Our Cute Baby Chicks! | Springtime babies

Hey Guys! It's Springtime and we have the most beautiful baby chicks. At 14h00 on Friday the 28th we had our first one for this year and by the evening we counted 6. The next morning a grand total of 15 tweeting very lively bunch woke us up. Now we have 21 and counting... the whole family loves watching the wee ones so much that we keep them on our dining room table so we don't miss any of the action. They are all healthy and eating well and the rest. It's a mixture of our own hens and also from another lady in our village to make sure there is stronger genes. We are also going to incubate some eggs for her. Our daughter loves cuddling them and they bring lots of joy to our home. INCUBATION Incubating chick eggs requires careful control of temperature, humidity, and egg turning. Here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure successful hatching: 1. Choosing Eggs for Incubation Select fertilized eggs from healthy hens and roosters. Avoid eggs that are cracked, misshapen, or too dirty. Store eggs at 50-60°F (10-15°C) before incubation, but don’t store them for more than 7-10 days. 2. Setting Up the Incubator Temperature: Keep the incubator at 99.5°F (37.5°C) for forced-air incubators or 101-102°F (38-39°C) for still-air incubators. Humidity: Maintain 50-55% humidity (about 30-35% in dry climates). Ventilation: Ensure good airflow; oxygen is crucial for developing embryos. Turning: Turn eggs at least 3-5 times a day (automatic turners help). Stop turning at day 18. BROODER Raising baby chicks can be a rewarding experience, but they require proper care to grow into healthy adult chickens. Here’s a basic guide to getting started: 1. Preparing for Your Chicks Brooder Setup: A brooder is a safe, enclosed space for chicks. It can be a large plastic bin, wooden box, or a special brooder pen. Heat Source: Chicks need warmth, around 95°F (35°C) for the first week, decreasing by 5°F per week until they are fully feathered (about 6-8 weeks old). Use a heat lamp or a safer option like a brooder plate. Bedding: Pine shavings or paper towels work well. Avoid cedar shavings, as they can be toxic. 2. Feeding and Watering Starter Feed: Provide a high-protein chick starter feed (around 18-20% protein) until they are about 6-8 weeks old. Fresh Water: Use a chick waterer to prevent drowning. Add electrolytes and probiotics for extra health support. 3. General Care Handling: Gently handle your chicks daily so they get used to you, but don’t overstress them. Health Watch: Look for signs of pasty butt (dried poop blocking the vent), lethargy, or breathing issues. Clean any pasty butt with warm water and a soft cloth. Space: As they grow, increase space to 1-2 square feet per chick to prevent overcrowding. 4. Transitioning to Outdoors At 6-8 weeks, chicks can move to a secure outdoor coop if nighttime temperatures are warm enough (above 50°F or 10°C). Make sure their coop has good ventilation, predator protection, and proper roosting areas. 3. Candling (Checking for Development) Candle eggs at days 7, 14, and 18 to monitor development. Remove infertile eggs or eggs with dead embryos to prevent contamination. 4. Lockdown Period (Final 3 Days) Increase humidity to 65-75% to prevent chicks from drying out. Stop turning the eggs. Keep the incubator closed as much as possible. 5. Hatching (Day 21) Chicks start pipping (cracking the shell) around day 20-21. Allow chicks to hatch naturally—don’t help unless absolutely necessary. Let chicks dry and fluff up inside the incubator before moving them to a brooder. PLEASE ➡️ SUBSCRIBE!! ➡️ LIKE!! ➡️ COMMENT!! ➡️ SHARE!! Don't forget to hit that notification bell!!   / scotsmaninbulgaria   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... [email protected] https://www.gofund.me/20af7382 #chicksfeed #chicksinformation #babychicks #chicksbrooding #cute #springtime