Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Ducks can foster babies, but they are not as easily fooled as adoptive chicken moth-
ers. I can honestly say I have experienced many disasters getting geese to adopt, but
I've heard many success stories from others. Success depends upon the goose's indi-
vidual temperament.
Once you've offered the hen her foster chicks, it's best to watch her reaction for a
few minutes, and if she isn't harming them, go away and come back after 15 minutes to
see how she has adapted.
A good mother
will immediately start clucking to the chicks and place her beak near
them, using it to direct them into her feathers. She will fluff up a bit and be receptive.
Good mothering is typical of some breeds, but as with people, there are always excep-
tions, so don't leave the chicks until you know for certain that she's happy to adopt them.
An improbable mother
will flee or immediately peck at the new chicks. If this oc-
curs it's best to not leave the chicks with her as she will probably kill them or abandon
the nest, leaving them to die from chilling overnight.
Using an Incubator
The days of choosing between innumerable brands, sizes, and types of incubators have
passed. In 1950, when incubator sales peaked, most small towns had a poultry hatchery
and many companies competed for the market. Many of these apparatuses handled up to
2,000 eggs and had a hatching compartment at the top. These are still out there and can
be purchased at old farm and exotic animal sales for those who want something a little
larger than those I suggest below.
Today, there are very few incubators made for a midrange breeder. You can buy either
small tabletop devices or gargantuan models for corporate farms, where the climate-con-
trolled building is essentially the incubator.
Choose Your Device
Because the price ranges and capabilities of incubators vary greatly, establish your goals
before choosing one. Do you hope to achieve one successful hatch a season and raise all
of your birds for that year from that hatch? Or will you set eggs every week for a num-
ber of weeks and hatch and raise chicks of all ages in a multiple grow-out pen? You'll
find incubators are made with different production sizes in mind.
Incubator manufacturers usually include the chicken egg capacity in the labeling or
instructions. To convert chicken egg capacity to egg capacity for other poultry species,
use the following general rule of thumb: Duck and turkey egg capacity is roughly two-
