What Egg Shortages? A Homesteader’s Guide to Raising Chicks

[@reneezacharias3284]

Thank you for a great informative and to the point video. Well done. It’s so nice to hear an Australian accent on these videos

[@simplebushlivingaustralia4771]

I hatch, raise and sell hundreds of chicks every summer but still watched this video all the way to the end. 😂

[@RedRubyFarm]

I know what you mean, you want to watch what is in your interest.

[@20NewJourney23]

From Amazon in the US I bought two incubators that I have been very happy with. I've used cheaper ones and the are NOT worth using if you are serious about incubating and raising chicks. The first good one is branded Keebonnixs. It holds 12 large or extra-large chicken eggs. The Bobmail I bought holds 18-22 chicken eggs. It has an area in the center of the machine that holds quail or small bantam eggs. Both did a great job incubating and hatching my chicken (and eBay-purchased) eggs. Both were about $100 USD around January of this year. They both have an automatic lockdown setting starting on the 18th day of 21. They both allow you to change the number of days expected for hatching. That allows you to choose to incubate duck eggs, too, since duck eggs generally take longer than chicken eggs to hatch.

[@reganperry]

They sound perfect! Agree re cheap incubators. Generally not worth the risk.

[@garyvee6023]

I have a small property..., 5000sq mtrs in a semi rural area. We hatch, raise, grow out, sell fertile eggs, chicks and pullets.., 100's of them every year. I also have the veggie gdn from hell (or heaven) which I use to offset my chicken feed price. I have soooo much veggies I put them out on the street for the locals to take for free. As long as you are collecting the eggs daily, it doesn't matter if she sleeps on the egg..., it takes aprox. 72hrs for the albumen so set before the embryo will start its germination process..., you CAN'T incubate a fresh egg..., it "MUST" sit for at least 3 days.☺

[@teslabot5650]

I have Apartment Quails, but I'm trying to hatch my first batch of "self made" eggs. Very rewarding hobby. Fresh breakfast everyday! And food security!

[@reganperry]

Oh I love doing quail. So easy, you have to watch out they breed like crazy hey. I might consider doing them as meat birds next year.

[@brycedandara]

Are Apartment Quail the same as Button?

[@teslabot5650]

@@brycedandara No I've got regular ones. Itallian and some other colours

[@johannakuhlin4787]

This is one of the most informative videos Ive ever seen!! Thanks!

[@reganperry]

Wow, thanks!

[@chucksanders5515]

you really poured your heart into it.........thanks so much it really helped.

[@reganperry]

You are so welcome!

[@dannyoutdoors5322]

Cracking video, excellent advice, keep it going, Well done

[@bruceperry9930]

Great u-tube. Very informative and easy to understand. You have me really interested now.BP

[@ShonaLawrie-dh4rv]

Very informative. We can't wait to get started!

[@pezzant4580]

That's a nice shop you've got there. Really organized!

[@reganperry]

Thanks Pezzant! It’s amazing how filming a KZbin video is just the inspiration you need to get organised sometimes 🤣

[@rocksteadfarm]

Very informatiive, thanks Regan.

[@reganperry]

My pleasure!

[@janeandrews4850]

Yes limits have been on eggs here in North Queensland for a while

[@reganperry]

Yikes!

[@jacquesjacobs6871]

For everyone that doesn't have chicks of different ages in the brood box: don't angle your heat plate like this. The angle creates a draught of air over it cooling it down and then it uses more electricity. Chicks will just move towards the edges or even out from under it if they're too warm. In this set-up with chicks of varying ages angling it would work well but as I said you'll use more electricity.

[@reganperry]

That’s actually a fair point. Thanks for pointing that out.

[@crumbdav]

Great. But what about rooster management?! I say this because municipalities are more likely to regulate or even not allow roosters in their communities...

[@reganperry]

@@crumbdav fair question. You have to have a plan. We eat ours. Composting is another option.

[@crumbdav]

@@reganperry they also need to mate with the hens….

[@reganperry]

Well.. yeah.. that’s the idea 🤣. But tbh, I never have any issues with having to encourage him to ‘do his job’. I like to keep a ratio of 1 rooster per 20 hens. They’re excellent guardians and stop the girls from fighting too.

[@reganperry]

And then of course if you’re not allowed a rooster, then buying fertilised eggs is your next best. A good site here in Australia is eggsellent.com.au

[@RedRubyFarm]

Really lockdown is a myth or whenever you want to call it, you really don’t have to keep the incubator closed and afraid to touch the eggs, I have hatched many in the same incubator that were in different stages of incubation.

[@rh5022]

I'm at 9200ft altitude and I have an extremely low hatch rate.

[@rw-xf4cb]

Got the hens its the bloody rooster thats the issue - a) dont like being woken up at 3am and b) looking to move to a smaller lot and neighbors and council dont like/allow them.

[@reganperry]

@@rw-xf4cb I hear ya! Couple of thoughts: 1. most people tune him out over time (still not neighbour friendly though). 2. Start with bought fertilised eggs (check my doc in description for a good link).

[@teslabot5650]

Consider Quail.

[@20NewJourney23]

It sounds like you aren't looking to homestead and become more self-sufficient if you are looking to move to a smaller lot where there is a governing body disallowing the keeping of a rooster. Roosters are annoying, at first. Over time your ears (and everyone else's nearby) get used to it and generally ignore the rooster crows.

[@rw-xf4cb]

@@20NewJourney23 You can still homestead on a smaller lot couple of acres - plan to have some sheep/goats, chickens (they will be moved), fruit and vegie patches (reestablished), possibly look at mushrooms too as side business in a shipping container - though need to look more into it. Grow my own fodder for the sheep/goats in harder times - fodder factory using wheat/barley. I have honey bees so they will move too. Am interested in Hydroponics/Aquaculture so got plans there too down the track will need a bore to ensure reliable water. Roosters just ain't in the picture had them and am half a mile from the neighbors and they wake me up in the morning too when the wind blows from that direction (or possibly its been turned into a dinner not sure). The fertile eggs are probably the way to go most times just by day/week olds and raise them up. Though looking at the UK and their effective ban on domestic raising of birds (putting in stringent red tape annual licenses etc per bird even pet budgie - its pretty ominous this will be coming to a place near you!). Soon wont be able to take a dump in your own residence without government approval, paying the fee and having some engineer or compliance officer sign off on it!

[@20NewJourney23]

@@rw-xf4cb I'm slowly working on turning my 1.2 acres into a tiny homestead paradise. It's slow going due to being disabled and having no disposable income. But it'll get there. I'm in the US. I'm in an area that doesn't restrict chickens and livestock, other than I can't keep more than 3,000 birds on my property. Considering I'm only on an acre, there's no way I'd try to have more than 100 birds. lol Even at 70 we've got too many. We'll be processing 12 roosters very soon. Hopefully over the next few days. We're keeping two roos. I'm also planning to downsize my drakes. I'm only going to keep one of our four.

[@samuraioodon]

I don’t have a rooster though.