Just because you have eggs and empty spaces in an incubator doesn't mean you should try to hatch them. Staggered hatches are difficult even for those well experienced. While trying to deal with chicks hatching at different intervals without killing the remaining eggs is a big issue, your problems are just beginning. Brooding chickens of different ages becomes very difficult unless you have lots of brooders. Patience is the key to success with chicks. You will find it is less stressful to slow down and hatch eggs one batch at a time. Your success rate will be much higher.
Spring has been here for almost a month and yet http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/10233_winter_snow_1.gif Man I'm getting tired of this.
The only reason there is this problem is because of the silkie. It's very difficult to see under that laying box where she was, even with a flashlight. We saw the ones that were slowly being shoved against the wall where the laying boxes are. One of the projects we have planned this week is to raise them, but when she was under there, the only way to get to her was to get on your knees. Aric had a nice cut on his nose from doing that and she bit him.
I probably won't make much sense explaining this anymore. I incubated hundreds of reptile eggs so i know the incubator doesn't need to be full. This time it just happened this way. I know which ones were under the silkie and which ones I held back. I wouldn't have held any back had I known there were that many under the silkie!! I have thrown out 6 of them because they were duds and the one that exploded in my face.
Too many chickens and ducks, 3 rabbits, 14 turkeys, 3 dogs and 2 beyond spoiled pot bellied pigs! Oh and 2 kids and one nearly perfect boyfriend!
I can be found on facebook - Keyt Harrington
or my photography page on facebook https://www.facebook.com/NaturalCharmPhoto. Offering specials on portraits and special events as well as photo restorations.
COLLECTING PENNIES!!! Taking any quantity!
Too many chickens and ducks, 3 rabbits, 14 turkeys, 3 dogs and 2 beyond spoiled pot bellied pigs! Oh and 2 kids and one nearly perfect boyfriend!
I can be found on facebook - Keyt Harrington
or my photography page on facebook https://www.facebook.com/NaturalCharmPhoto. Offering specials on portraits and special events as well as photo restorations.
COLLECTING PENNIES!!! Taking any quantity!
. But it won't solve the issues with the eggs in the current one. If they do start hatching this week, would it be safe to remove them even though I don't know when the rest will hatch?
Either hens or chicks....if you have some near lansing area let me know! Email me off list please.. lilbunfoofoo13@aol.com
and still has one good egg in there so I will see what happens. She's small so I only put 8 eggs under her. Some went bad so I did the sniff test and as I'd throw one out I'd replace it with a glass egg or a chick. My incubator chicks are hatching too. hooray hooray. I am going to try to sneak more chicks in with her. I have read about some of you doing that so I though I'd give it a try. Sure made today's snow easier to take.
