8th-annual-byc-new-years-day-2017-hatch-a-long

[DwayneNLiz]

How do you guys do staggered hatches?? Do you have a second bator to separate the eggs from the ones going on lockdown?

separate hatcher and an incubator

I'm picking up eggs from two different folks tomorrow, within 45 minutes from where I live. Is there anything special I need to do for the ride back to my house?

pack them well and insulated, big end up

Ok, they're in! Some call duck eggs and some super silkie eggs both from Rubynala97 . I had to wait to set for longer than planned and coincidentally I think I make the allowance to join in the new year HAL! Yippee!!! Now how many more eggs can I gather in the next 4 days

woohoo!!! she has gorgeous birds!!

This is so eggciting!!! My DDs and DS and I are setting our very first batch of eggs tomorrow morning, planning on a New Year's Eve hatch day, and I could not be more eggstatic!! I just got my incubator (an early Xmas present from my mom!) and it's been running so I could figure out all the controls and everything, and tomorrow is the big day!!! I'm so freakin excited!!! This is just a practice run, really, as I'm just throwing in a few eggs from my SLW who's in with my Wheaten Am cockerel atm for a couple cute OEs (!!!) and we'll see how it goes. I don't know how good my fertility is gonna be, or how good my incubating skills are gonna be, but I'm SUPER excited to hatch out my own babies! Thought I'd share some pics of the proud parents...

Daddy Hugo:

Mama Astrid:

Checked out the chicken calculator, and it sounds like I'll probably get some pretty golden laced OE girls, and yellow (?) laced OE boys...wonder what that'll look like?? I've got my fingers crossed that I'll be able to sex them early! Hopefully the boys and girls will look different

ETA: I've decided that if she lays tomorrow and Sunday, those eggs are going in, too. That'll give me a total of 10 instead of 8, which just sounds better!

WELCOME!! those will be some gorgeous babies! cant wait to see!

Ugh! I can't sleep! It's 1am here,but I'm afraid if I fall asleep the temp or humidity will shoot up or plummet and all my babies will die. I'm a nervous wreck already! This hatch may very well kill me!!

LOL, and think you made it through 3 pregnancies

Ok, I'm in for this one. I'm not sure how many eggs that I will be setting in my incubator, but they will be from my own flock and the chicks will be the Blue and the Splash Australorps.

Howdy folks! I made a thread in "emergencies" last night but nobody has replied so I'll ask here. One of my eensy weensy baby button quail has a broken ankle. Baby animals heal fast, but is there anything I can do to help the critter? I'm sure it's too tiny for a vet to do anything or for me to try and set the foot or whatever, but what do you guys think? I don't want to put it down until its had at least a chance to heal. I have reptiles so people give me critters to feed off decently regularly when they are ill or injured. So far I have not had to feed out any critters with broken legs, they have all healed given time and supportive care. I'd like not to break that record with little Mini Me.

splint with vet wrap and popsicle or that may be too big so maybe a straw/toothpick cut to size

Can you wrap it with medical tape? I know the little baby is super tiny but that might be the best way to help.

Maybe cut the vet tape to the right size and apply ????
our tiny ones have huge hearts
need to clean the hova bator new group

Both great advice!
@Bug n Flock

 

[BantyChooks]

Eggies are HERE!!

 

[RodNTN]

Hi y'all! I am going to be hatching this spring!

Do you all suggest using a broody hen to hatch the eggs and raise the chicks, or to use an incubator to hatch the eggs and to raise the chicks in a brooder. The eggs I am going to be hatching are rare and very expensive, so the broody hen might be risky. Any thoughts?

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hi y'all! I am going to be hatching this spring!

Do you all suggest using a broody hen to hatch the eggs and raise the chicks, or to use an incubator to hatch the eggs and to raise the chicks in a brooder. The eggs I am going to be hatching are rare and very expensive, so the broody hen might be risky. Any thoughts?

if you have a broody you trust 1: incubate the eggs 2: as they hatch take the out put them under
your broody to raise

 

[BantyChooks]

Hi y'all! I am going to be hatching this spring!

Do you all suggest using a broody hen to hatch the eggs and raise the chicks, or to use an incubator to hatch the eggs and to raise the chicks in a brooder. The eggs I am going to be hatching are rare and very expensive, so the broody hen might be risky. Any thoughts?

Bator, I suggest Brinsea if you can afford it.

 

[ronott1]

We are getting close to egg setting time!

I have official word on contest prizes so the team will be working on prizes soon!

Random funny Post anyone?

 

[ronott1]

Hi y'all! I am going to be hatching this spring!

Do you all suggest using a broody hen to hatch the eggs and raise the chicks, or to use an incubator to hatch the eggs and to raise the chicks in a brooder. The eggs I am going to be hatching are rare and very expensive, so the broody hen might be risky. Any thoughts?

Brinsea has a sale on incubators now. They also have a new line of incubators:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1138583/brinsea-improved-and-expanded-mini-and-ovation-incubators

 

[RodNTN]

Bator, I suggest Brinsea if you can afford it.

Yep, that sounds like the safest option. I will look into the Brinsea incubators, in fact I was just looking at them a day or two ago!

Brinsea has a sale on incubators now. They also have a new line of incubators:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1138583/brinsea-improved-and-expanded-mini-and-ovation-incubators

Yay! I will look at it!

 

[BantyChooks]

I'll be setting eggs tonight, as they're pretty old already.

 

[Bug n Flock]

Thanks so much for the advice, guys! Little guy seems to be doing great. Eating, drinking, running around adorably. I also added some calcium powder to the chick food. Figure it could only help. Also gave them a small scoop of tiny baby mealworms which they all ate with gusto.