any advice for this time around?

[Sweetlilbaby]

WOW, that's great!!! So when did you actually set your eggs? I set some Silkies on the 25th of April, started with 12 but only 7 are fertile.

Mine are due the 12th. I'd have to go look at a calender to see what day I set them. But yes 12 fertile eggs. I am hoping all 12 hatch. I know it's not likely for all of them to hatch. I'm only allowed 6 hens. Figure if all hatch i'll get at least 6 hens. Then my mom wants new chickens and doesn't care about the breed.

 

[judsenn]

Cool. I lockdown on the 13th, due the 16th. Possible hatch buddies.

We'll have to keep each other updated on our success.

Along with my silkies I also have 11 (started with 14) turkey eggs. So I have a total of 18 possible hatches. Then this Saturday, with my other incubator, I am setting 5 Black Spanish turkey eggs, 7 Blue Slate turkey eggs, and 16 (unknown breed) chicken eggs...it will be my largest batch...kinda nervous.

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

After this hatch I'm going to start some "farm" chicken eggs. They are a mix of several breeds. I want turkey eggs. I wanted to start some turkeys.
I will keep ya updated on the hatch. But honestly I don't plan on candling them again or anything. how much are turkey eggs? I've never hatched turkeys. Only bought turkey chicks in the past. And that never turned out very well. Although the turkeys were friendly with humans, they always got out and ended up being killed by neighbor dogs

 

[judsenn]

I get my eggs from my turkeys, although I just ordered and received the Blue Slates from a seller, cost was $32 for 6 eggs...that gives you a rough idea at how much they cost (that included shipping too) From what i've read poults are a little harder to rear than chicks. The first 5 i ever incubated made it to lockdown, 4 died in shell, and the other 1 needed an assisted hatch and died on day 2.

I really hope I was just THAT unlucky and it won't happen to me again this time around.

Sorry to hear about losing your poults to dogs...do you have a pen you can keep them in? ...just clip their wings so they can't fly out and only let them graze when you are home. I can maybe see about getting you some eggs as long as my hens keep laying. All 3 hens are laying in one nest, currently there are 14 eggs, so I'm waiting to see if one of goes broody soon, if not I may have to take them and incubate. But I wouldn't want to sell any eggs either until I have had successful hatches...I know they are fertile and develop, but I want to make sure they are healthy once hatched.

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

I get my eggs from my turkeys, although I just ordered and received the Blue Slates from a seller, cost was $32 for 6 eggs...that gives you a rough idea at how much they cost (that included shipping too) From what i've read poults are a little harder to rear than chicks. The first 5 i ever incubated made it to lockdown, 4 died in shell, and the other 1 needed an assisted hatch and died on day 2.

I really hope I was just THAT unlucky and it won't happen to me again this time around.

Sorry to hear about losing your poults to dogs...do you have a pen you can keep them in? ...just clip their wings so they can't fly out and only let them graze when you are home. I can maybe see about getting you some eggs as long as my hens keep laying. All 3 hens are laying in one nest, currently there are 14 eggs, so I'm waiting to see if one of goes broody soon, if not I may have to take them and incubate. But I wouldn't want to sell any eggs either until I have had successful hatches...I know they are fertile and develop, but I want to make sure they are healthy once hatched.

I was living at my moms when I lost them to dogs. I now live in the city. So I plan to build a pen with a top on it. That way chickens and everything can't get out at all. Til i build that I have a giant dog crate when my chicks are big enough to go outside for day trips. I can only keep 6 anyway. Although if my neighbors don't complain i might keep a few more then that My neighbors are excited about fresh eggs. So doubt they'd mind a few more chickens in my yard.

 

[judsenn]

Can't beat fresh eggs.

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

Yeah. But how many eggs will that give me really, 6 hens? and two neighbors begging for eggs... At most during the best weather I'd get 6 eggs a day. I don't know, How often do silkies lay? and around what age? These are supposed to be silkie/leghorn mix's or possible silkie pure.

 

[judsenn]

Yup, from what ive researched on Silkies ( they are soooooooooooo cute, thats why I am trying to incubate and hoping for a pure whites) they lay about one a day. So with 6 hens you should be getting about 40 eggs a week...averaging anywhere from 160-170 eggs a month. So, I don't know how may neighbors you have that want eggs but that's a decent amount of eggs to have. Plus Silkie eggs are way small, so I've heard some people using 2 eggs when a reciepe call for one. But with yours being a mixed breed they may lay larger eggs. I don't really know. Oh, and they take a little bit longer than a standard chicken to lay eggs. I want to say it takes them almost 8 or 9 months to start laying.

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

Being smaller eggs will be perfect for some uses. I feed a raw diet to my dogs. Eggs is a part of that diet. I have two neighbors. But still thinking of limiting their eggs to 2 dozen a month when the chickens begin laying eggs.

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

I know I should restrict how often I candle the eggs but couldn't help it. I candled them today. In a few I could make out legs! I was so excited. Two of them were moving their legs around and I was able to make out legs and toes. I'm getting really excited.