Domestic chicken keepers can choose between two techniques of hatching chicks: natural or artificial. It is best to have experience and confidence in both.

Hen eggs hatch in 21 days, duck and turkey eggs in 28 days, most goose eggs in 28-30 days and Muscovy eggs in 35 days.

Some very small bantam eggs may arrive a day early and really large birds such as Cochins may arrive a day later.

Natural Hatching

The best technique to raise a few chicks is by natural hatching under a broody hen. However, having a broody hen at the same time as the eggs you wish to set is vital.

Silkie crosses, either Silkie x Wyandotte or Silkie x Sussex, produce the best broodies.

They can be bred in a small pen among purebreds. They can also be purchased in the neighborhood, though this is less frequent than it used to be.

Tender care, attention to detail and keeping it simple are the Golden Rules of natural hatching.

For hygiene concerns, wooden sitting boxes have given way to disposable cardboard cartons but make sure they are in a fox-proof place and in a peaceful spot away from the house.

Individual broody boxes should be about 16" (40cm) square, lined with short straw or wood shavings (hay develops toxic moulds and can harbor mites) and have sufficient ventilation.

Broodies that sit next to each other spend the entire time snatching each other's eggs and basically destroying a hatch.

To keep the broody hen sitting, take her to the broody box in the dark and leave her for a day or so on just a few insignificant eggs to verify she is still serious.

When she has proven herself stable gently place the eggs you want to hatch under her, preferably at night, while removing the others.

If you want to set more than one broody at a time, either set the eggs on the same day so they all hatch together, or keep the broodies out of sight and hearing of one other because the loudness of the cheeping will cause the other broody to get off her eggs if hers aren't cheeping.

Once a day, the broody should be removed from the nest to feed, drink and excrete. Because she is a creature of habit and may become restless if her regular hour has past, keeping the same time each day makes for a tranquil bird.

After the 18th day (for chicken eggs) the hen should not be disturbed,her feed and water should be kept within her reach but out of reach of chicks.

When the hatch is complete, which can take anywhere from 24 hours to three days, empty shells and any unhatched eggs as well as any faeces generated by the hen should be removed from the sitting box.

If any of the chicks appear to be having difficulty breaking free from their shell, do not intervene and allow them to their own devices; this is nature's method of ensuring only the strongest survive.

Try not to disturb the broody while she is sitting, no matter how tempting it is to see how many chicks have hatched, as she needs to bond with her babies and transform her sitting instinct into a more aggressive protective maternal instinct.

Place a water container near the nest that the chicks cannot drown in (pebbles in a shallow dish work nicely) so that any early chicks can drink. The yolk sac within their bodies will maintain them for up to 48 hours, but they will still supply chick crumbs.

Hatching produced artificially

This is the process of hatching eggs in an incubator. Many chicken keepers utilise small incubators, which have the advantage of making incubation conditions available at the flip of a switch. It saves room or pens for broodies while using little electricity.

Although technological advancements have substantially enhanced efficiency, the greatest results will be obtained with eggs that are between 24 hours and seven days old, have been stored in a cold (10°C or 50°F) area and have been flipped daily.

Any dirt on the eggs can be scraped off with a dry pot scraper, however clean eggs are preferable.

If the eggs must be cleaned, use warm water to ensure the membrane behind the shell extends, keeping bacteria out (cold water causes it to shrink, allowing bacteria to enter) and an approved poultry disinfectant.

The same disinfectant can be used to clean out incubators after a hatch with caution. This is critical for the success of future hatcheries.

Follow the manufacturer's directions for an incubator, but be careful not to add too much water.

It appears to be a frequent misperception in the UK that water is required throughout the incubation process.

During incubation, the egg must lose 13% of its weight, the majority of which is water loss, allowing the chick to move around in the shell before hatching.

Fertile eggs that do not hatch are typically sticky on the inside due to an excessively humid incubation period. Try to locate the incubator in an area with little variation in average temperature.

The eggs must be flipped during the incubation period in order for the embryo to develop appropriately (the hen accomplishes this naturally).

Turn the eggs end-over-end at least twice a day to prevent the chalazae (strings that hold the yolk stable) from winding up and potentially injuring the embryo.

If the incubator has an automatic turning mechanism, turn it off two days before the eggs are set to hatch, or stop turning them by hand at this time.

When the eggs begin to pip (the diamond-shaped beginning of the shell shattering), a little hot water can be added to keep the membrane moist.

The chick uses the egg tooth on the end of its upper beak to peck its way out of the broad end of the egg. After hatching, the egg tooth falls out.

Chicks may hatch over a two-day period or all at once. The latter is preferable, although it is not always attainable.

Most small incubators have a glass that allows you to view inside without having to remove the top.

Unless you can set a few eggs each week, transferring those on the 18th day to a different incubator that gets cleaned out each week or after each hatch, it is advisable to fill (or partially fill) an incubator, hatch the eggs, clean it out, and start again.

This prevents the growth of dangerous germs, which can harm the hatch. To make the greatest use of incubator space (and broody chickens) the eggs can be candled after seven days of incubation.

In a darkened room, hold a bright torch to the broad end of each egg. If the egg is infertile, you will only observe the yoke's shadow.

To make this move within the egg, rotate it gently. If the egg is viable, a spider web of blood vessels will be seen on one side, with the heart beating in the centre.

If there is a ring of blood vessels around the germ but none in the centre, the germ has died. If you want to use a different incubator, the infertile eggs can be removed and replaced with fresh ones.

Using a single incubator to set and hatch eggs with varying incubation durations is a recipe for disaster because the humidity changes as you add water for those about to hatch.

Furthermore, hatching eggs release a large amount of germs which can infect younger embryos via the permeable shell.

If you candle the eggs at fourteen days and the embryo is growing normally, the air gap should be distinct from the darker portion of the egg.

If only a little dark spot is seen, the germ has most certainly perished and the boundary between it and the surrounding air space is hazy.

Rearing from birth to 6-8 weeks

Raising chickens is a relatively simple task for the domestic poultry keeper to grasp with contemporary equipment.

If you have a broody hen, all you need to do is supply her with chick crumbs, water and protection from the wind, rain and sun, preferably with a wired over run to begin with so that vermin do not steal the chicks.

Chick crumbs must be kept in a container that she cannot turn over or scratch out. Water must be kept in a container in which the chicks cannot drown.

Put some grain feed for the hen out of the chicks' reach. For them, she might split the grain into small pieces.

Leave the hen with the chicks for four weeks before removing her, but do not remove the chicks since this will upset or set them back, and they need all the encouragement they can get. When they are about eight weeks old, they can be moved to a larger housing and/or run.

Incubated chicks require a heat lamp to keep them warm, preferably one with a ceramic bulb that provides heat rather than light.

Because they have natural light and shade, this prevents feather pecking. Some of the lighter or more anxious breeds undoubtedly benefit from some gloom.

Place the heat lamp in a draught-free area with a generous layer of shavings on the floor, or create a circle around it with an 8' (2.4m) length of hardboard approximately 18" (45cm) high.

A huge rectangular cardboard box can also be used. It must be rectangular in shape, with the lamp at one end and the chicks able to regulate their own temperature.

Two days before the chicks are supposed to hatch, turn on the heat lamp. It should be placed far enough away from the shavings that the temperature beneath it is around 39°C (102°F).

If the chicks get too heated, they will scatter and pant. If they get too chilly, they will congregate in the center and cheep loudly.

A small empty circle just beneath the lamp is ideal. When the chicks have dried and fluffed up, remove them from the incubator.

Place their beaks in drown-proof water and place them beneath the bulb.

Rearing at 8 weeks and beyond

People disagree over when (and sometimes whether) chicks should be provided perches. As long as the perches are at least 2" (5cm) wide, there should be no problem with bent breastbones from perches that are too small and lighter breeds especially like perches.

A rearing house should be large enough to accommodate all of the chicks if the weather is poor, as well as space for a feeder and drinker. If an adult house is utilised, block off the nest boxes with cardboard because roosting in a nest box is a difficult habit to break later, resulting in soiled and partially incubated eggs.

Young stock should be monitored for the duration of their development. Those with obvious physical flaws should be humanely euthanized. This will result in cleaner homes and more space for others to develop adequately.

When moving stock to new homes, take care (such as using cardboard to round off corners) so that it does not huddle in corners and suffocate. Feed high-quality meals as before.

Sexing

When chick feathers begin to fall between 10 and 12 weeks, fresh, sharply pointed and lustrous male plumage appears on the males' backs. It's time to divide the sexes, with the cockerels relocated to their own home.

Breeds differ, but the sexes may be distinguished by head-points, with cockerels having redder heads and larger, bolder heads than pullets. Males' legs and feet are, once again, larger.

The plumage method is the most accurate because birds develop at varying speeds, except for Silkies, which require at least 14 weeks to distinguish which are which based on comb development.

Young stock can be graded for colour, markings and other breed characteristics at about five months of age.

It's time to take stock and appraise the value of the season's crop, giving preference to those that appear to be award winners or future breeders.

Feeding

It is suggested that only balanced feeds from reputable sources are used. Chicks should be fed chick crumbs containing a chemical that aids in the control of coccidiosis and the development of parasite immunity.

Turkey starter crumbs have a higher percentage of protein and are beneficial for the larger breeds.

Crumbs should be fed ad-lib in a container with a series of small openings or a swivel top to avoid waste.

There should be enough trough space for most chicks to feed at one time to avoid bullying. At about 6 weeks introduce growers' pellets over the space of a few days.

When the birds reach about 18 weeks they can be shifted, gradually, to a layers' ration of 16% protein.

This can be fed either as pellets or meals. The meal can be fed dry (but may be wasteful and also sticks to the beak and as a consequence quickly fouling the water) or as a wet mash.

When mixed as a wet mash it should have enough water added so that when pressed in the hand and then released it should crumble away.

Pellets and dry meal can be fed via ad-lib hoppers, but wet mash must always be freshly mixed as it quickly goes rancid.

Water and flint grit should be available at all times from hatching onward. Flint grit is needed to assist the gizzard in grinding up the food, especially hard grain.

During the winter season, it is advisable to supplement the diet of poultry with a small quantity of cod liver oil.

The amount of food required varies based on the size of the bird, with large fowl consuming approximately 4-6oz (110g-170g) per day, while bantams require around 2-3oz (50g-85g).

To keep the birds active, scratch feed made of wheat and maize can be offered. If the birds are not free-range, it is beneficial to provide them with green feed, but it's important to hang up vegetables and nettles to prevent them from becoming soiled.

It's crucial to note that these greens should not come from your kitchen; they should be bought exclusively for feeding your livestock and stored separately.

In conclusion, the hatching, rearing and care of young poultry is a crucial aspect of poultry farming that requires careful attention and management.

From providing a suitable brooding environment to ensuring proper nutrition, water and sanitation, poultry farmers must be diligent in their efforts to raise healthy and productive birds.

As with any livestock enterprise, success in poultry farming depends on a combination of knowledge, experience and attention to detail. With proper planning and management, however, raising young poultry can be a rewarding and profitable enterprise for farmers of all scales.