December Hatch-A-Long 2014

[Renee572]

I've been waiting and waiting for someone to start a December Hatch-A-Long thread and it hasn't happened so I decided to start one. My plan is to set a dozen chicken eggs this Friday Nov. 21st. This will be my first hatch ever. I am so excited and nervous and I hope if I have questions I will be able to get them answered here.

I'd love to hear of others planning a December hatch!

 

[azoh10]

Yesterday was my first Silkie so far out of 15 eggs to go!

 

[Sustained]

I set 18 silkie eggs and 9 bantam/standard mix today. I'm very very excited about the mix! I have no idea what they are other than they range in size from extra small to extra large.

The little kids will get to stay with me and the big kids get to go live at my grandparents house

 

[PD-Riverman]

so this is what I'm trying to figure out. if you don't open the incubator while they are hatching how do you know that a baby needs help and how do you help them?

Whats So Cool about incubating your own eggs is----You Can Do It ANY Way you want---Its Your Incubator and Your eggs!! You do not have to do it the way I or anyone else does.

I read on here, you read on here so many stories about bad hatches etc. I feel so sorry for these people. In the beginning of my incubating I had bad hatches, no hatches, several friends/family/Mother had bad hatches, no hatches when we open the incubator at will, to help, to remove a just hatched chick etc. When we Stopped opening the incubator from day 18 to they hatch or day 22 ALL of us started having great hatches. Sure I read on here some can open their incubator when they get ready and have great hatches---I am Proud for them. You can not do that in my area, I might could steam the room up or so many methods I read to keep the humidity up---But why would I want to do that---I just leave them alone. Can you open yours during lock-down without affecting the eggs??? I can not answer that for you. All I can tell you is I Do Not Open Mine---I have no reason to open mine----I am right at 1500(fifteen hundred) chicks hatched in the last few months, that is about the same amount of eggs that went into lock-down(Not 100% hatch but real close) I never worry about one pipping on the wrong end or worry about one that does not hatch in a few hours after pipping. I never worry about taking some out that hatched early before the rest hatch or day 22. I offer this advice---trying to help-----not trying to down anyone-----Not saying I am right and others are wrong. I am just telling whom ever reads this----"""what works for me""", Back to the beginning----again------you or whom ever can open yours any time you want-----if you ever visit me----If you try to open mine during Lock-Down---I will threaten to Break Your arm----LOL. Good Luck!!!

 

[ochochicas]

Shout-out to my broody hen! I could hear peeping when I got home from work. It took all my willpower to leave the hen alone and not take a peak. When I went to lock up for the night this little bugger came out to say hello. It hatched from one of my Speckled Sussex eggs.

There are at least 2 other chicks under the momma - one olive and one more sussex I think. Waiting for the others to hatch now.

 

[Rainier]

Originally set 22 eggs. 11 were infertile. 11 made it to lock down, 10 hatched, one internally pipped but didn't make the external pip and died.

 

[ochochicas]

With the stress of the holidays, I don't know how I'd be able to do a Christmas hatch. My chicks are 10 days old now (broody hatched) and I'm glad I can focus on shopping, cooking, and decorating. LOL

Yesterday I let my broody out of the pen for the first time. She ran around the side of the barn and then headed back to her stall quickly. A few hours later I forgot her stall was open and I left on ride. When I got back I heard chirping behind the garage. She had taken the chicks out for a dust/mud bath behind all the dead flowers. Everyone seemed to be having fun.

 

[only1bgirl]

Look at how tiny she is, came out of a large egg but the smallest chick I've ever hatched. She's done a lot of sleeping still not dry but perking up a bit. Kind of wish she was noisy to! I hope the other chicks decide to hatch today.

 

[frillydishes]

Good luck Frillydishes!

Thanks!!
Yesterday's hatch went a whole lot better! I've got 29 out of 40 walking and day 21 technically isn't over till after work today so fingers crossed for the rest. So at the moment I've got 55 fluffies in my mud room, they are hysterical! Watching them eat like piranha and weave a chick quilt to sleep just makes me so happy!!! I got some really interesting colors out of these too, I'll post some pics after work today. There are 7 in the bator this morning and 11 left to go so I'll leave those guys in there to hopefully roust some action out of non-pippers. Hope you guys have a fantastic day!!

 

[Fireflybabe56]

I would love to join you guys. I set 19 french bresse that I got from a BYC member and 12 rhodebar that I got from ebay on 11/20/14 due to hatch 12/10/14. I also set two of my home grown eggs, one is a white leghorn covered by a purebred wheaten ameraucana too that just started laying this week. The other is an Easter egger that lays a beautiful blue egg covered by the same ameraucana too.