Hatch Your Own

Have you a Broody Hen?

Letting your broody hen hatch her own chickens can be a ton of fun and a great learning experience.

If you have a broody hen and no rooster of your own you will need fertile eggs!

Here at Sunset Valley Chicks we love to hatch our chickens naturally under a broody mum and we don’t mind supplying you with Sunset Valley Chick fertile eggs!

A broody hen once you put the eggs under her will sit for 18-21 days.

A broody hen can be moved in the early days so she can be separated and she can sit undisturbed.

Depending on fertility to begin with or sometimes for first time mums or even experienced mums, weather and husbandry can affect how many chicks will actually hatch. The eggs we supply are the ones we are hatching for ourselves to raise so maximum fertility is expected but not always guaranteed as many factors come into account.

Costs

For our loyal followers you can pick up fertile eggs when in season from our Markets or Events.

Fertile Eggs available when in season

We take back unwanted Roosters!

$ 6

per egg

Tips and Tricks : Some general questions answered

Can you put chicks under a broodie hen rather than eggs?

Answer is yes. A good experienced mum will take day olds where some may not know what to do and kick their babies out or worse eat or peck at their babies in our time that’s only a few so let’s concentrate on the good broodie and pop a few days olds under her and allow her to be a mum without the 21 days of sitting. We find putting chicks under a suspected broody that has sat for a while rather than eggs is the best option. Introduce the babies gently removing any existing eggs under her maybe leaving one until you are sure the mum as adopted the chicks.

Putting the chicks under a mum at night time is another option.

Husbandry care – Help I see mites on my eggs and or on my broodie hen what do I do?

We encourage that you clean out the nesting box or area that the broodie seems settled to sit on her eggs. Using fresh sawdust/straw we are sure your broodie will settle in quickly. Checking her over and making sure she’s mite free and if she’s not treating her accordingly with a powder such as prestene (you can usually get that at a produce or pet store)

Keeping water and feed close by the broodie will be happy and comfortable.

Help we have hatched too many roosters and aren’t allowed roosters where we live?

That unfortunately is reality that we aim for a 60/40 hatch rate and anything over 40 percent of girls is a bonus. Here at Sunset Valley Chicks we are happy to have you surrender your unwanted poultry. Roosters included!