Beginner's Hatch-A-Long

[DavidKerk]

yes, a hen will hatch quail eggs. just make sure she's broody and not a big girl. she may break the little eggs.ask me how i know.
oh and don't put to many under her.
good luck

Thanks a lot!!! I'll have to try it this spring/summer!

 

[Abieda]

Hi everyone! I'm Abie and I'm completely new to hatching. I have 5 hens and 1 rooster and decided to incubate a few of my eggs the first time around to see how it goes. Of course, as soon as I got my incubator for Christmas, my hens mostly stopped laying. Therefore, I only had 6 eggs to put in my incubator. I took one out that apparently was not fertile, so I'm down to 5 now. Two eggs are from my unknown mixed breed hen and the other 3 are from my easter eggers. My rooster is a buff orpington, so the chicks will all be mixed breeds. I'm on day 16.

 

[Aacre]

Hi everyone! I'm Abie and I'm completely new to hatching. I have 5 hens and 1 rooster and decided to incubate a few of my eggs the first time around to see how it goes. Of course, as soon as I got my incubator for Christmas, my hens mostly stopped laying. Therefore, I only had 6 eggs to put in my incubator. I took one out that apparently was not fertile, so I'm down to 5 now. Two eggs are from my unknown mixed breed hen and the other 3 are from my easter eggers. My rooster is a buff orpington, so the chicks will all be mixed breeds. I'm on day 16.

Congrats!! I'm new to hatching too. I'm only on day 3 and it's driving me crazy to see more going on.

I hope you post some pictures of your chicks when they come along. Have you candled them at all?

 

[Abieda]

Hi Aacre! I candled them at about 8 days and again about 2 nights ago. I pulled out the one that was obviously clear but I think the others looked pretty good. I could even see a bit of movement! It was much easier to candle the white eggs than the blue ones. I'm really excited to see if any hatch! I have been trying not to stress out about it too much though. My husband thinks it is hilarious how often I check on them and asks if they are "still eggs". I can't help it! I keep checking the temperature and humidity even though they have remained pretty constant. What kind of eggs are you hatching?

 

[Aacre]

I'm the same way! I made a DIY incubator out of a 10 gallon aquarium because I had all of the materials for it, so it seemed like a better deal than spending money on one. Well, I wonder now, because I my temperatures kept fluctuating quite a bit the first couple of days. Last night was the first night I was able to let myself sleep without freaking out about it and checking on them every little while. My husband says I'm pickier than a broody mother hen.. Oops!

I'm just so excited and want to make sure that everything is OK. I'm already calling them chicks, even though they don't look remotely anything like chicks at this stage!
I am just hatching out some "mutts". Some are going to be half silver laced wyandottes and some will be half black sexlinks. My rooster that I believe to be the father of all of them is a New Hampsire bantam mutt. It'll be interesting to see what comes out of it. I have some eggs that are pinkish white and others that are light brown. The brown ones are more difficult to candle than the white ones, but since they're a lighter brown color, it's not too bad. What kind of eggs are you hatching?

 

[Abieda]

Wow! You'll have some variety in your chicks for sure! I only have one rooster, a buff orpington. I know 2 of the eggs are from my small mixed breed hen (who is apparently some sort of game mix) and the other 3 came from one or more of my easter eggers. I think they are all probably from my wheaten easter egger though. I don't think the others have been laying lately. My brinsea ecoglow brooder just came! I'm hoping these eggs hatch and I can put it to good use!

 

[DavidKerk]

Hi Aacre! I candled them at about 8 days and again about 2 nights ago. I pulled out the one that was obviously clear but I think the others looked pretty good. I could even see a bit of movement! It was much easier to candle the white eggs than the blue ones. I'm really excited to see if any hatch! I have been trying not to stress out about it too much though. My husband thinks it is hilarious how often I check on them and asks if they are "still eggs". I can't help it! I keep checking the temperature and humidity even though they have remained pretty constant. What kind of eggs are you hatching?

I hope your hatch goes good! I know what you mean by stress out!

I'm the same way! I made a DIY incubator out of a 10 gallon aquarium because I had all of the materials for it, so it seemed like a better deal than spending money on one. Well, I wonder now, because I my temperatures kept fluctuating quite a bit the first couple of days. Last night was the first night I was able to let myself sleep without freaking out about it and checking on them every little while. My husband says I'm pickier than a broody mother hen.. Oops!

I'm just so excited and want to make sure that everything is OK. I'm already calling them chicks, even though they don't look remotely anything like chicks at this stage!
I am just hatching out some "mutts". Some are going to be half silver laced wyandottes and some will be half black sexlinks. My rooster that I believe to be the father of all of them is a New Hampsire bantam mutt. It'll be interesting to see what comes out of it. I have some eggs that are pinkish white and others that are light brown. The brown ones are more difficult to candle than the white ones, but since they're a lighter brown color, it's not too bad. What kind of eggs are you hatching?

haha! If it makes you feel better, I was constantly checking the temperature in the incubator also.

 

[CashandTracy]

I just set our first batch of eggs Saturday afternoon,

 

[stacie2219]

We just set our first batch of cuckoo silkie eggs. 24 eggs set in bator last night. We have a farm innovators (tractor supply) incubator. Fan, turner, and inaccurate gauges it was my daughters present for her 8th birthday! We are very egg-cited but have no idea what we are doing! Hatch date 3/13/14

 

[RoseMarie1]

I just put mine in the bator on Wed. night. I have hatched out ducks years ago but never chickens. This IS my first and I am sooooo excited I can't stand it. I wont be able to sleep a wink the night or day they start hatching I'm sure. lol

I have 43 eggs in the incubator. I'm just HOPING the majority of them are fertile. Mine are RIR's and maybe some B. Aussies but I'm hoping I got ALL RIR eggs in there. Going to candle them on the 7-8th day to see what the eggs are doing so I can REALLY get excited them if a bunch of them are fertile.


The incubator I have mine in is my nephews. He let me borrow his since mine has small windows and his has a large one so I can really SEE em hatch. It's just one of the Styrofoam ones but that's all we need. Working great and his also has a fan on it mine doesn't.



Hee hee and me to on constantly checking the temp in the bator. Nephew tells me he doesn't put anything in there and that I am worrying too much. lol I have 2 therm. in there as well as a hydrometer. lol