5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[chicken pickin]

I like having a few eggs from my own coop in there too, it helps me better monitor my hatch rate.

I also like to set some of my own, your exactly right it helps better monitor the hatch rate since shipped eggs are jumbled around in the mail. My chickens are being so lazy though, I still have only 5 eggs saved up from the past 10 days Im hoping for at least 2 more though 3 would be nice(wishful thinking I know my chickens are probably like " Look at her she is out here looking for eggs again, how many times is that now, 9 today? Think we should give her one today? Nah every time she comes out she brings us snacks. Lets not ruin a good thing." Fresh chickens.

ADORABLE! and an awesome coop BTW
Thanks! It was the 1st coop we built, I like it. I have 6 coops and possibly num 7 coming in the spring. OH DH is gonna kill me lol. Every time I tell him "Its the last one I swear". I hope by now he knows that actually means its the last one until I need more birds. Lucky him though I don't ask him to do the building, I do that. He just doesn't like the sound of more birds he says I have enough. How can anyone EVER have enough. Im not sure that's possible.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Someone explained this to me before but I forgot.

Just why are hatching eggs more expensive than chicks?

 

[mspj]

Someone explained this to me before but I forgot.

Just why are hatching eggs more expensive than chicks?

I would like to know this also.

 

[mspj]

When do you start counting days? Is set day, day 1 or is the next day, day 1?

I have heard that if you set in the am count that as day 1, if set in the pm the next day is day 1. With the NYD hatch starting at noon on 12/11 would the 12th actually be day 1 or day 2?

 

[silly4buttons]

I can't wait to see what mine will look like thank again for my eggs

 

[chicken pickin]

Day 1 is 24hrs after the eggs were set. So if we all set at noon on the 11th then day 1 is noon on the 12th.

 

[chicken pickin]

I can't wait to see what mine will look like

thank again for my eggs

Your Welcome!

 

[mspj]

Day 1 is 24hrs after the eggs were set. So if we all set at noon on the 11th then day 1 is noon on the 12th.

OK, Thanks, but this leads to another question: Do you turn/rotate the eggs during the first 24 hours?

I will be manually turning my eggs.

 

[silly4buttons]

I have a question what do you do with all the extra chicks that you can't keep and how old they should be to rehome them I hatched a few chicks a few weeks back and they did have a home intill they back out and another person will only take females and they have to be off heat and she wants them for free

 

[chicken pickin]

OK, Thanks, but this leads to another question: Do you turn/rotate the eggs during the first 24 hours?

I will be manually turning my eggs.

Yes if they are your own eggs or local eggs start turning on day 1. If they are eggs that were shipped from a distance they may have had a harsh journey so most people will set them in the incubator and not turn them for anywhere from 3-7days I think on average people wait 4-5 days and then start turning. Not turning shipped eggs is supposed to help the air cell settle and be stable. If your eggs were shipped I would put them upright in egg carton inside the incubator for a few days and then lay them flat so you can manually turn when its time.