7th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2016 Hatch-A-Long

[ronott1]

It's that time of year again!!

At noon on December 11, 2015(local time), people all over the world will be setting eggs with the goal of hatching out hundreds of cute little fuzz-butts all on the same day: New Year's Day 2016!


We'll be updating this post and thread with more information, but we wanted to start the thread early since now's the time to start preparing!

So, subscribe to this thread, add it to your bookmarks, and check back for more details!!

Note: Subscribe by posting in the thread that you want to hatch with us!

We'll also be listing some contests & prizes soon!

Hatch Participants:

@Blarneyeggs
@Cynthia12
@silly4buttons
@Rod-T
@prizepete
@napdognewfie
@cree57i
@RavynFallen
@WVduckchick (Maybe)
@Ranger Daryl
@draye
@WthrLady
@bamadude
@shahtir101
@MotorcycleChick
@BHep
@chattery41
@littlenessie
@kukupecpec
@retry
@Angry Cupcake (Out)
@hotlipshens
@Morigen
@rugbychick
@Starry
@steamer6
@SLantzy
@ChickaLong
@jenwoowoo
@tayklark
@rossfam06
@Terry Morache
@alohachickens
@Nomibear
@bnewns
@coopsbyty
@TexasOutdoorGuy
@Tanglin Chicks
@cajuntc74
@foxhaterone
@Eggscoozme
@WildHensFarm
@PrairieChickens
@danceswithdogs
@grammychick
@bradleybetsy15
@whirlwind2357 (maybe)
@Kelinshobbyfarm
@chicksnveggies
@yellow duck
@burchettfrmgrl
@mommaford09
@Intothebuff
@DMacKimmie
@RoxysAnimals
@venymae
@Marthab1953 (Maybe)
@spotlight5
@manicfarmer
@amyg6
@Dishy
@silly4buttons
@Peep-Chicken
@simplestupid
@Twoandhelp
@freejpony
@SenuaGifts
@daxigait
@LocalYokel
@bantambury
@cutiekk17
@jasonmcrai
@CGilbert
@canadachickens
@poultryguy
@learycow
@beaches4me
@LavacaChickens
@sniper338
@Sally Sunshine
@ckrueg1
@greylock
@MicroMaverick
@S5apiotrowski
@wornoutmomto3
@chicknlove
@Nenesam
@yummychocolate3
@trailrider330
@crank
@RoodyRodchester
@chicken hawk 33
@PupPupChick
@generaldsherman
@ccnbuck
@Wickedchicken6
@rj122
@gimmie birdies
@Ur-ur-ur-urrr
@Hennypenny15
@KYTinpusher
@CHICKYIF96
@kamichaud11692
@leliadax
@Aprildeesunshin
@RubyNala97
@JandTRanch
@Jessimom
@howfunkyisurchicken
@the jolly onion
@fowlman30
@Saris
@Pandapaws23
@TJChickens
@Auroradream26
@Pensmaster
@ChickenCanoe
@Bryam
@The Chickeneer
@jbenson
@chonsey
@Mirajane

Place to find hatching eggs:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/754060/the-new-crazy-24hr-auction-thread

Set Dates for Poultry:

Muscovy (35 days) - 11/27/15
Goose (31 days) - 12/1/15
Duck, Turkey, Pheasant (28 days) - 12/4/15
Guinea Fowl (26 days) - 12/6/15
Chicken (21 days) - 12/11/15
Coturnix Quail (18 days) - 12/14/15

Some dates are getting close!

Duck Hatching Tips!








http://www.duckhealth.com/hatcduck.html




Still Air Incubator Tips!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chookschicks-incubation-cheat-sheet

Hatching tips from Sally Sunshine and chickencanoe!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/704328/diary-notes-air-cell-detatched-shipped-eggs

http://www.brinsea.com/customerservice/technote.html

http://www.natureform.com/kb/newArticles/12.html

http://www.natureform.com/kb/newArticles/4.html

http://www.natureform.com/kb/newArticles/8.html

Incubation Worksheet by Roan

IncubatorWorksheet.pdf 21k .pdf file


Chicken:

Hatchability Problem analysis.pdf 1,708k .pdf file

How to clean your incubator:
Originally Posted by ChickenCanoe


If it is new, you can just use some liquid detergent. But DO NOT get any water on the thermostat or any other electronics.

If it's used, I would use Lysol or spray a dilute chlorox solution.

Whatever you use, rinse it well and some people put it in the sun to dry. That might not be an option this time of year.
Again, Keep the electronics dry.

Someone in this thread recommends using peroxide.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/138943/disinfecting-an-incubator

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/331442/how-do-you-clean-your-styrofoam-incubator
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/359793/best-way-to-clean-styrofoam-incubator

Contests:

1. Best Hatch RateFirst
   Prize: Hatching eggs from @RavynFallen or drawing from @Peep-Chicken
   Second Prize: BYC 2015 Calendar
   
   
   participants will need to be setting a minimum of 6 eggs​
   .​
   ​
   These can be under broodies or in your incubators. Send @ronott1 a pm letting him know how many you will have cooking. We'll need that info​
   ​
   by the 3rd of Jan at the latest​
   ​
   to be included in the contest. When the hatch is over,​
   ​
   you'll take a pic and post it to show us how many​
   ​
   you actually hatched.​
   The picture must be of sufficient quality to count all the chicks.​
   ​
   In the event of a tie, the one who hatches the most chicks wins.​
   
   
2. First of any poultry fully hatched (local time) on New Year's Day (Picture required to be posted​
   immediately after hatching).
   

   Prize: 6 mo Golden Feather​

   ​

winner: @yummychocolate3​

​

3. Random post contest 1
Prize: 6 month Golden Feather
Winner: @Wickedchicken6

4. Longest Distance Hatched Egg:
Prize: book of postage stamps to help defray the shipping costs from @Peep_Show
Deadline to submit live hatch numbers: Jan 4, 2016
Winner: @Pensmaster Distance was 2975 Miles

In order to enter the contest folks with shipped eggs need to submit their city/state and the egg shipper's city/state (via PM to @ronott1 preferred for privacy reasons) to calculate distance. A viable chick produced by the longest distance will win the prize!

5. Worst Hatch Rate:
Eggs set vs. eggs hatched
Prize: $30 gift certificate to the BYC Store
(Not encouraging anyone to try to win this one, but zero hatches sometimes happen....)
First Place: @chicken hawk 33
Second Place: @ccnbuck
6. Do you love making Crafty things? Is Frosting your favorite glue?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...h-a-long-contest-number-6-gingerbread-contest

Then we have a contest for You!
First Prize: One year Golden Feather Membership
Second Prize: Six month Golden Feather Membership

Submission Deadline: December 31

• Anything poultry related (coops, houses, brooders, incubators, etc.)
• At least a portion of the entry has to be edible, but not all of it
• Ok to use a kit (not everyone bakes)
• Original work only
• All BYC rules apply
• All entries must be submitted as a reply to this thread
• Limit of 3 photos per entry
• Limit of 1 entry per member
  
  Post pictures in this thread. Pictures cannot be digitally altered(photoshopped) and need to be a good enough quality for us to see the project clearly.
  Winners will be picked by a panel of judges.

7. Guess the number of egg set for the Hatch a long.

Deadline: December 14, 2015(after Quail set day)
Prize: BYC Calendar
Winner: @silly4buttons

8. Random Post Number 2
Prize: Egg salt and pepper shaker donated by @Cynthia12
winner: @Pensmaster

9. Random Post Number 3
Prize: Rooster Pillow donated by
@Cynthia12
Winner: @Pensmaster

• Open to Hatch a long members
• Must enter guess in the contest thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...number-7-contest-guess-the-number-of-eggs-set
• No duplicate guesses and one entry per member
• Winner announced after After Dec. 14th.

Good Luck!

 

[wornoutmomto3]

Sorry, I have been gone so long. With Christmas (the day, plays, etc), the kids starting rec league soccer, and family visits I have been extremely busy; but I am back. The HAL chicken eggs were locked down a day late (I forgot to warm up the hatcher soon enough, oops). I hope the extra day rotating won't be to hard on them. Out of the 20 chicken eggs set, 7 were tossed as clearly being quitters. The BCM eggs don't look too good, but I can't be 100% certain they are quitters, so they locked down too. Of the 15 quail eggs only one was tossed for being clear. However, the quail won't lock down until Friday (due to hatch Jan 3).

One of my hens went seriously broody and I considered allowing her to finish the hatch. However, she is one of three hens going to a new home in January along with several older chicks. So, I gave her three fertile eggs (that can go with her) when they hatch.

We do have a new addition to the family. A couple weeks before Christmas someone abandoned a litter of 2 month old puppies in town. We ended up taking one while others took the remaining pups. The pup we took was in pretty bad shape: malnourished, sick, and flea infested. Thankfully she didn't have a major worm issue, but we dewormed her anyway. She is doing much better now, healthy, happy, and up-to-date on vaccines. It frustrates me to no end when people are so careless with their animals.

Her name is Angel! She is very sweet, not mouthy at all, loves to play fetch and follows us everywhere.

 

[draye]

Arkansas rain:

 

[Cynthia12]

 

[cree57i]

True. I know windchill does not matter since they are not in the wind, but air temps here can easily still get down to negative 10 degrees. Even with a heat lamp, how cold is too cold to have chicks outside in a brooder? I have never purchased or hatched chicks prior to April due to the temperatures here. I am just wondering if it is even worth thinking about hatching chicks in the dead of winter where I live.

This is a picture of my outside brooder. It has only been 22 as a low here so far, but they were toasty. I used plastic and an old shower curtain liner. The run they are in is surrounded with plastic on the open areas in an outside shed. They have a heat lamp. The ones in there now are 3 weeks old and have been out about 2 weeks. I keep them in the house for first week with a heat plate.

.

 

[daxigait]

My husband is two miles away, staying with his mother. He won't even acknowledge me. I'll save the rest, just saying I'm alone too. I just don't know why.
I hope you have a great day tomorrow. We do have our blessings.

that's horrible. I hope you have a great Christmas anyway. After all it is about Jesus and the greatest gift of love. Here's wishing you peace and tidings of great joy.

 

[bamadude]

Crisis averted

 

[Aprildeesunshin]

Ok, I am in! I will be setting 12 chicken eggs. I am so excited! I was a new hatcher last year. I had an LG incubator, then got the Hova Bator. We bit the bullet and decided to get an amazing, 20 count, non rotating, Brinsea incubator used on Amazon for $60. When we got the package in the mail, we ended up with the Brinsea Eco Octagon with the egg turner that was NEW (worth $400?). We called the company and they said to keep it. We were still only charged the $60. What a deal! I tested it and 4 eggs out of 4 hatched! This is such a difference with the hundreds of eggs I lost with the other 2 bators. After I plugged it in, I was suprised when I heard peeps because I forgot about it. I didn't have to keep adding water to it. It literally did everything for me. Awesome!

 

[BullChick]

Is it considered an obsession if I am hatching chicks at the same time I am putting more in for the hatch-along? My husband says ok honey 200 chickens is our limit. He likes teasing me about my fuzzy babies.

You have to stop at 200?!?! Well, it isn't like he can count them! Besides, roosters are protection, hens lay eggs (food) chicks are undetermined, and if its named, it's a pet. All of those don't count!

 

[silly4buttons]

I have to look that up. I use the hatch a batch app. Basically just keeps track of dates

Did you have the chance to look up the app. Here is what it says to day