It's that time of year again!!
At noon on December 11, 2014 (local time), people all over the world will be setting eggs with the goal of hatching out hundreds of cute little fuzz-butts all on the same day: New Year's Day 2015!
We'll be updating this post and thread with more information, but we wanted to start the thread early since now's the time to start preparing!
So, subscribe to this thread, add it to your bookmarks, and check back for more details!!
We'll also be listing some contests & prizes soon!
Hatch Participants:
@abmaddox1981
@Aliciahess
@AHenry
@a little chiken
@Amberjem
@Aphrael
@artsygirl
@bamadude
@bantambury
@batchhatchin
@Bazy
@beegirl4
@blackgoat
@Book
@bosingleton
@Blarneyeggs
@calichicken
@Canadianislupus
@carcar80
@casportpony
@ccnbuck
@celestialdreamer
@chickee
@chickiebaby1
@ChickenCanoe
@chicken pickin
@chickkrakidd
@ChickyChickens
@coopsbyty
@copndoc
@cree57i
@Cynthia12
@debsbirds
@DehlerLayer
@darkbluespace
@DevilsDenHen
@Dish chickens
@Dispatch273
@domesticzoo
@DragonClaw01
@draye
@EastTXChickens
@FeyRaine
@FreeRanging Hen
@Foghornnmsprisy
@FuzzyHens
@GAGE
@gevshiba
@gilchicken
@halphenchicks
@hennible
@hockeydad6791
@houdiniduck
@HugHess
@IronEagle
@JadeComputerGal
@jbenson
@jrc85
@jgoldy2
@JLaw
@Junibutt
@JW12
@Kadjec
@Katies Clucker
@Kaylish
@LemonMeringue
@LittleRedCoop53
@LogCabinFarm
@LPeaslee
@Marks chickens
@michaelf
@misfitmorgan
@MisfitMarie
@Momof4TX
@MrsBrooke
@Nomibear
@PeepsALot
@Peep_Show
@plantgirl
@Pyxis
@rachelpotter
@RanchHens
@RAnst4038
@Roan
@sacrifice
@shlac
@shamoguy
@silly4buttons
@StarMeKritten
@Sueg4332
@sunshinechick83
@Sustained
@TexaCaliChick
@themadchicken
@tommysgirl
@tresa78
@VA Raptor
@VT Chicken Farm
@valleychicks
@Wisher1000
@Zanlm
Contests:
1. Best Hatch Rate
First Prize: Pita Pinta, Arkansas Blue and\or Partridge Penedesenca Hatching eggs (Courtesy of @ronott1 )
Second Prize: BYC 2015 Calendar
2. Best Hatch a Long Participant
Prize: BYC Calendar
Open to hatch a long members except Hatch a long administrators. Send a PM to @ronott1 after the hatch is over with the name and reason for the nomination. Winner will be announced during the first week after the hatch.
3. Cutest Chick Hatched
Prize: needle felted chicken from @blackgoat Click to see sample work and look at the owl
Winner picks breed
Open to all hatch a long members except Hatch a long Administrators. Post baby pictures from this NYD hatch in this thread and we will vote on them. One picture per member and no digital editing. Entries accepted until January 8th.
4. Number of eggs set for Hatch a Long Contest closed!
Prize: chicken wood cuts courtesy of @Cynthia12
Winner: @michaelf with a guess of 2247. The total reported egg set is 2360
Click here and post your guess for the total number of eggs set. Do not go back and edit the number and only enter once. The contest is open from now until Midnight Sunday 12\14. Winner will be announced by Tuesday. Open to all BYC Members.
5. Farthest shipped eggs that hatch
Prize: a book of stamps courtesy of @Peep_Show
For Farthest Shipped Egg - Successful Hatch
Folks with shipped eggs, your city/state and the egg shipper's city/state will be needed for the Farthest Shipped Egg Hatched contest. Provide the info when you PM Ron @ronott1 with your egg counts, please.
6. Worst hatch rate
Prize: Minature egg basket courtesy of @Peep_Show
7. Best Hatch Rate using a Broody
Prize: 6 NH hatching eggs plus 6+ Sex link hatching eggs courtesy of @tommysgirl
8.Random Post contest #I Closed
Prize: 1 dozen Mystery eggs donated by @michaelf
Winner: @Cynthia12
Open to hatch a long members except Hatch a long administrators. A post number has been selected. The first hatch a long member to post on or after the number is the winner! A backup post number has been selected to be awarded if the winner declines the prize.
9. First of any poultry fully hatched (local time) on New Year's Day by newest BYC member
Prize: Golden Feather
Picture required to be posted immediately after hatching.
10. First of any poultry fully hatched (local time) on New Year's Day (Picture required to be posted immediately after hatching.)
Prize: $15 Amazon gift card (electronic)
Please see note above for the first duckling hatched. The same applies for this contest.
11. Best duckling hatch rate
Prize: Colour Breeding in Domestic Ducks (Softcover UK import)
12. Worst duckling hatch rate
Prize: Hatching & Brooding Your Own Chicks: Chickens, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Guinea Fowl (Kindle Edition)
13. Most ducklings hatched
Prize: Magicfly Bright Cool LED Egg Candler
14. Most Bantam ducklings hatched
Prize: ABA Bantam Standard 2014 Mini Standard (Softcover)
15. Most Bantam chicks hatched
Prize: ABA Bantam Standard 2014 Mini Standard (Softcover)
16. First duckling fully hatched (local time) on New Year's Day
(Picture required to be posted immediately after hatching.)
Prize: $15 Amazon gift card (electronic)
Note for clarity: Winner will be determined by the hatch occurring the soonest after midnight in their local time zone. This means that the first to hatch worldwide won't necessarily win. For example, if a hatch occurs in Australia at 1 a.m. on New Year's Day, and a hatch occurs in England at 12:30 a.m. that day, the participant in England would win even though the hatch in Australia occurred hours earlier. You'll have to stay up late if you want to win this one!!!
17. Best quality duckling hatched (As voted by BYC community when ducklings are one week old. Prize contributor will submit a second vote in the case of a tie.)
Prize: Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, 2nd Edition (*Choice of Softcover or Kindle Edition)
*Kindle edition highly recommended for easy searchability, portability, highlighting, bookmarking, and annotating.
18. Cutest duckling hatched
(As voted by BYC community. Prize contributor will submit a second vote in the case of a tie.)
Prize: Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, 2nd Edition (*Choice of Softcover or Kindle Edition)
*Kindle edition highly recommended for easy searchability, portability, highlighting, bookmarking, and annotating.
Place to find hatching eggs:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/754060/the-new-crazy-24hr-auction-thread
Set Dates for Poultry:
Muscovy (35 days) - 11/27/14
Goose (31 days) - 12/1/14
Duck, Turkey, Pheasant (28 days) - 12/4/14
Guinea Fowl (26 days) - 12/6/14
Chicken (21 days) - 12/11/14
Coturnix Quail (18 days) - 12/14/14
Some dates are getting close!
Duck Hatching Tips!
http://www.duckhealth.com/hatcduck.html
Still Air Incubator Tips!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chookschicks-incubation-cheat-sheet
Hatching tips from Sally Sunshine and chickencanoe!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/704328/diary-notes-air-cell-detatched-shipped-eggs
http://www.brinsea.com/customerservice/technote.html
http://www.natureform.com/kb/newArticles/12.html
http://www.natureform.com/kb/newArticles/4.html
http://www.natureform.com/kb/newArticles/8.html
Incubation Worksheet by Roan
Chicken:
Hatchability Problem analysis.pdf 1,708k .pdf file
Incubation time explanation:
Originally Posted by Brookhavens
Whatever day of the week you set your eggs on is the same day you can expect them to start hatching. (Sometimes earlier. Sometimes later.) We will set our chicken eggs at 12:00pm on Thursday, Dec. 11th so our hatch day (Day 21) is Thursday, Jan 1st. Another way to look at it is in hours. Thursday, 12/11 at 12pm(noon) is 0 hours. 12/12 at 12am is 12 hours and 12pm (noon) on 12/12 is 24 hours. 24 hours = 1 day or Day 1 of incubation. When you read or hear "lock down or stop turning" on Day 18 it means after the full 24 hours of Day 18 has gone by you stop turning. So that would mean that Day 18 ends on Monday 12/29 @11:59am. Day 19 starts @ 12:00pm (noon) Monday and lockdown begins. Day 20 starts @ 12pm(noon) on Tuesday and Day 21 starts @ 12pm(noon) on Wednesday and ends on Thursday @11:59am. So on Thursday at 11:59am you have had 21 days (each consisting of 24 hours) of full development.
How to clean your incubator:
Originally Posted by ChickenCanoe
If it is new, you can just use some liquid detergent. But DO NOT get any water on the thermostat or any other electronics.
If it's used, I would use Lysol or spray a dilute chlorox solution.
Whatever you use, rinse it well and some people put it in the sun to dry. That might not be an option this time of year.
Again, Keep the electronics dry.
Someone in this thread recommends using peroxide.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/138943/disinfecting-an-incubator
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/331442/how-do-you-clean-your-styrofoam-incubator
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/359793/best-way-to-clean-styrofoam-incubator
At noon on December 11, 2014 (local time), people all over the world will be setting eggs with the goal of hatching out hundreds of cute little fuzz-butts all on the same day: New Year's Day 2015!
We'll be updating this post and thread with more information, but we wanted to start the thread early since now's the time to start preparing!
So, subscribe to this thread, add it to your bookmarks, and check back for more details!!
We'll also be listing some contests & prizes soon!
Hatch Participants:
@abmaddox1981
@Aliciahess
@AHenry
@a little chiken
@Amberjem
@Aphrael
@artsygirl
@bamadude
@bantambury
@batchhatchin
@Bazy
@beegirl4
@blackgoat
@Book
@bosingleton
@Blarneyeggs
@calichicken
@Canadianislupus
@carcar80
@casportpony
@ccnbuck
@celestialdreamer
@chickee
@chickiebaby1
@ChickenCanoe
@chicken pickin
@chickkrakidd
@ChickyChickens
@coopsbyty
@copndoc
@cree57i
@Cynthia12
@debsbirds
@DehlerLayer
@darkbluespace
@DevilsDenHen
@Dish chickens
@Dispatch273
@domesticzoo
@DragonClaw01
@draye
@EastTXChickens
@FeyRaine
@FreeRanging Hen
@Foghornnmsprisy
@FuzzyHens
@GAGE
@gevshiba
@gilchicken
@halphenchicks
@hennible
@hockeydad6791
@houdiniduck
@HugHess
@IronEagle
@JadeComputerGal
@jbenson
@jrc85
@jgoldy2
@JLaw
@Junibutt
@JW12
@Kadjec
@Katies Clucker
@Kaylish
@LemonMeringue
@LittleRedCoop53
@LogCabinFarm
@LPeaslee
@Marks chickens
@michaelf
@misfitmorgan
@MisfitMarie
@Momof4TX
@MrsBrooke
@Nomibear
@PeepsALot
@Peep_Show
@plantgirl
@Pyxis
@rachelpotter
@RanchHens
@RAnst4038
@Roan
@sacrifice
@shlac
@shamoguy
@silly4buttons
@StarMeKritten
@Sueg4332
@sunshinechick83
@Sustained
@TexaCaliChick
@themadchicken
@tommysgirl
@tresa78
@VA Raptor
@VT Chicken Farm
@valleychicks
@Wisher1000
@Zanlm
Contests:
1. Best Hatch Rate
First Prize: Pita Pinta, Arkansas Blue and\or Partridge Penedesenca Hatching eggs (Courtesy of @ronott1 )
Second Prize: BYC 2015 Calendar
participants will need to be setting a minimum of 6 eggs
.
These can be under broodies or in your incubators. Send @ronott1 a pm letting him know how many you will have cooking. We'll need that info
by the 3rd of Jan at the latest
to be included in the contest. When the hatch is over,
you'll take a pic and post it to show us how many
you actually hatched.
The picture must be of sufficient quality to count all the chicks.
In the event of a tie, the one who hatches the most chicks wins.
2. Best Hatch a Long Participant
Prize: BYC Calendar
Open to hatch a long members except Hatch a long administrators. Send a PM to @ronott1 after the hatch is over with the name and reason for the nomination. Winner will be announced during the first week after the hatch.
3. Cutest Chick Hatched
Prize: needle felted chicken from @blackgoat Click to see sample work and look at the owl
Winner picks breed
Open to all hatch a long members except Hatch a long Administrators. Post baby pictures from this NYD hatch in this thread and we will vote on them. One picture per member and no digital editing. Entries accepted until January 8th.
Prize: chicken wood cuts courtesy of @Cynthia12
Winner: @michaelf with a guess of 2247. The total reported egg set is 2360
Click here and post your guess for the total number of eggs set. Do not go back and edit the number and only enter once. The contest is open from now until Midnight Sunday 12\14. Winner will be announced by Tuesday. Open to all BYC Members.
5. Farthest shipped eggs that hatch
Prize: a book of stamps courtesy of @Peep_Show
For Farthest Shipped Egg - Successful Hatch
Folks with shipped eggs, your city/state and the egg shipper's city/state will be needed for the Farthest Shipped Egg Hatched contest. Provide the info when you PM Ron @ronott1 with your egg counts, please.
6. Worst hatch rate
Prize: Minature egg basket courtesy of @Peep_Show
For this contest during this hatch,
participants will need to be setting a minimum of 6 eggs, with confirmation picture posted to this thread
.
These can be under broodies or in your incubators.Tell us how many you set and then let us know how many hatched(or did not hatch....) We'll need that info
by the 3rd of Jan at the latest
to be included in the contest. The picture must be of sufficient quality to count all the chicks.
In the event of a tie, the one who set the most chicks wins.
7. Best Hatch Rate using a Broody
Prize: 6 NH hatching eggs plus 6+ Sex link hatching eggs courtesy of @tommysgirl
This contest is for eggs hatched under a broody hen. Send @ronott1 a pm letting him know how many you will have cooking. We'll need that info
by the 3rd of Jan at the latest
to be included in the contest. When the hatch is over,
you'll take a pic and post it to show us how many
you actually hatched.
The picture must be of sufficient quality to count all the chicks.
In the event of a tie, the one who hatches the most chicks wins.
8.
Prize: 1 dozen Mystery eggs donated by @michaelf
Winner: @Cynthia12
Open to hatch a long members except Hatch a long administrators. A post number has been selected. The first hatch a long member to post on or after the number is the winner! A backup post number has been selected to be awarded if the winner declines the prize.
9. First of any poultry fully hatched (local time) on New Year's Day by newest BYC member
Prize: Golden Feather
Picture required to be posted immediately after hatching.
10. First of any poultry fully hatched (local time) on New Year's Day (Picture required to be posted immediately after hatching.)
Prize: $15 Amazon gift card (electronic)
Please see note above for the first duckling hatched. The same applies for this contest.
11. Best duckling hatch rate
Prize: Colour Breeding in Domestic Ducks (Softcover UK import)
12. Worst duckling hatch rate
Prize: Hatching & Brooding Your Own Chicks: Chickens, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Guinea Fowl (Kindle Edition)
13. Most ducklings hatched
Prize: Magicfly Bright Cool LED Egg Candler
14. Most Bantam ducklings hatched
Prize: ABA Bantam Standard 2014 Mini Standard (Softcover)
15. Most Bantam chicks hatched
Prize: ABA Bantam Standard 2014 Mini Standard (Softcover)
16. First duckling fully hatched (local time) on New Year's Day
(Picture required to be posted immediately after hatching.)
Prize: $15 Amazon gift card (electronic)
Note for clarity: Winner will be determined by the hatch occurring the soonest after midnight in their local time zone. This means that the first to hatch worldwide won't necessarily win. For example, if a hatch occurs in Australia at 1 a.m. on New Year's Day, and a hatch occurs in England at 12:30 a.m. that day, the participant in England would win even though the hatch in Australia occurred hours earlier. You'll have to stay up late if you want to win this one!!!
17. Best quality duckling hatched (As voted by BYC community when ducklings are one week old. Prize contributor will submit a second vote in the case of a tie.)
Prize: Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, 2nd Edition (*Choice of Softcover or Kindle Edition)
*Kindle edition highly recommended for easy searchability, portability, highlighting, bookmarking, and annotating.
18. Cutest duckling hatched
(As voted by BYC community. Prize contributor will submit a second vote in the case of a tie.)
Prize: Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, 2nd Edition (*Choice of Softcover or Kindle Edition)
*Kindle edition highly recommended for easy searchability, portability, highlighting, bookmarking, and annotating.
Place to find hatching eggs:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/754060/the-new-crazy-24hr-auction-thread
Set Dates for Poultry:
Muscovy (35 days) - 11/27/14
Goose (31 days) - 12/1/14
Duck, Turkey, Pheasant (28 days) - 12/4/14
Guinea Fowl (26 days) - 12/6/14
Chicken (21 days) - 12/11/14
Coturnix Quail (18 days) - 12/14/14
Some dates are getting close!
Duck Hatching Tips!
http://www.duckhealth.com/hatcduck.html
Still Air Incubator Tips!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chookschicks-incubation-cheat-sheet
Hatching tips from Sally Sunshine and chickencanoe!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/704328/diary-notes-air-cell-detatched-shipped-eggs
http://www.brinsea.com/customerservice/technote.html
http://www.natureform.com/kb/newArticles/12.html
http://www.natureform.com/kb/newArticles/4.html
http://www.natureform.com/kb/newArticles/8.html
Incubation Worksheet by Roan
Chicken:
Hatchability Problem analysis.pdf 1,708k .pdf file
Incubation time explanation:
Originally Posted by Brookhavens
Whatever day of the week you set your eggs on is the same day you can expect them to start hatching. (Sometimes earlier. Sometimes later.) We will set our chicken eggs at 12:00pm on Thursday, Dec. 11th so our hatch day (Day 21) is Thursday, Jan 1st. Another way to look at it is in hours. Thursday, 12/11 at 12pm(noon) is 0 hours. 12/12 at 12am is 12 hours and 12pm (noon) on 12/12 is 24 hours. 24 hours = 1 day or Day 1 of incubation. When you read or hear "lock down or stop turning" on Day 18 it means after the full 24 hours of Day 18 has gone by you stop turning. So that would mean that Day 18 ends on Monday 12/29 @11:59am. Day 19 starts @ 12:00pm (noon) Monday and lockdown begins. Day 20 starts @ 12pm(noon) on Tuesday and Day 21 starts @ 12pm(noon) on Wednesday and ends on Thursday @11:59am. So on Thursday at 11:59am you have had 21 days (each consisting of 24 hours) of full development.
How to clean your incubator:
Originally Posted by ChickenCanoe
If it is new, you can just use some liquid detergent. But DO NOT get any water on the thermostat or any other electronics.
If it's used, I would use Lysol or spray a dilute chlorox solution.
Whatever you use, rinse it well and some people put it in the sun to dry. That might not be an option this time of year.
Again, Keep the electronics dry.
Someone in this thread recommends using peroxide.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/138943/disinfecting-an-incubator
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/331442/how-do-you-clean-your-styrofoam-incubator
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/359793/best-way-to-clean-styrofoam-incubator
Last edited:
Cause all we need is an excuse! 
