Hatching Eggs at the Fair, Help me think

[what did I do]

I've been asked to hatch eggs at the fair. Our fair is the first part of August and it is hot although not as hot as it is in the south. I'm in northeastern Montana. It does cool off at night but it is hot during the day. We also have severe thunderstorms that time of year.

The building they would be in is not cooled other than a big fan. The building can get hot in the afternoon and cool at night and morning. I'm thinking the building would get to @ 90 to 100 but not much over - we don't get much past 100 in this part of the country. I would have an hour drive to get the eggs to the fair.

I was thinking of getting some chicks in the mail just in case none of the eggs hatched. I figure most people would be more interested in the chicks anyway. but, I don't want to have brood another bunch of chick, we have 66 little chicks + 23 older chicks. If I got chicks I would want unusual chicks maybe banties.

What do you think?
What am I missing?
What would you do?

 

[LaceyMae]

That's going to be tough. I would count back 20 days from the first night and start incubating at home or get someone closer to the fairgrounds to help. I would divide the number of eggs your incubator will hold by the number of days that the fair will be going on and add to the bator that number of eggs each day. That way you would have a staggered hatch and something, hopefully, hatching for the whole time. Use well fertile, local, eggs and you can even give away or sell the chicks as they are remove from the bator. Be prepared with a kid proof brooder, washcloths, water, and chick starter for them after they hatch. That sounds like a lot of work but a real treat for the fair patrons. I hope it all goes great for you!

 

[what did I do]

Thanks, I was thinking about just using my eggs but I need to dispatch one of my roosters. My rooster has started attacking us and I want to get rid of him but I would have to keep him until the fair. My Daughter wants to take him to the fair and if she does he will not come home. He is a pretty rooster. I do have a replacement rooster from him but he won't be old enough to cover the hens by then.

I would love to have pretty chicks there but I think the risk is too great so I will just use the barn yard mix.

I think the fair is only 4 days. I think I would skip the hatch for the last day. I will move the bator to the fair the day before the hatch starts. I think I would transport the eggs in cartons in a warn incubator. The eggs would go into lockdown once we got them to the fair and setup.

My biggest worry is the heat.

I made a brooder out of a clear plastic tub and I have a ecoglow brooder that works great, We hatched chicks at a nursing home last month. We had 12 chicks hatch out of 42 but at least we had a few hatch. We did incubate at the nursing home and I live 50 miles from there. I lived too far to keep a close eye on them. These will be incubated at home and only spend the last days at the fair and I will be there every day.
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Anyone else have any ideas.

 

[LaceyMae]

There are too many good roosters around looking for homes to fool with one that is aggressive toward people. It would make getting rid of the chicks easier for me as well, knowing that they were the offspring of that rooster.I think you are well prepared and experienced with this endeavor. You'll do great, and they will want you to do it every year!