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January 2025
| LEONARD THAPHATHI, AGRICULTURAL MANAGER, TIGER BRANDS |
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GROWING A FLOCK OF CHICKENS IN A SHORT TIME MAY REQUIRE MORE OF AN INVESTMENT THAN JUST BUYING A COUPLE OF HENS AND A ROOSTER TO DO THE WORK. TO GET YOUR FLOCK TO GROW QUICKLY, NEEDS MUCH MORE TIME AND MANAGEMENT THAN JUST A FEW HENS LAYING EGGS TO BROODING AND RAISING THE CHICKS TO THE NEXT CYCLE.
UNDERSTANDING THE CHICKEN BREEDING CYCLE
Growing from a day-old chick, it takes about 18 weeks to 19 weeks before a hen can lay eggs. Chickens can lay more than 15 eggs before becoming broody and each egg is laid at an interval of approximately 24 hours to 26 hours.
It takes 21 or more days of incubation before all the eggs hatch. After sitting on her eggs for about 21 days until they hatch, a hen will typically stay with her chicks for six to eight weeks. When her chicks are old enough to fend for themselves, the mother hen will go back to her flock and return to ‘normal’ life. The exact timespan will vary from hen to hen. Don’t be surprised if it takes a few weeks longer than eight weeks.
Egg fertility: If you are collecting eggs from your chickens to have them incubated by a hen later when they become broody, the best is to choose eggs from a hen that is favoured by a rooster. Alternatively, you can check for fertility by cracking the egg and checking for a small, white spot or dot on the yolk (Photo 1). There is no need to worry about what to do with eggs that you have cracked – fertile eggs are just as good for breakfast and any other use in the kitchen.
Egg viability: Fertile eggs selected for hatching need to be stored carefully for a maximum of 18 days, preferably between 10°C and 12°C. The cooler end of the spectrum is better, especially if you intend to keep them for a longer time while you wait for a hen to become broody.
Storing fertile chicken eggs: Store fertile eggs with the round end up. Turn them at least twice each day. Keep them cool and dry and away from direct sunlight and drafts.
REDUCE THE GUESSWORK
There is a way that can help reduce the guesswork on the probability of chicks before they hatch. Egg candling is a method used to observe the growth and development of an embryo inside an egg by using a bright light source behind the egg to show details through the shell.
Here is the method:
Candling allows you to monitor many things, including the egg fertility and embryo development (Photo 2). By identifying and removing non-viable eggs, you avoid the risk of rotten eggs exploding and contaminating your batch with dangerous germs.
THE ROLE OF THE BROODING HEN
Clean water and good quality feed are a means of survival for your chickens. Although hens that are incubating eggs do not come out regularly to feed or drink, it is a good idea to keep food and water available for when she does come out.
A well-fed brooding hen tends to sit for extended periods on her eggs, without going out regularly to look for food. This ensures that the eggs remain under a favourable temperature that will facilitate their development. Clean chicken housing reduces the chances of high pest infestations.
From the day when the chicks start hatching, you must begin to collect them daily, preferably at night, and put them in a brooder box until the hatching is complete. The main reason for separating the chicks from their mother is to ensure that the hen goes back to the flock in a short time and starts the process all over.
Click on the link to read the complete article which was published in the NWK Arena in 2022: https://www.nwkarena.co.za/2022/05/17/you-can-count-your-chickens-before-they-hatch/
Publication: January 2025
Section: Pula/Imvula
