4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote:

I so hope I can donate some prizes!!! COME ON CHICKENS and Breeder PENS!!! Easter may be too soon though

Is there a summer Freedom hatchalong at all??

BTW I can help do something if you need me next time instead of posting everyone out?
Lord Knows I have the time!! Well I do now anyway LOL
I will be doing the mother's day, father's day and 4 of july hatch-a-long again this year if thats what you are talking about.

 

[debs_flock]

Caption this...

"Get the h*ll out of my face with that camera!"

 

[BHep]

"Get the h*ll out of my face with that camera!"

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I cant beat that!!

 

[java girl 2]

Quote: What are YOU looking at punk?!?!? I WILL make you an offer YOU can't refuse!!!!

 

[Egg_newton]

I was inadvertently a NYD hatcher. My silkie was setting on some eggs. We had two hatch on NYE, two on NYD, and two today. Still waiting on last two. She's such a good incubator.

 

[Fuzzybird]

Quote: I never heard of those other Hatch-a-Longs?

 

[NotAFarm]

Oooo! I like the Green Eggs for St. Patty's Day... Have Olive eggs and green tinted bantam Ameraucana eggs that would count. Hmmm....

Here are some of the Iowa Blues from the NYD hatch.

Caption this...

You wanna piece of me?! Huh?!

 

[Roxannemc]

I believe it was Brookhaven with a cute little white silkie that looked like it was bowing

My two chicks spent their first night in the brooder and are doing great this am : )

No action on remaining eggs in bator, gonna leave them a few more hours, then clean, improve (to fix hot/cold spots)
and setting a new mixed batch of ducks & chicken eggs which I hope will be a happier experience. 

My TOP TEN  take aways from this hatch for me are:

1)Don't expect maran or maran x eggs until day 22 or 23, just don't even think about it and certainly don't worry prior to that.
(my only 100% natural hatched chick was pure maran out at 9pm day 23! NEVER peeped, piped to hatched in under 2 hrs.

2)For colored eggs - it is essential to put them in lockdown (unless smelly or oozing) no mater how dead you think they are via candle 
(my only 100% naturally hatched chick, the surviving pure maran was from an egg I wrote down as dead on day 17 candle!)

3)If you have a way smaller bird, even one that is very active, do not leave it with a much larger chick, esp. if that larger chick is acting aggressive at all or if it is Maran or Ameraucana (or in my case a x of those), if in watching the chicks you think "maybe I should separate that little one" do it, do it right that moment, to hesitate is to risk losing the little one faster than you can grab it.

4)If you have a partly zipped egg and you have to separate it from aggressive chicks pecking it while you get some sleep, even if the overall humidity is over 70% DO keep it on the wet washcloth, even though it will stay wet after hatching, b/d otherwise it will dry out, get glued and exhaust itself while you sleep and you will lose it. 

5)Even though they don't _need_ to eat or drink some chicks (Maran, Ameraucana) will start trying to eat everything they can peck w/in hrs of hatching, be prepared for that when you go into lockdown & set up so they will have something to keep them occupied other that their fellow eggs/chicks.

6)Never ever, ever use even the most stable reliable folding table for your bator, not even for a few hours. Murphy WILL find a way to cause it to collapse & send the bator crashing to the ground.

7) 2 Thermometers is not enough

8) In addition to everything you need for the eggs & chicks, when incubating one needs also : Tissues, fav. adult beverage or personal equivalent, ice cream, chocolate; failure to have these on hand will certainly lead to needing them!

9)Keep the cats OFF the bator, the temp. swings are just too much.

& MOST IMPORTANT

10) Never incubate alone, (esp. your first time) you MUST for your own sanity be on BYC, nothing else will help as much or make the inevitable worry, confusion and questions tolerable like being in a hatch-along on BYC 

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO WAS A PART OF THIS NYD Hatchalong, even if you never posted, THANKS for being one of the 250 or so that I knew were in this with me, and to all those who read my saga, and esp. those who interacted w/ me 
I wish you excellent chicken karma and great hatches in 2013 ! 

FeyRaine

Has the winner of the new year poultry photo contest been announced yet? it ended two days ago 

 

[farmerChef]

I never heard of those other Hatch-a-Longs?

not as big as the NYD and the easter hatch. A few of us swap eggs and hatch'em, I made a thread for the St. Pats day one last year, wasnt any contests or prizes, just another excuse to hatch eggs.