red house chickens Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Hello, We're a school in the North East of England and we're trying to hatch out three (Buff Orpington) chicken eggs. I've made a booklet from the worksheets on this site and the plan is that once the pupils have finished their exams (this week), we'll get right on with our chicken project. I have three chickens at home, but this is my first attempt at hatching some out. We've got an R-Com digital incubator and we set it going a week ago. I've just tried to candle them today and I think one of them looks pretty good. The other two could be or couldn't be. Can't be sure. Assuming that this works, they're due to hatch on 23rd June. I've set up a facebook page for parents to watch out progress, but I've come on here as well as I'd really appreciate any information or help which could be offered. Thanks, Rachel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ygerna Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I will be watching your progress with this as it is something I would really like to set up at my DD's school. Keep posting updates please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Sounds a fascinating and worthwhile scheme. Do you have homes for the chickens once they have grown ( particularly any boys)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red house chickens Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 Thankfully we do have homes for them (regardless of sex). One of the parents of one of the year 5 boys has kindly provided us with the eggs, and is going to take them off us after the project. That's kind of the reason why we only bought a three egg incubator. Something much bigger would statistically offer us a much better chance of sucessful hatching, but what would we do with 14 chicks? Three is a number which is easier to find homes for. We have quite a few farming families at our school and a surprising number of pupils already have chickens. We wouldn't do this if we didn't have homes already arranged for the chicks. A good point to raise though. Rachel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We're hatching chicks at school in the next few weeks, should be good . I think as long as its all planned out and arranged properly, its an amazing thing for the kids to be involved with and to show them where birds come from, and also about where food comes from. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tidygirlsuk Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Good Luck with your hatch. I'm currently hatching and I'm more excited than the children Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puffin Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 My Daughter's school have just had an incubator and brooder with 12 eggs for two weeks - the eggs arrived a couple of days before they were due to hatch. 9 out of the 12 hatched they keep them for another week and a half before they go back to the breeder or can be rehomed with people from school. It's been quite good for my daughter who was very keen on us hatching eggs - but I was worried about the boys! The company provides the eggs, incubator and brooder. Their website is http://www.livingeggs.co.uk if you are interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red house chickens Posted June 11, 2009 Author Share Posted June 11, 2009 It was actually a brochure from living eggs which sparked all of this off. They sounds very good in that they provide all the necessary posters, and equipment. And also, that they take the chicks back to provide homes for them all, but we thought they were too expensive. I seem to recall that they were around £250 - £300 which we thought was too much. If this project works, then it's something we'd like to do each year which is why we thought it would make more sense to buy our own incubator. In only ever trying to hatch out three, we'll always be able to find homes for them, and should the worst case scenario come about, I'll simply take them home myself. I'm also in the middle of trying to arrange a visit from the BHWT to the school to talk about chickens too. Living Eggs sounds good for places where perhaps the opportunity to find homes for any chicks is limited, but as I said - we thought they were simply too expensive. Rachel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 Living eggs had a stand at last year's NASEN conference. I had quite a conversation with them about what happened to the boys - although they assured me that they would all be found homes, they weren't able to say where or what purpose they might be put to. I too thought the price was exorbitant for a fairly short project especially when I was likely sooner or later to have a broody hen and would be able to do it for free! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red house chickens Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share Posted June 12, 2009 We've just tried to candle the eggs for the second time, and two of them are showing definite signs of veins developing. The third one is showing some kind of dark area, but we're not sure about it. Any thoughts? Pictures in books and on the internet always show the candling image really clearly, but it's not like that at all here. Also - possibly a dumb questions, but does anyone think that the chicks are actually conscious at this point and might actually be aware of us shining bright lights on them? Or is that a bit too deep a thought to run with?! Rachel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red house chickens Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 Well, we checked the eggs again today and the third one definitely isn't doing anything so we've taken it out. Query though - can you candle eggs TOO much? We're really excited about this, and candle them every two or three days. Is this bad? Thanks, Rachel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red house chickens Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 They're here! Our first chick hatched out this morning at 8.15 and the second one is tapping away at the shell and trying to make an appearance. It's meant to be a year 5 project, but so far, we've had years 5, 8, 9 and 10 all in to have a look, not to mention various members of staff. This is so brilliant. Wow. Not sure how to add pictures to this, but there's a shot of the first one (aged about 30 minutes) on our school website http://www.redhouseschool.co.uk/news/first-red-house-chick-hatches Hurrah - have worked out how to post from the web. How do I post from my laptop? Rachel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red house chickens Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 Another thought now that they're actually here. We're leaving them in the incubator for today as that's what we've been told to do (to let them dry off), but are there any thoughts on how long you need to wait before you can actually pick them up and hold them? We were thinking that we might be able to do it tomorrow as they should be dry by then, but is there a "proper" time to wait? Thanks, Rachel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teri Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 congratulations on your as for posting pictures if you go to the forum home page and check out "about how to use this forum" that will help, it guided me through posting pictures and now I can't stop! my kids school have adopted one of my chicks called Longford in a watch me grow topic they have followed her progress from when she hatched onwards through pictures and she visited the school last week for the kids to meet in person!!! next year i'm hoping to loan them my broody hen so they can hatch their own. as for re-homing not a problem as i have several contacts who have loads of space for any boys, and i'm hoping the school will keep any girls? if not i'll just have to keep them!!! keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Another thought now that they're actually here. We're leaving them in the incubator for today as that's what we've been told to do (to let them dry off), but are there any thoughts on how long you need to wait before you can actually pick them up and hold them? Congratulations! Your picture is sweet, s/he is clearly fine, looking forward to seeing a picture of No. 2. They need to stay in the incubator for 24/48hrs. If you have not done so already, put something 'grippy' in the bottom to help the chicks feet get a hold and stand up and the leg muscles strengthen. Kitchen paper towell or J cloth is best. Don't use newspaper, that's too slippery, as is the base of a normal cardboard box. You should be able to handle them once they have 'fluffed up', but not for too long, as they will get cold quickly while out of the incubator / brooder. Once they are older and able to regulate their body temperature properly they can be picked up much more regularly. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Aww Very cute You can handle them pretty much as soon as they're born. Just make sure the kids are gentle though, we always say they can stroke them with the back of their finger because they're always gentler like that. Make sure you keep it warm, but also don't open the incubator too much as you'll lose humidity before the other one hatches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
