Hatching around April 6th looking for buddies

[Suechick]

I set 40 eggs last night: silver laced wyandottes, bearded silkies, orpingtons, and easter eggers. 10 eggs under a broody and the rest in my homemade incubator. This is my 3rd hatch but I'm still feeling clueless. I am already constantly worried about checking on the temp in the incubator and trying to make sure the mama hen is eating and not pooping in the nest. It is way too early to start freaking out...

Anyone care to join me?

 

[Chicken Keith]

This is my millionth hatch (not really) and I still, "...am already constantly worried about checking on the temp in the incubator!!!"

You know you're looney tunes when you check on the eggs on day 4 and think, what if i see a pip in the egg. Oh comon! I says to myself. Maybe I'm just getting myself prepared for the big day...17 days from now!!!!

 

[Suechick]

I just watched a video about calibrating incubator temp and found out that my thermometer was off by 3 degrees!!

Yikes, glad I checked.
I feel much better now and have a lot more confidence in my incubator.

 

[snazzyboots]

i set eggs in the incubator last night. if all goes well they should hatch on the 7th. it's my first time and i'm really anxious about everything. good luck to you.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Today is the day my eggs will ship! YAY! So Monday night will be start of hatch for us. Yupper, some purdy BBS Rocks in 3 weeks.

 

[Suechick]

What are BBS rocks? I'm still fairly new and don't know all the acronyms yet...

Starting day 2 today, and so happy my thermometer is calibrated.

I'm worried about my broody hen, I don't think she's been off the nest since we mover her on Tuesday evening. I'm going to have to take her off the nest so she can stretch, eat, drink, and poo... I don't know why she isn't doing this for herself.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Your incubating and have a broody hen? She'll come off the nest once a day to eat, drink and poop. If you don't put a few eggs under her to hatch there are ways to break her from broodiness. Threads here to search "breaking broody" for several ways to do it.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=20384

BBS is blue black splash. Most breeds come in the blue color which runs all three- blueXblue gives 50% blue, 25% black and 25% splash. I wanted one breed this year and hopefully am able to keep a rooster for future years. Our barred rock is the family favorite in personality of last years chickens so three colors in one breed with personality will suit us perfectly.

 

[knittychickadee]

I have 21 Buckeye eggs in my incubator due the 6th. I also have a broody on 15 eggs, due March 31.
I never mess with my broodies. They always sit hard the first few days and do not get off the nest. Then they usually get off every 2-3 days to eat, drink and poo. I have a pan with a variety of food for them to choose from. Their regular pellets, plus some whole grains which help keep their poo firm. I check them just twice a day. Once every morning to put in fresh water and food, and once in the evening to clean up any stinky poo if they got off the nest and to relock the door for the night.

 

[Suechick]

Hi Egghead,
Yes, I'm doing both an incubator and a broody. We have kids and it is so fun to watch our favorite hen clucking over the eggs. She's been sitting on the nest since March 8, but she only got fertile eggs on the 15th. I'm hoping that she'll make it, we have no desire to break her. But, she does not get off the nest on her own, at least, she hadn't from Tuesday until we took her off on Friday. She seems totally hypnotized on those eggs, blank stare and all. When we pick her up she doesn't move at all, then we put her down and she is in the same position as she was on the eggs. It takes about 5 minutes for her to come out of her trance, then she'll start to scratch and eat and do everything else, she's ready to go back to the eggs after about 15 minutes. I really think she would brood herself to death if we didn't make her take a walk once in a while.

 

[Suechick]

Quote:
Hi Knittychickadee -

Thanks for joining the discussion!!

So, it's OK for them to sit on the nest for 3 days straight?! What breed is your broody? Mine's a Buff Orp. Oh, and what do the eat well when they are brooding? I am so worried about how much weight ours is losing and if she'll get dehydrated and all. We keep food and water in with her but she does not seem to be interested in anything but the eggs.