6th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2015 Hatch-A-Long

[Roan]

I hope no one minds that I'm following along and not hatching. I've never done it and this isn't a great time of year for me to do a first hatch. I want to learn from this one and try for the Easter hatch-a-long. So I appreciate all the questions and info being put out there! Thanks and best wishes to all hatchers!

How dare you try to learn something from us??? You should be ashamed!

Okay, seriously now, this would definitely not be the best time of year for a first try but hopefully you'll learn enough to be ready for the Easter Hatch-A-Long. Remember though, you'll probably never learn all there is to know about incubating...or anything else for that matter. lol Good luck and good learning.

To everyone who is participating, Good Hatching!

 

[Amberjem]

hey hey question why wouldn't this be a good time for a first hatch along?

 

[hennible]

Hmmm... My assumption was just because it's cold outside... I want to know too

 

[Amberjem]

Hmmm... My assumption was just because it's cold outside... I want to know too

thats kinda what I thought also but........maybe there is more?

let's take notes

 

[chickwhispers]

For me It's cold out and DSO does not want chicklets in the sunroom for that long.

Dang cold Ohio weather anyway!!!

 

[Roan]

lol that is a good question. Now that I've tried to come up with my reasoning, Every time I start typing a reason, I realize, hmm, that may not be a situation for everyone. So I delete it.

Instead, I guess I'll just ask this;

Do you have an insulated area for them to go to after they're too big to be kept in the house? After all, it takes ~21 days for the eggs to hatch, then they need to go into a brooder for awhile. (my brooder is in my bedroom where I can constantly track their temperature and activity level.)

So if they hatch on 1/1/15, then they would have to be placed outside well before spring officially starts. So there is that.

Another thing is that there are many things to take into account when learning to incubate, so adding the fluctuations in temperature, would be one more thing that may be problematic. Especially if you live in an area like me where power outages are common with the high levels of snowfall.

If you feel comfortable about trying it during the winter, then go for it but if you are wary of it, then wait for warming weather.

 

[Amberjem]

lol that is a good question. Now that I've tried to come up with my reasoning, Every time I start typing a reason, I realize, hmm, that may not be a situation for everyone. So I delete it.

Instead, I guess I'll just ask this;

Do you have an insulated area for them to go to after they're too big to be kept in the house? After all, it takes ~21 days for the eggs to hatch, then they need to go into a brooder for awhile. (my brooder is in my bedroom where I can constantly track their temperature and activity level.)

So if they hatch on 1/1/15, then they would have to be placed outside well before spring officially starts. So there is that.

Another thing is that there are many things to take into account when learning to incubate, so adding the fluctuations in temperature, would be one more thing that may be problematic. Especially if you live in an area like me where power outages are common with the high levels of snowfall.

If you feel comfortable about trying it during the winter, then go for it but if you are wary of it, then wait for warming weather.

those are great points! one of the problem I had was we had a cold snap week ago went down to the 30's as I dont have a garage I didnt have a intermediate temperature zone to climatize the chicks from inside to outside......nor have a broody hen to mother them.......anyways while it was warmer during the day I took them out a lil bit at a time each day then the cold snap left and the temps went up to around 50's they were mostly feathered up all the way by then and I keep a light in the henhouse so it's a wee bit snugger in there anyways I could see where a leap of 70 temp to outside in the 30ish 20ish could be an issue for shock or something...... Jan is our cold month here so they can be snug n warm inside by the end of January I'll be cranking up the greenhouse and starting a bunch of starts for our local community garden and our home so will brood them in there letting the heat lamp work for the greenhouse and the chicks, We don't generally get lots of snow I wouldn't want to think of doing this in snow even if I did them inside having to go out in the snow to redo the bedding and everything would drive me batty ohh yes the power outage would be a bad thing.....I'm slightly spoiled as we are on the same grid as the navy base so we usually get electric back asap.


That said what would you do if electric is off for awhile? warm water bottles?

 

[bosingleton]

Subscribed and will be setting 20 dozen or so. Sign me up!

 

[Sustained]

Subscribed and will be setting 20 dozen or so. Sign me up!

20 dozen?

What do you do with all the chicks?

 

[bosingleton]

20 dozen? What do you do with all the chicks?

Trade them to the feed store for a lot of feed.