 One of the most common questions folks have asked us before taking home baby chicks from our farm is whether they should use heat lamps or brooder plates. In this post, we’ll go over the pros and cons of each and share what we use as a heat source for baby chicks.
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 Are you getting ready to order some baby chicks for your homestead, but unsure about what terminology like “straight run chicks” means? Don’t worry, in this post we’ll explain the difference between straight run and sexed chicks so that you can make an informed decision.
 Splay leg, also known as spraddle leg, is a relatively common issue in newly hatched chicks. Fortunately, if addressed right away, splay can be treated fairly easily.
In this post, we’ll show you the simple method we’ve used to successfully treat splay leg in chicks when it happens, and the preventative measures we use to prevent splay leg from happening in the first place.  Ready to hatch your own chicks using an incubator but aren’t sure which model to choose? We got you. We’ve been hatching at home for years and in this post, we’ll share our favorite incubator models and how to choose the right one for your farm or homestead. Why Use An Egg Incubator To Hatch Chicks?Broody hens are the original egg incubators. As the days lengthen into spring and summer, you may have witnessed your own hens go broody. Perhaps you’ve even hatched with a broody hen before! But if you have any experience with broody hens, you know that they can be unpredictable and unreliable. They may flirt with broodiness and then give up on their clutch of eggs, or dutifully hatch one year but not the next. While having hens hatch and raise chicks saves you a ton of work caring for those chicks yourself, the trade off is dependability. Unlike hens, your incubator will stay in broody mode 24/7. And depending on the model you choose, incubation can be close to a set-it-and-forget-it process.  The Incubation Process in a NutshellA deep dive into incubating and hatching with an incubator is beyond the scope of this post, but understanding the process will make the following incubator information easier to understand. So briefly, here’s how hatching with an incubator works: 1. The entire incubation and hatching process takes approximately 21 days. 2. For the first 18 days, the eggs need to be turned 4-6 times daily. 3. The last three days of incubation are known as “lockdown.” During lockdown, the eggs should not be turned to allow the chicks to get into hatching position and hatch successfully. 3. Temperature within the incubator should be at a consistent 99.5℉. 4. Generally, humidity in the incubator should be at 40-50% for the first 18 days, and 60-70% during lockdown. 5. DO NOT open the incubator during lockdown. The abrupt loss of humidity can cause the chicks to become “shrink wrapped” or stuck inside the egg, unable to hatch. That’s the basics. If I told you nothing else, you would be able to grab your incubator manual and hatch some beautiful chicks! However, there are many ways to get more involved in the process, such as candling the eggs to check on the developing embryos, or performing “eggtopsies” on unhatched eggs to troubleshoot the hatch. Must-Have Incubator Features For An Easy Hatch
 Other Considerations Before Purchasing an Incubator:Here are some suggestions based on our own experience:
 Our Top Egg Incubator Recommendations:The Incuview Our first incubator purchase was the Incuview. I researched many incubators before I bought the Incuview, it paid off. I highly recommend this model to anyone new to incubating or who is incubating in smaller quantities (the Incuview can hold up to 27 chicken eggs at a time). Why we love the Incuview incubator:
Get the Incuview incubator here. The GQF Models For larger, cabinet incubators, we recommend the GQF brand. GQF makes an incubator/hatcher all-in-one model, or you can purchase an incubator and hatcher separately. After we outgrew our Incuview, we first purchased the GQF Sportsman and later bought a separate GQF hatcher. Why we love GQF:
Get the GQF Sportsman here. Brinsea Incubators Brinsea is a highly respected incubator brand that makes smaller, table top sized machines of varying sizes. Looking for a model somewhere between the Incuview Sportsman and the GQF? The Brinsea Ovation is a perfect option. Why it’s great:
In conclusionWhatever model you choose, if this is your first time incubating, get to know your incubator for several days before you add eggs. Set it up, turn it on, and add water according to the instructions to see how it holds temperature and humidity. You’ll quickly get a feel for roughly how much water it needs, how often, and how it responds to temperature fluctuations in your home.
We hope this guide helps you choose the right incubator for you and your flock! Happy hatching!  Do you have a broody hen? Want to help her become a mama? In this post, we’ll talk about how to help your broody hen adopt day-old chicks successfully.
 Are you wondering if one of your hens has gone broody? Broodiness puts additional stress on a hen, so it’s important to understand the signs of broodiness so that you can give your chicken the care and support she needs. In this post, we’ll share the unmistakable signs of a broody hen.
 Watching a hen raise chicks is a beautiful experience, but there are also many good reasons to discourage or break broodiness in your flock. If you’re sure you have a broody hen (not sure? Read this first!) and won’t be providing her with eggs or chicks, then breaking her broodiness is the best thing to do for her health and well-being.
In this post, we’ll go over five ways to break a broody hen humanely.  Got a broody hen? The first hatch with a broody hen can be nervewracking, but don’t worry, we got you! In this post, we share our best practices for hatching eggs under a broody hen, so you can set your hen and her chicks up for success from the start.
 Winter brings challenges beyond cold temperatures for backyard chickens. Rodents, mites, and lice can all threaten your flock’s health during the colder months. Keeping chickens pest-free in winter requires a combination of prevention, vigilance, and practical treatments: secure feed storage, dust baths, regular coop cleaning, homemade sprays, and careful monitoring of your birds. Implementing these strategies will help your flock stay healthy, stress-free, and productive all winter long.
 Winter is tough on chickens, especially when the ground is frozen, greens are scarce, and the cold challenges their metabolism. Proper nutrition during the colder months is essential to keep your flock healthy, warm, and productive. Offering winter greens, scratch grains, grit, and maintaining a consistent feed schedule are key strategies. These “chicken feed tips for winter” help your birds thrive until spring.
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