5 Questions for you all - bit of a survey

[dancingchicken77]

i am new to chooks, having hired a 3-egg R Com incubator and incubated 3 eggs once, and then bought my own incubator (same type) and am almost at day 21 still waiting for any action. so while i am DYING with impatience for them to start pipping, i have a few questions to ask you all, out of curiosity -

1. how many eggs do you hatch in your incubator?
2. how often do you do it?
3. is this a hobby or an occupation for you?
4. why do you incubate and hatch chicks? to keep the chickens? to sell them? (i'm starting to understand it's pretty addictive...)
5. does anyone else that hatches pekins find it really really hard to see through the shells when trying to candle?

thanks so much for anyone happy to answer

cheers,

carrie

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

1. how many eggs do you hatch in your incubator? anywhere from 6 - 100

2. how often do you do it? almost every month

3. is this a hobby or an occupation for you? Hobby

4. why do you incubate and hatch chicks? to keep the chickens? to sell them? I choose hatching over hatcheries. I keep most and get rid of some

5. does anyone else that hatches pekins find it really really hard to see through the shells when trying to candle? Never tried pekins but some eggs are harder to candle.

 

[CindyS]

1. as many as I can stuff in them

2. as soon as everything is laying eggs, usually by Feb.

3. hobby-occupation

4. to sell. if I am working on a particular breed or group, keep the best and sell the extras.

5. I don't have pekins, but crested ducks (rouen, magpie, and appleyard breeding) and calls. I find duck eggs are easier to see through than chicken eggs.

 

[MissPrissy]

1. how many eggs do you hatch in your incubator?

Each one holds 42. I have 6 or something like that.

2. how often do you do it?

All the time. Year round.

3. is this a hobby or an occupation for you?

Hobby.

4. why do you incubate and hatch chicks? to keep the chickens? to sell them? (i'm starting to understand it's pretty addictive...)

To build my orpington stock.

5. does anyone else that hatches pekins find it really really hard to see through the shells when trying to candle?

I have hatched everything this year - quail, ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys, guineas - a very bright light and I can see through just about anything so far.​

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
1, about.. 30 or so (only have 2 hens at the moment)
2. once a month
3.Hobby, im not really one to use animals as a paycheck
4.to keep as pets/show. I do sell a few (mostly culls i dont want or ones i dont have room for)
5.never had pekins

-Daniel

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Quote:
I have 3, they will hold all together close to 100 eggs.

Mostly 3 season Spring ,Summer, Fall but I have been know to have chicks at Christmas time.

Hobby

To increase my flock with a good line of birds, I sell the rest or cull.

I had no problems seeing thru the Pekin shells, small mag flash light/dark room

 

[willowcol]

1. how many eggs do you hatch in your incubator?
10 and up
2. how often do you do it?
started 3 sets in past 2 weeks alone
3. is this a hobby or an occupation for you?
hobby
4. why do you incubate and hatch chicks? to keep the chickens? to sell them? (i'm starting to understand it's pretty addictive...)
both
5. does anyone else that hatches pekins find it really really hard to see through the shells when trying to candle?
Never hatched pekins, have rouens and can see in them fine.

 

[dbcooper02]

1. how many eggs do you hatch in your incubator?

Dozens to hundreds at a time depending on what's available
Over 3500 birds hatched in 2008 (so far)

2. how often do you do it?

Weekly, I set whatever I have on hand every Monday evening.

3. is this a hobby or an occupation for you?

Hobby

4. why do you incubate and hatch chicks? to keep the chickens? to sell them? (i'm starting to understand it's pretty addictive...)

Both, to build up the flock and to sell chicks to get the $ to feed the breeders. There's a lot more $ in a dozen chicks than a dozen eggs!

5. does anyone else that hatches pekins find it really really hard to see through the shells when trying to candle?

Haven't tried to candle pekins. I use a slide projector for a candler. It works on everything I've tried except emu.

 

[Southernbelle]

1. I use broody hens exclusively, don't own a bator, but I have 10 Silkie hens so someone is always broody. No more than 12 per hen.

2. Whenever they go broody, so all the time

I have 4 broodies right now - I hope they quit over the winter

3. Hobby - but I like my hobbies to support themselves, so I sell some

4. Keep some, sell most to keep the peace in my marriage - I wouldn't mind hundreds of birds, but he'd lose his mind

5. Never tried to hatch pekins; I can't see through Ameraucana eggs for anything! I think I just stink at candling

 

[VettekLisa]

1. how many eggs do you hatch in your incubator? most has been 26 at 1 time

2. how often do you do it? only on 2nd try now

3. is this a hobby or an occupation for you? hobby

4. why do you incubate and hatch chicks? to keep the chickens? to sell them?
we want to keep 12 of them for eggs, will sell or eat the rest

5. does anyone else that hatches pekins find it really really hard to see through the shells when trying to candle? dunno about that, only done Silkies so far