2017 Zodiac Hatch-a-Long

[ChickenCanoe]

I set 23 eggs at 8:00 AM on the 10th. I haven't candled yet but will try to do so today.

I'll be setting more today for the Cancer round to hatch February 7.

 

[DancingWthDucks]

I'm glad that I've found this thread- I've got white call ducks due to hatch on the 30th Jan (Pisces) so I'll update how it goes.....

 

[NordicChick]

Wow! So glad I noticed this thread! The "Zodiac" in the title caught my eye and when I read on I found other people are doing the same thing I am! So Awesome!

I was not consistent enough with my record keeping last year so can not speak to the results. But THIS year, I'm on it

I set some on the 10th at 10pm (because I usually have my incubator chicks hatching out anywhere between 19-21 days but rarely ever over 21. So, I figured setting them later on the 10th would allow more, if not all of them, to hatch between the 29th-31st. We shall see!

I am so impatient though, I wanted to set my next batch as soon as I got up this morning, but am making myself wait 'till later tomorrow for the same reason as above.

Oh, I can't wait to see some Chick Pics!

 

[pennyJo1960]

I set mine on the 7th with olive eggers here placed 16

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm glad that I've found this thread- I've got white call ducks due to hatch on the 30th Jan (Pisces) so I'll update how it goes.....

Good luck on the ducks.

Wow! So glad I noticed this thread! The "Zodiac" in the title caught my eye and when I read on I found other people are doing the same thing I am! So Awesome!

I was not consistent enough with my record keeping last year so can not speak to the results. But THIS year, I'm on it

I set some on the 10th at 10pm (because I usually have my incubator chicks hatching out anywhere between 19-21 days but rarely ever over 21. So, I figured setting them later on the 10th would allow more, if not all of them, to hatch between the 29th-31st. We shall see!

I am so impatient though, I wanted to set my next batch as soon as I got up this morning, but am making myself wait 'till later tomorrow for the same reason as above.

Oh, I can't wait to see some Chick Pics!

I haven't been paying very close attention to the results of zodiac vs. non-optimal. Mostly that's because I've been using my worst incubator. I haven't had time to rebuild my primary one. Not until I get that done will I put much credence in my results.

I set mine on the 7th with olive eggers here placed 16

Good luck with your OEs. I usually only hatch Penedesencas but I had one old Ameraucana hen and I kept one of her pullet offspring. The hen's gone now but she was crossed with a Pene so her daughter is laying light OEs. I hatched 11 of her eggs X with Pene in October. I got 10 pullets and one cockerel. Looking forward to their eggs.

 

[NotAFarm]

Good luck with your OEs. I usually only hatch Penedesencas but I had one old Ameraucana hen and I kept one of her pullet offspring. The hen's gone now but she was crossed with a Pene so her daughter is laying light OEs. I hatched 11 of her eggs X with Pene in October. I got 10 pullets and one cockerel. Looking forward to their eggs.

CC, If you have any of the OE x Pene eggs (from the daughter or granddaughters) available this spring, please let me know. I'll make the trip down one weekend and pick them up.

I have a couple of books on living by lunar rhythms. The only thing specific to chickens is hatching at the full moon.
One of the old poultry books, don't remember which one, said that fertility is higher at a full moon. I have used that info when collecting eggs for my hens to incubate in the past. I gather the eggs around the full moon and "hold" them for a week and then set them based on these two sources of information. I never did a "control" so don't know if it makes a difference but have had good hatches doing it.

 

[pennyJo1960]

@ChickenCanoe
I am going to add a Marans cockerel this spring after my OE F-1 cockerel is gone
think may increase my OE eggs with BR and EE cross

 

[ChickenCanoe]

CC, If you have any of the OE x Pene eggs (from the daughter or granddaughters) available this spring, please let me know. I'll make the trip down one weekend and pick them up.

I have a couple of books on living by lunar rhythms. The only thing specific to chickens is hatching at the full moon.
One of the old poultry books, don't remember which one, said that fertility is higher at a full moon. I have used that info when collecting eggs for my hens to incubate in the past. I gather the eggs around the full moon and "hold" them for a week and then set them based on these two sources of information. I never did a "control" so don't know if it makes a difference but have had good hatches doing it.

Hey, I have 9 OE pullets right now that hatched October 13. I'm probably only keeping 2 or 3. If I don't sell them by the end of the month, they'll be available the second half of February. I'll be out of town the first week of Feb..

 

[cshma11]

Crud, I forgot all about this and set my coturnix eggs (12 of them) on Thursday 1/19 and they're set to hatch between 2/4-2/6, or 2/9 at the latest. I usually throw out unhatched ones by day 21 but if they're wiggling I will give them to day 22. Is it the set day or the hatch day that matters more?

 

[NordicChick]

Crud, I forgot all about this and set my coturnix eggs (12 of them) on Thursday 1/19 and they're set to hatch between 2/4-2/6, or 2/9 at the latest. I usually throw out unhatched ones by day 21 but if they're wiggling I will give them to day 22. Is it the set day or the hatch day that matters more?

It is the hatch day that counts. You want them to hatch during a waxing moon, in the fruitful signs (the water signs) of Pisces, Cancer, or Scorpio. February 7th & 8th are the favorable hatch days for chicks so setting eggs on January 17-18th was the recommended timing. If you set yours late on the 19th, maybe you'll have at least a few hatch on the 7th.
For the February hatch I too set mine (chicken eggs though) on the 19th of Jan. however & I did include some shipped Svarthöna eggs in this batch and have never hatched shipped eggs let alone Svarthönas before so not sure if they will behave as my other chicks & hatch out a day early:/ hmmm...soon we shall see!