Incubators Anonymous

[Bantam Username]

Hi, my name is Vikky and although I'm barely started I'm already an incubating addict.
My one incubator turned into 2 shortly after I bought my first ever eggs. Then I bought my second batch, then my third batch and am bidding on a fourth batch to go in as soon as an incubator is spare!
Sadly, my first lot didn't make it, but my second is hatching now, and my third it appears I have just one fertile.

But since its gonna be a while before I manage to get all the birds I want, the incubators are gonna be running for quite some time to come!

 

[mstricer]

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Yeah but it would just take that one batch of eggs that did really well in shipping and you would have a ton of chicks. I started out with 14 chicks. I did 10 eggs my first hatch and got 5 chicks, then I did a second hatch with 36 eggs and got 12 chicks, then I did 42 eggs and got only 7. I am just thinking if by some chance I get a really good batch of eggs I would be over run. My only problem now is my ratio of boys to girls. Out of the first two hatches I have 9 boys. Not sure about the last one yet they are too young but I am sure that half or more are boys (it seems like a year for it).

I am okay with sending them to freezer camp but everyone else keeps saying no don't do that they are too cute lol. If I listened to everyone else I would have over 100 chickenss

You aren't kidding I had 36 in one incubator. I just thought I would get more then 4 chicks. The second bator had 24 BCM and Blue and Black Marans and only have 5 eggs in lock down. I hope they hatch.

 

[mstricer]

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Welcome to the group Connie. I agree those are some cool eggs. I don't think it would give me any slack with DH though even if they were cool. To him (at least so far) a chicken is a chicken and they all taste the same with bbq sauce lol.

Wait until next year when I start hatching out in January to have enough boys for us for meaties for the year. I want to have enough for at least 80 birds so that I can fill my freezer come fall with the large ones and have enough chicken so I won't have to hatch again until the following winter (unless I want to of course lol)

Do you know how to butcher poultry? I need to learn how. I'm going to contact a local lady and see if she'll give me a lesson or two. I've got 3 Coronation Roos, 1 Sussex Roo and now 3 NJ roos that need to go, so I guess I'll put them on Craig's list. There's a BYCer in Texas who wants me to ship my Sussex flock to her, but I've never shipped birds, have you?

Do you have Amish around you? I have a hard time doing my own roosters. I usually barter with them. That way I don't have to worry about extra Roo's. The crazy thing is I can raise and cull meat birds (well the old man does the killing, I gut)

 

[mstricer]

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My exact thought every time I fire one up. Which hopefully won't be again until, hey I will have an empty incubator in about 3 weeks, should I, maybe I should wait until I see what I have this time and in 6 months be hatching my own. yeah!!!!! Winter fun

 

[BairleaFarm]

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Keep them. My goal is 400 chickens + other fowl by november. I need them for a CSA program next year

 

[riane'smimi]

I will trade some of my extra silkies with a friend of mine all other extras will be sold. Right now I have 14 Ameracunas in the brooder that just hatched ,another 8 in the grow out pen.
I am scared to count my silkies but I would say 10 silkies and three showgirls. 8 blrw growing out,and 6 polish Oh and 8 layers.
My second bator is almost full with 24 silkie eggs and the other I am still waiting on 3 eggs to hatch.
I still would like to get some blrw eggs before I quit for the year or some blue wyandottes

See why it's soo hard to stop cold turkey LOL ! There are too many eggs to be had ....half those hatched will be roos so it makes sense to hatch double the amount of eggs so you can have more pullets.

 

[mstricer]

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Keep them. My goal is 400 chickens + other fowl by november. I need them for a CSA program next year

You need an intervention

 

[BairleaFarm]

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or more eggs. This is all ive got ready to set. Still waiting on shipments.

 

[SkyWarrior]

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Keep them. My goal is 400 chickens + other fowl by november. I need them for a CSA program next year

CSA?

 

[KalikoFarms]

Well I've fed my habit some more. We just bought a Dickie 4tray bator with hatcher, controled humidity and controled heat, we have to drive 2 1/2 hours one way to pick it up and I have already got eggs coming that will half fill it. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!! My DH has also got on the chick wagon and has seen eggs he wants to bid on and has been making plans to build sufficient housing for each breed. AM I NOT BLESSED? We even have been extending our peafowl this next year with this bator. You know what I have figured out? WE came first not the chicken or the egg.............LOLOLOLOLOL If it wasnt for us addicts just think of how many less chicks there would be in this world.

Rita