Keeping Chickens: Hatching your Own
Chickens
Hatch And Raise Your Own
Free Range Chickens
 If you've been keeping your own free range chickens It’s probably
likely that you will want to hatch and raise your own chicks from your existing
stock.
Breeding chickens couldn’t be easier and it’s a
worthwhile and rewarding project and an educational one to get kids involved in too.
If your far enough from your nearest neighbours
or lucky enough to have very understanding ones that don’t mind being woken at the crack of down by a cockerel
announcing the dawn of a new day then you are already half way towards getting your hens to
breed.
Firstly, you need make sure you have healthy hens
in good breeding condition, feed a plentiful supply of good quality food and provide the appropriate
housing and nesting facilities in the form of a well-constructed chicken coop.
Firstly, hens kept on their own without a
cockerel present will not produce viable, fertile eggs. I know this is stating the obvious but you would be
surprised how many people completely overlook this critical point!
The introduction of the cockerel to your flock
will ensure the eggs are fertile and likely to produce chicks after incubation and It will take no time at all
for the cock and hen to do what comes naturally! Bear in mind that when a cockerel is present in the coop you
can still collect the eggs and use them for your own consumption as long as they are collected fresh and haven’t
been allowed to remain under the brooding hen for any length of time.
Don’t make the mistake of boiling an egg that has
been partially incubated. There is nothing more off putting than cracking one open to find a half formed chick
inside, in fact you will probably never eat an egg again!
You should ideally remove the cockerel after a
few days with the hens as he can become aggressive if he’s had enough of their company. Let him roam the yard or
the garden but keep him out of the coop where your hens are going to brood.
Having said that, I have on many occasions left
the cock with the hens without any problems but there is some risk attached.
When you decide to let the hen brood just stop
collecting the eggs and allow her to start the incubation. It will take 21 days from the time the last egg is
laid for the chicks to appear during which time you will have to do nothing other than feed your hens as normal
and try to disturb the brooding hen as little as possible. The more peace and quiet she gets the more
comfortable and secure she will feel and will be less likely to rise from the nest.
 When you do see the chicks appear you can feed them with specially prepared
chick crumb. This is small enough in size for the chicks to eat and has all the necessary nutrients for the
early stages of development.
Keep a close eye on your chicks in the first few
days and protect them from the usual hazards such as predators and watch for signs of the other hens pecking at
them.
You may need to separate them if this becomes a
problem but never separate them from the mother hen, as this would require artificial
brooding.
Other than that you need do nothing besides enjoy
the whole experience but keep these few tips in mind:
- Feed your brooding hens good quality food
and make sure they have a plentiful supply of it.
- Keep disturbance to a minimum when your hens
are brooding
- Watch for signs that the cockerel is
troubling any brooding hens if he has been allowed to remain in the coop
- Dispose of any unhatched eggs carefully at
the end of the incubation period, rotten eggs are extremely unpleasant!
- If you plan to keep the chicks and breed
from them at a later stage, do make sure to use a different cockerel to prevent problems with
inbreeding.
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