Thought about raising your own chickens? Love farm animals, but don’t have a farm? Live in the city, and want a great family project? What better way to do all of these things than by hatching your own eggs! Whether you live on a farm, or in the city, you can raise your very own chickens with the help of an incubator. An incubator is a perfect tool if you don’t have easy access to a hen, or if you want to be sure the eggs will hatch. An incubator acts as a chicken would by maintaining a warm environment similar to being underneath a hen’s bottom. If an incubator sounds ideal to helping you raise your own flock then there are just a few steps to take first and you’ll be on your way to hatching and raising your own chickens.

Step one: Choose a breed or type of chicken. Many do not realize that there are a diverse range of chickens. Countless websites offer different eggs for the breeds, and will help by explaining the best type of chicken for certain environments, as well as the size of the chicken when full grown. Once you’ve decided on the type of chicken you hope to hatch, you can then move onto the next step.

Step two: Invest in an incubator. First, choose what type and size of incubator you’d like. The more eggs you hope to hatch, the larger the incubator you should invest in. Each incubator offers different add-ons, and specifications. Once you’ve purchased your incubator, be sure to keep it indoors so it’s easier to access and keep an eye on.

Step three: Read up on your incubator before use. Make sure to read the nooks and crannies of your incubator’s manual. By being familiar with your incubator you’ll know exactly how to use it, and effectively hatch your chicken eggs. Before using the incubator be sure to warm it up. You’ll want to make sure that the temperature and effectiveness of the incubator is to perfection before placing your eggs inside.

Step four: Watch your chickens hatch. An egg can take up to 21 days to hatch. Parents can use this time to teach young children the basics of raising chickens, and how to care for them. Young children will be eager to learn, and excited to watch as the baby chicks pick their first few ways out of their egg shell. Parents can reiterate the importance of caring for these young, fragile babies, and how children once used to be small babies as well.

Overall, no matter the reason for raising your own chickens an incubator is an effective and quick method to ensure the proper care and hatching of young chicks. In addition, an incubator can be used for years to come, and, with the proper maintenance, will always help to hatch perfect flocks every time.

Author Bio: Suzie O’Connor is the owner of ChickenHousesPlus.com located in sunny Florida.