How long does a chicken incubate?

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The incubation period for chickens cannot be calculated precisely to the hour. It always depends on the specific situation and the size of the breed. This is why the nest has to be checked more often during the hatching period, no matter how long the chicken is still brooding.

Are these all my chicks yet?
Are these all my chicks yet?

Plumage incubates for different lengths of time

  • Egg size is a crucial feature of the breeding time of birds. Small species of birds, such as titmouse, which only lay tiny eggs, only need to incubate for about 14 days for the chicks to hatch. There are also breeds of different weights in domestic chickens that lay eggs of different sizes. That is why they breed for different lengths of time.
  • In addition, the breeding behavior of the hen is important as well as the local conditions at the nest. If the mother hen leaves the nest more often to z. B. Ingesting food cools the eggs a few degrees each time. This extends the breeding season. Therefore, not every chicken is suitable for hatching.
  • The situation is similar if the nest is on a cool surface, such as pavement, and it has no insulating properties. The chicken's body heat is dissipated more underground, the eggs stay relatively cooler on one side and the mother hen incubates longer until the chicks hatch.

How long a chicken incubates on average 

  • You should expect around three weeks after the chicken is firmly seated on the nest. Later no additional eggs can be pushed in and eggs that have been hatched are taboo for consumption. You should leave the nest alone for 20 days and then check whether chicks have hatched. If the mother hen is still sitting after 24 days, lock her out.
  • To prevent the mother hen from crushing chicks, you can take the newly hatched chicks out of the nest and keep them in an evenly warm place until all the eggs have hatched. Sometimes there is an egg or two left that does nothing. Then the eggs are likely to be unfertilized. You identify these by shaking them vigorously. If you can feel sloshing moisture, this egg is rubbish.
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  • Now hand the interned chicks back to the mother hen and make sure that she has an outlet that is safe from birds of prey. She should keep a place in the herd overnight, but it must be on the ground, warm and calm. Breeds the chicken reliably and takes care of the rearing of the clutch, choose it again for this assignment next year.

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