What do I need for chick rearing?
Hatching chicken eggs yourself and looking after your winged pets from the first hour of life – this is the dream of many chicken lovers is not only something for experienced breeders. With the right equipment and the necessary care, chick rearing is also possible for hobby keepers. Here you can find out what is urgently needed to raise sweet, fluffy chicks.
Raising chicks requires a few things to ensure they grow up healthy and happy. Here are some basic things:
- Incubator: An incubator is necessary to incubate the eggs. There are different types of incubators, depending on their size and capacity. A simple incubator for home use may already be sufficient.
- Heat source: Chicks need a lot of heat in the first weeks to stay healthy. A heat lamp or hot plate are popular heat sources for chicks.
- Food and water: Chicks need special chick food and fresh water to grow and thrive.
- Bedding: Good bedding helps keep the floor dry and clean and provides a comfortable surface for the chicks.
- Housing: Suitable housing for the chicks is important to protect them from predators and provide them with a safe and comfortable home. A simple box or hutch may be sufficient to start with.
- Hygiene items: Cleanliness and hygiene are crucial for the health of the chicks. Therefore, you should have disinfectant, disposable gloves and paper towels ready.
In the beginning there is the egg – in this case the fertilised egg. You don’t have a rooster in your flock or perhaps no chickens at all? No problem. Fertilised eggs of various chicken breeds are available, for example, from your local small breeders’ association or from experienced breeders on the Internet. Carefully packed, the eggs can easily be sent by post. As always when purchasing animals: Please inform yourself in advance about the keeping conditions of chickens in general and the desired breed in particular!
The fertilised eggs are there – now the incubator is used. The temperature in the incubator must be 37.8 degrees and the humidity 55-75%. Place the incubator in a place without draughts and with a constant temperature between 17 and 25 degrees. Start it up 24 hours before you put the eggs in. Then the temperature and humidity can settle at the right values.
The new Covatutto 16L digital Pro incubator is ideal for beginners. The correct temperature and humidity can be easily checked via the digital display. In addition, a motor automatically turns the eggs twice a day.
Now it’s time to wait – 21 days for hen’s eggs. 3 days before hatching, switch off the motor for egg turning. Remove the separating plates between the eggs. Now the suspense is rising – which egg will be the first to peck a little beak into the open?
The freshly hatched chicks stay in the incubator for the first 24 hours. Then they can move into the coop. But beware: Young chicks have a high heat requirement and need an additional heat source – like the CosyHeat heating plate. The chicks can slip under the plate and rest in the cosy warmth. The temperature can be adjusted continuously and adapted to the chicks’ need for warmth: If they snuggle close together, they are too cold, and if they sit far out on the edge of the plate, the unit is set too warm. The integrated thermostat ensures a constant temperature under the plate. Since it does not heat permanently, but only ensures that the desired temperature is reached, the CosyHeat is more energy-saving than conventional radiant heaters.
A drinking trough with fresh water and an automatic feeder for chick feed complete the equipment of the chick house. Be sure to place food and water away from the heat source so that the food does not spoil. Now you can watch the cute chicks grow up – they grow up so fast!