Hatch healthy homegrown chicks!The Permaculture Chicken Incubation Handbook walks beginners through perfecting the incubating and hatching process so they can enjoy the exhilaration of the hatch without the angst of dead chicks. 92 full color photos bring incubation to life, while charts, diagrams, and tables provide the hard data you need to accomplish a hatch rate of 85% or more.Topics include:How chickens fit into a permaculture systemReasons to incubate your own eggsThe mother hen optionChoosing the best eggs, with information on seasons, parentage, egg shape, and shell qualityStoring and marking eggsWhat to expect when buying mail order eggsChoosing the best incubatorThe basics of incubation: time, temperature, humidity, turning, etc.Pros and cons of dry incubation, including ways to calculate egg weight lossCandling eggsWhat to do during temperature spikes and power outagesPreparing for the hatch, hatching, and dry off periodWhen and how to help chicks out of the shellHow to tell whether unhatched eggs are aliveCalculating percent viable eggs, hatch rate, and survivabilityTroubleshooting incubation problems, including tips on autopsying eggs and a dichotomous key to pinpoint causesDiagnosing, preventing, and dealing with hatch-related ailments like wry neck, spraddle leg, and moreCaring for sick chicks and knowing when and how to euthanizeBasic needs of chicks after hatching: temperature, food, and waterHousing chicks, with information on outdoor broodersPasturing very young birds