Hi everyone! I'm fairly a newbie here. Only been on BYC a few months and read more than I post. I got the hatching bug after a broody went rogue on me. Crazy girl had over 20 eggs under her, we had been on vacation when she began to sit and wasn't sure of the exact date. Her name is Lizzy after Lizzy Borden because she ate her babies
When it was about time for them to hatch, I candled them, they were close, and I thought the skunk problem we'd been dealing with got to the eggs/babies. Nope! Into a bucket of cold water miss Lizzy went and the broody is not allowed in her any longer. I hope her nasty habit doesn't follow her to her babies, she's a beautiful layer!
I got a wild hair and made my own incubator off a youtube demo. Last week I hatched my first 3 from a batch the thermometer wasnt working (digital and yep, learned the hard way) even after diving into everything I could possibly read on here. So, 3 beautiful little barnyard fluffy butts! Before that hatch I already had the bug and had ordered an LG bator. Uhg!!!!! I was going to use my homemade one for the lockdowns and the LG for the first 18. 7 thermometers later I have an overdue batch I'm not sure is going to show. They were due on Wed. Still a couple viable and no internal pips. I think the times between going from a couple to 7 thermometers may have done damage.
Hope this doesn't sound just awful. STRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Uhg! Next batch due the first. So, all total I now have 3 incubators.........Hubby and I made one a bit larger, we are relining the outside of them for better temps and yep, learning as we go. Sally helped me with the internal pip question and so I am waiting................and waiting.........
When I was growing up I was in 4_H and chickens were one of my projects. I sold eggs to pay for my barrel mare and everything was easy because nature took care of itself. 200 WL, a few RIR and a "couple" literally of bantams, Mr and Mrs. Black. They did an excellent job of raising their own babies!!! Since then I had a handful of chickens on a farm years before moving to CO. All this is NEW in the hatching dept. At this point I am wondering ...........what on earth was I thinking..........
Nice to meet everyone here and have been catching up on some of your posts!!
