DISCLAIMER: I'm not an expert. My chickens are a hobby.
This is in no way the 100%, fool-proof, right way of hatching chicken eggs. These are just tried methods that have proved successful for us. There is a plethora of additional information available online for free to help you. The principles remain the same: use accurate/calibrated equipment, maintain accurate temperatures, and maintain accurate humidity. The rest can be a matter of opinion. You just need to find which methods work best for your situation. Best of luck!!
This is in no way the 100%, fool-proof, right way of hatching chicken eggs. These are just tried methods that have proved successful for us. There is a plethora of additional information available online for free to help you. The principles remain the same: use accurate/calibrated equipment, maintain accurate temperatures, and maintain accurate humidity. The rest can be a matter of opinion. You just need to find which methods work best for your situation. Best of luck!!
Click to go to one of the sections below:
Incubators
There are many incubators out there, but not all are built alike. If you plan on hatching many chicks or rare/expensive eggs, I'd recommend investing in a high-quality brand with good ratings such as Brinseas, Rcoms, GQFs, Ova-Easy, etc. The incubators currently used for our poultry are:
- Brinsea Ovation 28 EX (max. 28 chicken eggs)
- Pros: Most accurate and hands-free, best automation options, "set it and forget it", highly prefer the stand-up/tilt incubators vs. laid down/rolled for shipped eggs, well-circulated air
- Cons: Cover is difficult to clean, evaporations blocks don't last long and need to be replaced (we just substitute with paper towels), not easiest to see inside, lifting lid may cause rotation bar to move as rotator motor and sprocket teeth are on lid, getting the tiny water hose on the connector takes some patience
- MATICOOPX 30 Egg Incubator (max. 30 chicken eggs)
- Pros: Higher max. egg-quantity for the price, a "budget Brinsea", like that the egg turner is controlled from the base rather than lid so egg rotation isn't effected when opening, highly prefer the stand-up/tilt incubators vs. laid down/rolling, well-circulated air
- Cons: Thermometer and hygrometer were off, takes awhile for it to get up to temp if opened
- Nurture Right 360 (max. 22 chicken eggs)
- Pros: Clear viewing, easy set up, temps may be off but calibration instructions are available, circulated air
- Cons: Bottom is difficult to clean, wish it held more eggs for the price, inconsistent temps, eggs in outside slots get better rotation than eggs in inner slots
Secondary Devices, Calibration, Temperature & Humidity
IMPORTANT:
I would highly recommend getting secondary devices (thermometer and hygrometer) to keep inside the incubator. You can usually find these on Amazon, a project store, or retailer. Even right out of packaging, new incubators can still be off on temp and humidity settings. You should also CALIBRATE these devices to make sure they are accurate. Do not trust that they are accurate - even if brand new!
I keep at least 2 extra calibrated thermometers and 2 extra calibrated hygrometers in each incubator during hatching.
I would highly recommend getting secondary devices (thermometer and hygrometer) to keep inside the incubator. You can usually find these on Amazon, a project store, or retailer. Even right out of packaging, new incubators can still be off on temp and humidity settings. You should also CALIBRATE these devices to make sure they are accurate. Do not trust that they are accurate - even if brand new!
I keep at least 2 extra calibrated thermometers and 2 extra calibrated hygrometers in each incubator during hatching.
- Temperature range: 99.5-100.5°F
- Keep your temps consistent and stable.
- Avoid opening the lid excessively and make sure the cover is set properly in the base
- Some people like to wrap a towel or blanket around the incubator to help keep temps stable - just be sure not to cover ventilation holes
- Humidity: varies during incubation
- This seems to be a grey area which people may vary for people based on their results. For the sake of ease, 45-50% is a good target.
- Fluctuations can happen so if you sway down to 40% or up to 55%, so don't panic, they should be fine.
- "Dry" hatching: A type of hatching where people do not add water to the incubator AT ALL. I don't like this term because there may be a time you DO need to add water. At that point, it's no longer dry hatching. So, consider your environment - is the air very humid or dry? People who live in more humid climates may get by with dry hatching due to the naturally higher humidity, whereas other areas may have drier air. While dry hatching has its benefits, the counter-side is that you don't want too much water evaporating out of the egg too fast.
- Incubator Placement: Again, a grey area but I believe most people would agree to keep your incubator away from windows, out of direct sunlight, and away from drafty areas. Ours are kept on a tabletop surface in a temperature-controlled room with incoming and outgoing ventilation to allow for even, adequate air exchange.
Hatching Egg Sources
- Facebook: FB has a plethora of egg and chicken-based groups you can join, some may even be more local. Many small business farmsteads, homesteads, and hobby farms can even be found here.
- Instagram: Several of the beautiful breeds we have came through Instagram. If there's something you're really interested in, message the creator and they can let you know if they offer shipping.
- The Flock Directory (clickable link): A collaborative site with many smaller breeders with both well-known and specialty breeds.
- Google: If you're searching for something in particular, put the breed/egg color/etc. and 'hatching eggs' in parentheses to yield better results: "Welsummer hatching eggs" "blue hatching eggs".
- Large Hatcheries: Several of the larger, commercial hatcheries offer eggs of select varieties.
- Ebay: There are several places on here that sell hatching eggs. Just be sure to check their reviews for feedback. While not everyone is going to have a perfect experience, if they're in the 90%+ rating, chances are they are a good seller making an honest effort.
- Local: Check your local listings in ag stores, livestock sales, or Craigslist.
Eggs: Shipped vs. Local
For obvious reasons, getting local eggs will help with hatching rates as they are more gently handled from hen to incubator. If possible, pick up your eggs locally if the breeder allows. This will allow you to control handling and temperature until they get to your incubator. However, many of us do not have local access to the breeds we want. Shipping eggs, chicks, or even older birds is the only other option. Also, most NPIP facilities may not allow you on-site for bio-security reasons, so you may need to make an exchange off-site from the location. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling your eggs. Wearing a pair of disposable nitrile gloves is helpful, too.
- SHIPPED & LOCAL:
- Allow your eggs to adjust to room temperature. Keep them upright with the bigger, rounder end upward and pointy end down. Candle the eggs prior to look for any cracks as they may not be visible on the outside surface.
- Make sure the room you are candling in is very dark, especially if you're going to be looking at very dark eggs. You can use the light on the incubator if it is has one, but we prefer either a special egg-candling flash light you can readily find online or a small LED torch with a focus beam.
- We do not attempt to hatch eggs with hairline cracks as they can go foul and explode in the incubator.
- Some people may try to repair a cracked egg with unscented candlewax, super glue, tape, or nail polish. This is at your discretion. We have had about 50% success rate at hatching cracked eggs.
- SHIPPED (LOCAL MAY APPLY):
- It's advised you do not rotate shipped eggs for the first 3 days as there is some risk with the air cells becoming detached during shipment. This isn't always obvious, especially on darker eggs, but it does happen. We use egg carton cut-outs (in a 4 square "quad"), with the sides trimmed down and a hole punched in the bottom to keep our eggs upright during this time. Again, bigger end up, pointy end down.
- Some people allow shipped eggs to rest outside of the incubator for 24-48 hours, regardless if air cells are detached or not. Personally, I don't do this. My eggs are usually held at the post office, and I get called to come in and pick them up. During this time, they are resting indoors on a table and stabilizing from approximately 6 AM to 3 or 6 PM which is usually when I pick them up after work. What's my reasoning? Those eggs continue to age. They are usually several days old by the time they get to me, especially if being shipped across the country. The chance of success drops significantly after day 7, even more so after day 10. If they are super scrambled, they're shot regardless if they sit for 8 hours or 48 hours. So, we prefer to get them in the incubator as soon as possible, especially if the air cells are intact. I honestly can't say I've seen a difference; some swear by the opposite. This is just my preference.
- After these 3 days, we'll check eggs again. If air cells reattached, we will set them to rotate. If not or if only some have, we will rotate by hand until at least day 10 or 14 - whenever eggs are re-candled. Otherwise,if everything looks good, eggs should be placed in the incubator cradles or rotating disc to begin incubation.
- It's advised you do not rotate shipped eggs for the first 3 days as there is some risk with the air cells becoming detached during shipment. This isn't always obvious, especially on darker eggs, but it does happen. We use egg carton cut-outs (in a 4 square "quad"), with the sides trimmed down and a hole punched in the bottom to keep our eggs upright during this time. Again, bigger end up, pointy end down.
Preparing for Incubation
- Make sure your incubator is clean. If it's brand new, I like to take a paper towel and do a wipe down of all the non-electrical inside components with a low concentration bleach or vinegar-based cleaning spray. I'll do a quick wash of the egg-contact surfaces (screens, cradles, rotating disks, etc.) with a mild antibacterial soap and warm (not hot) water and left to air dry.
- Always test a small, insignificant area (side of base, bottom) prior to use to ensure the cleaner doesn't damage any important parts of the incubator.
- BE CAREFUL not to get your motor or electrical equipment wet. While it may dry, parts may begin to rust or corrode. Over time, this could shorten the life of your incubator, cause malfunctions, or to not work completely.
- If the incubator is used, I recommend doing thorough cleaning mild antibacterial soap and warm (not hot) water and left to air dry.
- Once cleaned, set up your incubator and allow it to warm up for at least 12-24 hours. This will help dry out any remaining areas as well as verify you didn't damage or loosen anything during cleaning. Place in a calibrated secondary thermometer, close the lid, and give it approximately 1 hour (or longer) for the temp to reach the set point and the thermometer to read the temp.
- If your incubator and thermometer are the same, you're good to go.
- If your incubator and thermometer are off, adjust the incubator setting temp up or down respective to what the secondary thermometer reads.
- Next is to add your calibrated secondary hygrometer into the incubator. Give it approximately 1 hour (or longer) to stabilize. This part may be a little tricky as this may depend on your climate and/or the time of year. To keep it simple, target for a humidity between 40%-50%. Add water in small portions, giving the incubator a several minutes to stabilize after the water has been added. Compare the incubator reading and secondary hygrometer and adjust if needed to get the desired humidity level.
- Darker colored hatching eggs may require a lower humidity. The darker the egg, the thicker the shell due to 'layers' of color being applied. During incubation, the porous surface of the eggs allows moisture inside the egg to evaporate. The drier the air, the higher the evaporation. Conversely, if too humid, the lower the evaporation. Too much water left in the shell at hatch time and the chick may drown, too much and the chick won't be able rotate around in the shell to hatch.
- After you've determined your temperature and humidity settings, your incubator should be good to go. A good practice is to run your incubator at least a full 24-48 hours prior to adding eggs.
- OPTIONAL: While it's not required, a small scale is useful. We light to take egg weights and number our eggs to keep track of how much water is being lost during incubation. More on this below.
Incubation Period: Day 0-17
- Day 0:
- Prior to adding to the incubator, we use a pencil to number each of the eggs. This is to keep track of the starting weigh-in. They need to lose 11-13% of their water content during incubation. If we know the starting point, we can calculate how much water is being lost per day at next check-in.
- Once the eggs are in, close the lid securely and leave it alone. This is the time when you just need to allow the incubator to do it's thing. Too much fussing may compromise your hatch. Unless you smell something funny coming from the incubator, you shouldn't need to do too much from here other than monitor temperature and humidity (we check ours AM, afternoon, and PM).
- Halfway: Candling and Weigh-In
- Many people will candle again approximately halfway through. Each egg is candled first, then weighed if still developing. Undeveloped eggs are removed as they are candled and are not weighed. We prefer to candle/weigh on Day 14.
- Because we usually have darker eggs in the incubator (Marans), we like to give the developing embryo the extra time to get bigger and for movement and the air cell to become more noticeable inside the egg. Dark eggs can be extremely difficult to assess so this method works best for us.
- We don't usually mix Marans and dark Olive eggs. They are usually in a different incubator. This is because we run our humidity lower (30-35%) and temp a bit warmer (100.5°F) to help with the evaporation process.
- We do mix combine in the "lockdown" incubator as we keep the humidity at 50% for all breeds.
- Once candling and weights has been done, the water loss percentage is calculated. Your eggs should be losing about 0.6-0.7% weight per day. If too much water is being lost too quickly, the humidity is increased slightly. If too slow, humidity is brought down. It doesn't need to be excessive, think about about a 5-10% change. Do not make adjustments to temp. ALWAYS maintain temperature between 99.5-100.5°F.
- Many people will candle again approximately halfway through. Each egg is candled first, then weighed if still developing. Undeveloped eggs are removed as they are candled and are not weighed. We prefer to candle/weigh on Day 14.
(OPTIONAL) Weighing eggs is not necessary but very advantageous when it comes to having correct settings.
- TO CALCULATE % WEIGHT LOSS/DAY:
- (Day 10-14 weight / Starting weight) x 100% = % Total weight loss
- 100 - % Total weight loss = % Change in weight
- % Change in weight / # of Days in Incubator = % Weight Loss/Day
- EXAMPLE I: A hatching egg weighs 60 grams at Day 0
- At day 14, the egg is re-weighed and is at 58 grams.
- (58g / 60g) x 100% = 96% (loss of 4%)
- 4% / 14 days = - 0.28%/day
- Conclusion: The egg should be losing ~0.6%/day. At 21 days, the egg will have only lost 5.88% when it needs to be 11-13%. The humidity is too high, and we need to remove water/humidity.
- EXAMPLE II: A hatching egg weighs 60 grams at Day 0
- At day 14, the egg is re-weighed and is at 55 grams.
- (55g / 60g) x 100% = 91% (loss of 9%)
- 9% / 14 days = -0.64%/day
- Conclusion: At 21 days, the egg will have lost about 13.4%. Don't change a thing - maintain your settings. This is fairly close (it doesn't need to be exact) and you're right on the mark for required moisture loss.
"Lockdown" to Hatch: Day 18 to 21, or 22, or 23..
- Day 18 is considered "lock-down" day in which people make the final adjustments to the clutch prior to them hatching on day 21. At this point, eggs should no longer be rotated. Be sure to unplug or disable any rotating element. You may want to candle and weigh eggs one final time before closing the lid for the next few days.
- I always candle at day 18 to remove any eggs that quit developing. The more you incubate, the better your eye will become at learning what is and isn't viable.
- We hatch our eggs upright. At this point, they are put into 4-egg pulp egg carton cut-outs. The sides are trimmed down, and the bottom has a hole punctured through so not to obstruct hatching and allow for continued air flow around the egg.
- When in doubt, leave the egg in unless you smell an odor coming from it. Very dark eggs are sometimes hard to tell if there's still development.
- I *HIGHLY RECOMMEND* putting down a non-slip surface mat on the floor of the incubator. This will help the chicks keep their footing instead of slipping around on a moist surface. This struggle can lead to splayed legs. A non-slip drawer mat or liner used in kitchen cabinets works well.
- Resist the urge to fuss around with the eggs. Peeping chicks still within the shell are synchronizing their hatch and getting into position to begin hatching. Not all eggs hatch on day 21. Some may hatch a little earlier or later which may indicate if your incubator settings are a tad high or low. Nature will handle what's to come, so be patient.
- If you are candling and see what appears to be a triangular shape reflecting back, most likely accompanied by some movement, it's most likely that your chick has internally pipped into the air sac. This is known as the "internal pip". The chick should hatch within the next 24-48 hours.
- When chicks begin to hatch, a small crack in the shell will begin to appear. This is the "external pip". After this initial pip, what's followed is called the "unzip" where the chick will rotate in the egg in what looks like a 'can opener' effect to continue breaking the egg. Try not to interfere. This can be a tiring process for a chick, and it can take a few minutes to several hours to complete. Just continue to monitor its progress.
- This can be a critical time for your entire clutch. If there's several chicks that have hatched and several in process, leave the incubator closed. Chicks can spend up to 3 days inside an incubator without food/water as they are still surviving on the yolk. An open cover allows necessary moisture to escape and cause the inner membrane to dry out and stick to the chick, a problem called "shrink-wrapping". More on this is discussed below.
Caring for your Chicks Post-Hatch
When thing go wrong..
- Rotten eggs:
- If you have a foul odor coming from your incubator, locate the source immediately and remove it. Chances are one of your eggs is rotting from bacteria penetrating the egg. As the pressure from gasses builds up inside, it can cause the egg to explode. Not only will you have to deal with a bad smell and cleaning the incubator, but your other eggs will be contaminated which may compromise the hatch.
- Shrink-Wrapping & Hatching Assistance: (Proceed if it's the only option left.)
- When chicks are in the process of hatching, it is crucial to leave the incubator closed to retain humidity. Most cases we hear about with shrink-wrapping is due to human error.
- During this time, the thin inner membrane of the egg is exposed. The increased humidity helps keep this membrane remain soft and pliable. Every time the incubator is opened, moisture escapes, and that very thin membrane begins to dry out quickly, even if the external pip crack is tiny. The drier air can make its way in and begin "shrink-wrapping" the chick inside the egg, making escape from the shell impossible.
- I'll be honest and admit that I will (very quickly) sneak a chick or two out if things are getting crowded and they are dry. I try not to do this more than once as a clutch is hatching or if the same chicks are still in the process of unzipping. Use your best judgement.
- As the membrane dries, it (literally) shrinks in size and adheres itself to the body of the chick. It immobilizes the chick in place and prevents them from rotating around in the egg to unzip during hatch.
- Your best bet is just to monitor their progress. If they managed to create an external hole, they will have access to oxygen which is good as the supply is limited inside the egg. We give our chicks about 24-36 hours from the first external pip to hatch on their own. If they haven't made progress to unzip, we may step in to assist if we don't run the risk of upsetting others hatching. External pip hole = good = oxygen = won't suffocate.
- If you have to assist, BE CAREFUL - this can go wrong VERY quickly. Take the egg out of the incubator and candle it. Check to make sure the veins inside the egg have receded and are no longer visible. This would assure you that the blood has been absorbed. SLOWLY chip off pieces of shell starting with the larger end where the chick externally pipped. (I prefer to use a tweezers.)
- If you remove a piece of shell and it appears to bleed - STOP IMMEDIATELY AND APPLY GENTLE PRESSURE TO THE AREA TO STOP THE BLEEDING. The chick has not finished absorbing the blood from the outside membrane, which may be part of the reason the chick didn't keep unzipping, it just wasn't entirely ready. If you continue, it's almost a guarantee you will kill the chick. Put the egg back into the incubator and come back in several hours to check on it. It would also be a good idea to use some warm water and a Q-tip or cotton ball to gently blot the membrane to "re-hydrate" it so it softens, being careful not to get excess water around the chick so that it may aspirate it.
- After some time has passed, try again, being careful to only take small pieces. If bleeding persists, stop and wait again. Understand that the more often the bleeding, the more likely you'll lose the chick.
- If bleeding didn't occur or after some time as passed from your last attempt, it's likely your chick may not have progressed in hatching, but you have allowed the blood more time to recede. If no bleeding occurs, continue to peel back more layers of shell. We do not completely take the chick out of the shell during assistance.
- The remaining part of the hatching process is the absorption of the yolk. This isn't always the easiest thing to judge. Due to the fragility of the tissues involved between egg and chick, forcefully separating the two may have fatal consequences for the chick as you may pull contents out of the navel. For this reason, we place the chick back into the incubator still sitting in the bottom half of the egg. This makes certain that the yolk is absorbed fully, the umbilical cord has separated, the navel is closed, and the tissues/membranes naturally detach by desiccation.
- This process isn't easy. Don't feel defeated if the chick doesn't survive. It's all about patience and timing. The best advice we can give is try to avoid it all together by providing the best conditions as possible for the chick to hatch on its own.
- The remaining part of the hatching process is the absorption of the yolk. This isn't always the easiest thing to judge. Due to the fragility of the tissues involved between egg and chick, forcefully separating the two may have fatal consequences for the chick as you may pull contents out of the navel. For this reason, we place the chick back into the incubator still sitting in the bottom half of the egg. This makes certain that the yolk is absorbed fully, the umbilical cord has separated, the navel is closed, and the tissues/membranes naturally detach by desiccation.
- Your best bet is just to monitor their progress. If they managed to create an external hole, they will have access to oxygen which is good as the supply is limited inside the egg. We give our chicks about 24-36 hours from the first external pip to hatch on their own. If they haven't made progress to unzip, we may step in to assist if we don't run the risk of upsetting others hatching. External pip hole = good = oxygen = won't suffocate.
- Spraddle/splayed Legs & Crooked Toes: Please visit this link for more guidance >> The Chicken Chick
- Good traction on the floor of the incubator is essential to help avoid or splayed/spraddled legs on newly hatched chicks. There are other reasons that may contribute to this but good flooring is a great place to begin remedying the issue. You will want to act on this quickly, as a chick may learn that "this is the way to walk" and become trampled by other chicks and/or not be able to get access to food and water. You will need to put some sort of hobbles on your chick. There are several DIY methods or even ones you can readily buy online.
- Crooked toes are not an uncommon issue either. And again, you'll want to act quickly. Crooked toes will affect a chick's balance and mobility. But there's several ways available to help correct this issue. The goal is to get the chick's toes as straight as possible on a flat surface and secure them in that position. Simple things such as bandage cutouts, tape, cardstock paper, self-adhesive wrap are all good options for fixing toes.
- Pasty-butt: This is something you will really want to pay attention to the first week or so after hatch. Because their first poops can be a little runny, it's not unusual that as it comes out and down, it sticks to the soft, fluffy "cushion" under the vent. This can build up quickly and cover the vent, not allowing the chick to poop.
- Possible causes:
- Natural - Sometimes there is no absolute reason behind it and nothing you can change. You will just have to keep an eye on the chicks until their digestive system adjusts. I find it typically tends to only last a couple days up to a week after hatching. Don't expect it to be a chick's life-long ailment. If it is, there may be other things going on.
- Water quality - It's a factor. If you have poor water quality or an excess of minerals, sediment, or microorganisms in your water that the chicks are receiving, this may upset their digestive system. We know adult birds have no problem drinking from some fairly sketchy water sources but try to make sure the water is fairly clean, clear, and changed frequently. I do complete water changes daily and bases and jars are rinsed with hot water and scrubbed lightly if needed to remove bacterial films or build-up. Basic tap water is more than sufficient.
- Added vitamins/electrolytes/probiotics - Some people like to add supplements to water after hatching. I, personally, do not - less is more. I prefer to give the digestive system and natural gut flora a chance to work itself out without other factors that won't be long term. I only use supplements during times of illness, injury, or environmental stress (deep winter or extremely hot summers).
- Food source - Make sure you are using a complete feed made for growing chicks. There's quite a debate about using medicated vs. non-medicated feed. Whichever you choose to use is up to you, just make sure it's meant for growing chicks - *NO* all-flock, layer, game bird, etc. is an acceptable substitute. And treats should always be given in moderation to avoid nutritional gaps.
- Wood shavings/bedding - To a chick, anything small and eye-catching looks like food - but not everything is. Small pieces of bedding material can quickly become an issue if a chick eats too much of it. For the first week, I use a rough-textured paper towel or puppy pads as the flooring in the brooder. The texture on the towels and puppy pads provides continued traction that chicks need to be able to strengthen their legs and walk properly, the material is absorbent and easy to exchange, and, most importantly they are not able to ingest it. I've spent almost 48 hours over a weekend (including overnight!) helping a chick poop because it had ingested so many wood shavings. Not fun!
- Possible causes:
Medicated vs. Non-Medicated Feed & Understanding Coccidia
I've researched this topic in depth and came to this conclusion regarding this dividing argument. You may feel differently but I'm a black and white individual. I do what makes sense. Less is more.
Chickens become infected by ingesting the coccidia oocysts in the feces of infected birds. These oocysts can remain infectious in soil and coop bedding for several months. They can be resistant to most common disinfectants and survive freezing and scorching temperatures. It takes at least 122 degrees F to kill oocysts by heat! The best practice for control is the complete removal of bedding materials, direct UV/sunlight exposure, steam cleaning, and/or a 10% ammonia cleaning solution. The problem, however, is when the bird actually ingests the parasite, and its life cycle begins. It attaches itself to the intestinal wall of the bird and prevents absorption of nutrients - thiamine (vitamin B1) in particular.
Medicated feed contains the ingredient 'Amprolium' which inhibits the absorption of 'thiamine' (vitamin B1) needed by the protozoan parasite Coccidia. This rapidly growing parasite requires large amounts of thiamine for growth and reproduction. However, thiamine is very important for the production of energy for your chickens. A deficiency in this vitamin can lead to neuromuscular issues and affect the heart, brain, nervous and digestive systems. So, it quickly becomes an issue if this parasite is utilizing all of the thiamine that the chicken had consumed in its diet. And adding supplemental B1 to your chicken's diet won't help - it's essentially just feeding the coccidia and allowing it to multiply faster. To fix the problem, you need to stop the coccidia.
Now, here's where my break-down begins:
If you are to the stage where you are going to begin exposing them to the grass and soil:
Chickens become infected by ingesting the coccidia oocysts in the feces of infected birds. These oocysts can remain infectious in soil and coop bedding for several months. They can be resistant to most common disinfectants and survive freezing and scorching temperatures. It takes at least 122 degrees F to kill oocysts by heat! The best practice for control is the complete removal of bedding materials, direct UV/sunlight exposure, steam cleaning, and/or a 10% ammonia cleaning solution. The problem, however, is when the bird actually ingests the parasite, and its life cycle begins. It attaches itself to the intestinal wall of the bird and prevents absorption of nutrients - thiamine (vitamin B1) in particular.
Medicated feed contains the ingredient 'Amprolium' which inhibits the absorption of 'thiamine' (vitamin B1) needed by the protozoan parasite Coccidia. This rapidly growing parasite requires large amounts of thiamine for growth and reproduction. However, thiamine is very important for the production of energy for your chickens. A deficiency in this vitamin can lead to neuromuscular issues and affect the heart, brain, nervous and digestive systems. So, it quickly becomes an issue if this parasite is utilizing all of the thiamine that the chicken had consumed in its diet. And adding supplemental B1 to your chicken's diet won't help - it's essentially just feeding the coccidia and allowing it to multiply faster. To fix the problem, you need to stop the coccidia.
Now, here's where my break-down begins:
- If you are hatching and raising chicks OUTSIDE in the coop among other birds or your hen is raising chicks for you - USE MEDICATED FEED. It's very possible that the chicks will be exposed to coccidia if pecking around where adults have been - including mom (she has most likely built up an immunity). Because their body has never experienced this parasite before, medicated feed will help suppress the coccidia enough that it will help the chicks build up an immunity of their own.
- According to my findings, you should feed this until the chicks are at least 6-8 weeks of age. You can then switch over to using non-medicated/grower feed.
- Remember, the active ingredient blocks thiamine absorption. Long-term use can lead to B1 deficiency in your chicks so do not use medicated any longer than you need to.
- If you are hatching and raising chicks INSIDE and in a clean environment - USE NON-MEDICATED FEED. If your chicks have not been exposed to adult birds, soil, or potentially infected bedding, medicated feed won't do your chicks any good. And coccidia is not passed through the egg. It has to be ingested. If it's not present, the medication isn't working against anything, you're just causing a vitamin B1 deficiency. They need the exposure to the parasite before medicated feed becomes beneficial.
- If you bought chicks from a hatchery and your chicks are vaccinated against coccidia - USE NON-MEDICATED FEED. No vaccine is perfect, but your chicks are off to a good start having been exposed to the parasite, be it live or attenuated, through the vaccination. Since some immunity 'should have' built up since, there is no reason to use medicated and risk a B1 deficiency.
- Keep in mind, vaccinated chicks CAN still get a heavy infection and die from coccidia. If your chicks are starting to show signs of a major infection, I would recommend a round of Corid either through their drinking water or administered orally. Feeding them medicated feed won't help as the level of Amprolium is not as high as it needs to be to fight off a substantial infection.
- Will feeding medicated feed to vaccinated chicks hurt them or "cancel out" the vaccine? No, nothing can 'cancel' a vaccine. Again, if they are showing signs of illness, treat directly through water or orally.
If you are to the stage where you are going to begin exposing them to the grass and soil:
- If they are under 6 weeks of age and not showing signs of illness:
- USE MEDICATED FEED (min. 2 weeks, max. 6 weeks) OR
- TREAT THEIR DRINKING WATER:
- (PREVENTION-LEVEL) Liquid Corid: 2 tsp. per 1 gallon of water, must be the sole source of drinking water, remove untreated water sources, 5 consecutive days, 7 days off, 5 more consecutive days. Mix and replace water daily.
- (TREATMENT-LEVEL) Liquid Corid: 0.1 ml per pound of body weight orally once a day for 1-3 days per bird.
- (PREVENTION-LEVEL) Powder Corid: 1.5 tsp. per 1 gallon of water, must be the sole source of drinking water, remove untreated water sources, 5 consecutive days, 7 days off, 5 more consecutive days. Mix and replace water daily.
- (TREATMENT-LEVEL) Powder Corid: Mix 1/2 teaspoon powder with 2 teaspoons water. Give 0.34 ml per pound of body weight orally once a day for 1-3 days.
- If they are over 6 weeks of age,