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

[hennible]

I'm still planning on incubating a couple duck eggs with the chickens eggs ( if that's possible) the chickens will just hatch about a week sooner. Anyone advise against hatching chicken and duck eggs together? Reasons why?

No problem if you set it up so that they hatch at the same time by putting the duck eggs in sooner... The high humidity at Hatch time for the chicks will probably affect the duckies who are not ready for such high humidity... Someone else will probably give you a clear answer

 

[ronott1]

I need a system like yours - was the converter (?) expensive?

The Genesis 1588 is a 12 volt system. I needed to get a cable with clamps for the battery, a battery and a charger. When it looks like a power outage is coming, I connect the batter to the incubator. It will hast a couple of days on battery power depending on the depth of the battery.

I have to hand turn the eggs but that is fine with me!

 

[ronott1]

I want to hatch some eggs out for NYD!! Wanted to hatch some ducks, but realize I should've already set them. Lol so looks like I'll be setting some of my chicken eggs. My hens just started laying. They layed their first two eggs on Thanksgiving day. There are 15 hens and 3 roosters in the pen. Would it be worth it to try to incubate them? I have seen the top roo "playing" with a couple of the hens

I will add you to the HAL!

 

[shlac]

I want to hatch some eggs out for NYD!! Wanted to hatch some ducks, but realize I should've already set them. Lol so looks like I'll be setting some of my chicken eggs. My hens just started laying. They layed their first two eggs on Thanksgiving day. There are 15 hens and 3 roosters in the pen. Would it be worth it to try to incubate them? I have seen the top roo "playing" with a couple of the hens

My first attempt at hatching (in a homemade incubator no less) was 13 of my two pullets first 14 eggs (one was cracked). I had 2 "early quitters," one I accidentally killed during hatch, one I had to "cull," and 9 vigorous, healthy chicks... only 3 cockerals!

Anyway, I say GO FOR IT!

 

[Book]

Still no eggs here. Looks like I will just be an observer this year. My girls are still uncooperative from the move.

Surely someone local to you has eggs you could hatch!

 

[Roan]

I want to hatch some eggs out for NYD!! Wanted to hatch some ducks, but realize I should've already set them. Lol so looks like I'll be setting some of my chicken eggs. My hens just started laying. They layed their first two eggs on Thanksgiving day. There are 15 hens and 3 roosters in the pen. Would it be worth it to try to incubate them? I have seen the top roo "playing" with a couple of the hens

15 hens with 3 roosters?

Isn't that bad? It's only a 5:1 H.R.R. (Hens to Rooster Ratio)! My poor hens would be torn up. I've seen the affects of having too many roosters with the hens and it's never been pretty.

I thought that the best H.R.R. would be 12:1. Am I wrong?

 

[hennible]

For me it has depended on the roo... My EE roo had 8 girls and I only ever see him mate 5.... Weird bird... The BO has 5 girls and the other fella has 15.... One of the EEs hens is a little bare backed right now, she's his favourite...

 

[Wisher1000]

15 hens with 3 roosters?

Isn't that bad? It's only a 5:1 H.R.R. (Hens to Rooster Ratio)! My poor hens would be torn up. I've seen the affects of having too many roosters with the hens and it's never been pretty.

I thought that the best H.R.R. would be 12:1. Am I wrong?

My last egg flock was 4 roosters and 19 hens. I had problems with hens being stripped of their back feathers, but it was only two or three hens. I got rid of the biggest rooster, and separated the "favorite" hen (who, by the way, would streak to the fence and slide to a stop in the mating position whenever one of the roosters walked by) and I had no more problems. It seems the big rooster was especially rough on his two companion hens, and the "favorite" would keep the other three contented since they were lower on the pecking order than the big rooster. Once he was out of the pic, the three roosters each had a small band of hens that followed them while free ranging. There were a few fights between the roosters but they never resulted in any injuries.

 

[Sueg4332]

I may attempt to hatch 6 crosses on NYD....well see...lol still have to order my brooder. For ages we've borrowed my neighbors old styled one with the bar heater we burn ourselves on and the chicks literaily fry their feathers off....we always know when we smell the smell of burning hair LOL

I think im going to try and order the ecoglow 20....anyone have it? Like it?

I have one bought 2-2012 I love it. but the turner went out at year . Fixed it. now its getting tried again. They are easy o fix....


Just hatch 18 out of 24 eggs 5th. The temperature has been great Have never had too adjust it.

 

[hennible]

My last egg flock was 4 roosters and 19 hens.  I had problems with hens being stripped of their back feathers, but it was only two or three hens.  I got rid of the biggest rooster, and separated the "favorite" hen (who, by the way, would streak to the fence and slide to a stop in the mating position whenever one of the roosters walked by) and I had no more problems.  It seems the big rooster was especially rough on his two companion hens, and the "favorite" would keep the other three contented since they were lower on the pecking order than the big rooster. Once he was out of the pic, the three roosters each had a small band of hens that followed them while free ranging.  There were a few fights between the roosters but they never resulted in any injuries.

I think I'll move little miss favourite... Just until the feathers come back....