the nest and will not sit in it again. Professional breeders do not recommend sending eggs to hens in batches to hatch more chicks. This technique can destroy the hen’s desire to care for her offspring.
3. If the hen gets scared and runs away from the nest, she needs to be returned and covered with a basket for several days.
4. For hens, it is better to take a brahma or a welsumer. They are caring mothers and take excellent care of their offspring. Using traditional methods of planting, they do not need to be planted on eggs. They perform all duties independently.

Attention! The period of sitting in the nest is painful for the chicken and depletes the body. You should not force her to sit in the nest several times.

The use of brood hens for hatching chicks - a convenient and simple way to obtain offspring. She will independently regulate the temperature, moisture and turn the eggs.

Advice! If there are no caring mothers in the brood, then you should try to force the hen into the nest.

Choosing eggs to hatch

Eggs are selected based on appearance. They must have a pear-shaped or oval shape, be without shell defects, various growths and thickenings.

You can select them using a special device – ovoscope. It illuminates the air chamber and determines the position of the yolk. A healthy egg has an offset air chamber and a centrally located yolk.

How to arrange and where to place a nest for a hen

The nest is isolated from birds on an earthen area in a dim corner of the room. The poultry house must have a comfortable temperature (about +20 degrees), dryness and good ventilation.

Holes in the ground with crumpled straw or hay are suitable for placing nests. Wooden boxes with soil and straw will do.

How and how many eggs to place under a hen

You can put 14 eggs under 1 hen. In addition to chicken eggs, it is allowed to add up to 6-8 eggs from ducks, geese or turkeys. Eggs should be laid at night or in the dark evening.

To prevent the chicken from getting up, you need to cover it with a basket for a couple of days. During this time, the chicken must be released to eat and drink.

When you need human help: how to put a chicken on eggs

Even if a hen has an innate maternal instinct and has proven herself to be a good hen, the bird may, for some reason, refuse to sit in the nest, abandoning the chicks.

At this moment, the chicks need human help. The chicken needs to be given vitamins and minerals, and then forcibly placed under the eggs, covered with a basket for a couple of days. In this case, all factors that serve as a nervous irritant for the hen are excluded - other pets, predators, unexpected guests, etc.

Choosing a brood hen

Good hen:

1. After laying eggs, it does not leave the nest for 1-3 hours.
2. Belongs to a breed with an innate maternal instinct.
3. It always guards the eggs, ruffling its feathers, raising its wings and cackling loudly when a rooster or neighbors approach.

A bad hen quickly gets off her hatched eggs and does not show aggression towards her neighbors after laying them.

The best hens

Also, caring hens are identified by this method: if a hen is removed from the nest and placed on the floor nearby, she will not run away, but will wait to return to the eggs.

The best hens are birds aged 2 to 4 years. According to experienced farmers, at this age, chickens exhibit maternal instincts especially clearly.

Feeding the quonka

Kvochka, that is, a chicken sitting on eggs, should eat in the morning and evening. To breed offspring, her condition must be stable, otherwise she will not be able to perform her functions and will be exhausted.

The bird must be provided with constant access to water and food at the nest. You should not pour food into the nest: this may prevent the hen from calmly caring for her offspring.

Hen body temperature

Chicken eggs develop genetically normally under the hen at natural body temperature. It should be 38-39 degrees in the first week of planting eggs. In the last week it rises to 40 degrees.

What conditions are needed

The room must be equipped with food, fresh water, warmth and a nest. During the first day, the hen may remain in the nest constantly, not eat or drink.

This is a normal situation and should not be touched on purpose. She herself will feel when she needs to leave the nest. If the hen does not want to leave the nest after two or three days, she must be taken to the food and fed.

To prevent the embryos from dying in the eggs while she is feeding, the shell must be covered with a warm cloth. Feeding time is twenty minutes. A good hen will immediately eat and run to the clutch.

During feeding in the nest, you should change the litter, throw away broken eggs and eggs with frozen embryos. The chicken also needs to be inspected.

Conclusion

Many hens have a maternal instinct, and they do an excellent job of caring for eggs. To breed healthy offspring, you need to provide chickens with a warm room and constant access to water and food.

Some people believe that it is not at all necessary to know how long a chicken sits on an egg. Like, she herself feels how much time it takes her to hatch the chicks. And you shouldn’t interfere in this process and think about how long the chicken sits on the egg. But very often the timing of incubation of the clutch plays an important role.

How long does a chicken sit on an egg?

Sometimes such a turn can happen: the eggs under the hook turn out to be of poor quality or freeze. And the chicken, having served the allotted time, will continue to incubate them. Some chickens may become so lean during this period that their health will be affected. Sometimes a bird can even die if a person does not intervene in this process in time. Therefore, every poultry farmer should know how long a chicken sits on an egg: 21 days. Although plus or minus a couple of days is not a deviation from the norm. The fresher the egg, the sooner it will be released. Higher temperatures also contribute to faster maturation of the embryos.

Is it possible to place eggs from other birds under a chicken?

If a chicken sits on a nest with a small number of eggs, the poultry farmer should discreetly place eggs from other chickens or those purchased at a poultry farm under it. Usually the hen accepts other people's eggs well and sits on them properly. It is also necessary to know how long the chicken sits on the eggs in case the poultry farmer decides to breed ducklings or goslings along with the chickens. A simple mathematical calculation calculates the difference between the hatching of chicken offspring and, for example, duck offspring. Ducks sit for 28 days, and chickens for 21. Consequently, duck eggs are laid a week earlier than chicken eggs. Then the brood will turn out to be friendly, almost simultaneous.

How to “prohibit” a hen from hatching her offspring?

Sometimes chickens sit on eggs at the wrong time, in the fall. This is fraught with the fact that the young are then difficult to raise, and in winter the chickens do not gain the required height and weight. To prevent this from happening, you should carefully ensure that the hens are sitting in the spring. Those individuals who decide to hatch chickens in the second half of summer should be removed from the eggs and placed in the cellar for a couple of days. This usually helps. Or place ready-made chicks under it at night - the hen will mistake them for her children and begin to lead them, leaving them to sit on the nest.

What needs to be done to make a chicken want to sit on the clutch?

There is a popular way to force a chicken to begin incubation at the moment when the poultry farmer needs it. The selected female is separated from the rest of the chickens, for example, put in a cage. On the first day, she is given regular fresh baker's yeast along with the food, rolled into balls - about 50 grams. In the following days, the chicken should be fed generously with protein food: corn, fish, meat. It is advisable to feed live birds more often. After 10 days, they are released to the rest of the birds. Usually, the rooster immediately begins to actively “trample” the new girl. As a result, very soon, within a week, the chicken fluffs up its plumage and begins to cluck. This is a sign that she is ready to brood. This chicken sits on eggs very well. And the weight gained during special fattening has a beneficial effect on her health.

Raising chickens at home requires the obligatory presence of a mother hen - a hen who expresses a desire to incubate the eggs until the babies hatch from them. The mother hen always stands out from the rest of the chickens. How to determine which individual has manifested maternal instinct and what needs to be done about it?

Determining the future hen in the chicken coop is not so difficult. She stands out greatly from other females - her behavior, habits and even appearance changes.

Here are a few distinctive features of a hen:

Keep a close eye on the chicken coop; all these signs can only be identified if you know the habits of each individual. In addition, the signs may not only indicate a desire to hatch, as is the case with diseases. For example, an aggressive attitude towards a rooster may be a simple desire to relax and be alone. The absence of masonry can be considered a sign only in conjunction with other factors; in itself it only means a period of rest.

We must also remember that not every hen with an emerging maternal instinct is able to hatch and raise healthy offspring. It all depends on her character. Conventionally, chickens can be divided into the following categories:

You can determine what type the individuals in your chicken coop belong to only through long-term observation of them.

Here are a few more signs of a good expectant mother: she begins to build a nest on her own, pulling out fluff and feathers from herself in order to cover it and soften it.

How to force a chicken to become a hen?

If the maternal instinct does not manifest itself, and you do not want to use an incubator, you can develop the desire to hatch in a chicken yourself.

First of all, prepare an artificial nest in a quiet place in the chicken coop, lay down grass and feathers, straw. Place dummy eggs in the nest to attract the hen's attention.

Prices for a nest for laying hens

Nest for laying hens

In order for the bird to get used to calmness, place it for 2-4 days under a basket from which it is impossible to get out. It is important that the basket is in a warm, dark place. If after these steps the individual continues to sit in place for more than 1 day, place it in the nest.

The female is considered ready to hatch if she remains in the nest on dummy eggs for the next three days. Place real masonry on it to complete the preparatory process.

For forced brooding, choose experienced animals that have already bred offspring.

Video - How to make a bird become a hen

Preparing the hens

If you are convinced of the animal’s desire to breed offspring, start preparing the individual itself and the future nest. The more comfortable the brooding place is, the less the individual will want to leave it.

If the hen has already nested in previous seasons, do not force her to change her hatching place - the hen will sit only where she chooses. It’s better to freshen up your usual place a little before planting - remove garbage and old materials, replacing them with new ones.

It is very important to protect the brooding hen from stress and fear. To create a calm atmosphere, you can cover the nesting site with fabric. Try not to unnecessarily disturb the expectant mother.

When is the best time to place a hen on eggs?

Even if you see signs of motherhood in a hen, do not rush to place her on eggs. Make sure of her final desire, and only after preparing a comfortable place begin to prepare her.

Pay attention to the time of day - in the evening the bird perceives the new environment more calmly and gets used to it better.

The best time for hatching is spring

In addition, not every time of year is suitable for giving birth and raising offspring. The optimal period is spring. It’s already quite warm outside and there’s plenty of fresh food. And by autumn the young animals will have time to grow up and get stronger in order to withstand the cold weather that comes with the rains.

Cold seasons (autumn, winter) are the most unfavorable periods. It is undesirable to hatch chickens in the summer - they will grow weak and poorly adapted to harsh weather conditions.

Optimal number of eggs to hatch

One average hen can hatch up to 15 eggs. At the same time, their number directly depends on its age, weight and size - the larger the bird, the more it will fit.

All eggs should be relatively the same age. As you place them in the nest, mark each one with a pencil. This way you can determine whether the chicken laid more eggs during the incubation process and at what period she did this.

It is impossible to report fruits because the bird leaves the nest after the first hatching of the chicks. Fresher eggs simply won't get the chance to go through the entire incubation process.

There are 2 main methods of creating masonry. At the first time, the fruits are laid out in a row so that they are exactly in the middle under the bird’s body. The second method is based on laying them in a circle next to each other with its middle filled. It is believed that an odd number of eggs is better for hatching.

Specifics of caring for a hen

Caring for a hen starts with a comfortable nest. It should not have sharp corners that cause discomfort to the chicken. Also watch for cavities and recesses so that the eggs cannot roll away.

High air humidity is another important indicator. If it is not present at the hatching site, moisten it artificially. For example, water can be sprayed with a spray bottle or using an automatic spray system.

If all the conditions for comfortable living are met, you can proceed directly to caring for the bird.

Walks

1-2 times a day the bird should leave the nest for 15-20 minutes for its own needs and to warm up. If the hen does not want to leave the brooding site, force her to leave there, as well as return if the individual does not want to come back.

At the same time, it is advisable to cover the eggs while the hen is away in order to maintain a constant temperature regime.

If the hen leaves, you need to close the nest, otherwise another “hen” may appear there.

Don’t worry if on the first day of incubation the individual does not want to leave the place - she just gets used to it, this is normal. But in the following days, a walk should be a mandatory element.

Feeding

The mother’s diet must include whole grains, combined feeds, herbs, and root vegetables. Leave a small feeder with dry grain food near the roost so that the chicken can feed from time to time without leaving the place.

Don't forget also about unlimited access to drinking water. You can also place a flat, wide bowl of water near the nest so that on hot days the bird can refresh its feathers.

Price for complete feed for laying hens

Complete feed for laying hens

Health status

A passive bird, which is the female during the brooding period, often has various insects in its feathers. As a preventive measure, place a vessel with sand and ash near the nest - laying hens love to take medicinal ash baths.

Sanitary standards

While the bird is walking, inspect the nest for contamination. Remove dirt and crumpled litter and replace it with fresh litter.

Pay attention to the clutch: are the eggs crushed or cracked? Remove cracked shells.

Characteristics and requirements for eggs for hatching

A prepared brood hen is only half the success on the path to the birth of healthy offspring. Properly selected eggs for laying also play a big role. They must meet the following parameters:

To ensure that the eggs are clean and correct, change the bedding in the birds’ nests more often, take the hens out for a walk, while simultaneously ventilating the chicken coop and cleaning the floor. Eggs are collected exclusively with clean, dry hands.

Fresh eggs are ideal for hatching. The maximum shelf life before lining is no more than 10 days.

Ovoscopy process

Ovoscoping allows you to look inside the egg before placing it under the egg. This way you will personally be convinced of its quality and, importantly, the success of the final result.

An ovoscope is a very simple device that is easy to make even with your own hands. An oval hole is made in the top of a small box. A bright light source is placed inside. When you bring the egg to the hole, you shine through it, observing the quality of the contents.

Prices for ovoscope

Norms and pathologies

When ovoscopy, the fetus must meet the following parameters:

• The shell is homogeneous, translucent evenly. There are no cavities or bulges;
• the air chamber is located at the blunt end of the shell. It is small in size and fixed to the wall;
• the yolk is in the center of the egg or slightly offset towards the blunt end. It shines through evenly, the edges are slightly blurred. It is surrounded on all sides by protein;
• There are no foreign inclusions.

Ovoscopy allows you to reject unsuitable fruits not only before, but also during incubation. In the early stages, pathologies include the following factors:

Ovoscopy should not be performed every day, so as not to irritate the bird and damage the eggs. In addition, frequent temperature changes are harmful to the development of the fetus. The repeated procedure is performed in the early stages (3-5 days of the cycle), in the middle of development (8-9 days), at the end of the cycle, which lasts a total of 21 days (17 days).

Control of embryo development

Intermediate use of an ovoscope is necessary to identify and reject fruits that have frozen in development.

1. When examined at an early stage, you will not yet see the embryo - only its slight shadow is visible. A network of blood vessels is visible in the yolk. Fruits with a looped or too dark circulatory system should be discarded. Poorly developed embryos are displaced to the side or towards the shell. Infertile (empty) eggs also need to be removed.
2. The second examination shows enlarged embryos (up to a quarter of the entire area of ​​the egg), around which a blood network is located. Experts can recognize mild signs of palpitations.
3. The final inspection shows a fully formed fruit with the head in the narrow part of the shell. There is often slight body movement.

If you are discarding too many eggs at each stage, pay attention to the housing and incubation conditions. You may simply be providing an unfavorable brooding environment, such as too low a temperature, a restless mother bird, or unsuitable fruit to begin with.

In an optimal situation, the percentage of eggs rejected should not exceed 5-10%. Such success is not difficult to achieve. It is enough to meet all the necessary conditions:

• identify a responsible laying hen who is ready to sit quietly on eggs for the entire term;
• prepare fresh eggs with healthy contents;
• form a cozy nest and create a calm atmosphere for the quonka.

Video - Chick Hatching