Anybody out there discover they're not really that "into" hatching?

[chicmom]

Well, I've had two hatches now, and the first one was about 50%, this last one was a disaster with only three hatching out of 13 eggs, one chick having to be culled......

I should probably keep trying, but I'm thinking I don't like hatching very much. I just like buying a nice, healthy, fluffy little chick!

Anybody else feel this way?

Sharon

 

[Bi0s]

yeah i enjoy going to the auction alot so thats where i get most of mine from

 

[wpalmisano]

I understand your pain. There is nothing more frustrating than struggling to keep heat and humidity correct, turning your eggs faithfully, the big day arrives and then..........nothing, all that work and anticipation. : (. If you are hatching to get the birds you are better off just buying pullets from a financial standpoint. If you really love the whole hatching process, and I do, I bit the bullet and bought a GQF Sportsman 1502, with the digital command center. Best $600.00 I ever spent. Hatch rates went immediately from 40-50% to 85-90%. No comparison to a little styrofoam incubator. If you just remember to add the water, to keep humidity correct, you can't screw it up. The other thing might be to try another source for your hatching eggs.

 

[marymac]

I'm so out of the mood that I can't get back into it. I have some eggs I was saving to put in the incubator and decided to use all but 4 of the freshest to eat. That's what I will keep doing until I have about 6 to give to one of my silkys when they go broody. I waited and watched till I drove myself nuts trying to hatch 3 different times, with no success at all. Then if you have success you have to take care of them, keep them warm and all. It's so much easier and a whole lot less disappointing just to let a broody do it all. So.... my incubator is staying in retirement!

 

[chicmom]

Quote:
Thanks for your input! I don't have alot of extra cash floating around, so I do think it's cheaper to just buy some chicks!

I'm going to try again, but I sure didn't enjoy the waiting. Maybe I just need that instant gratification.....Rather than the 21 day waiting game......Plus, I just have a small backyard flock. At one time, I thought I might like to concentrate on a specific breed, but now I think I'd rather just have my egglayers.

I have a rooster, but I don't particularily like the wear and tear he puts on the girls. There are nine hens to the one rooster, and I don't think he's terribly rough on them, but he does pull out some neck feathers.....I like my hens to look pretty!

Pretty hens, a beautiful garden......I'm discovering that's what I like......

 

[Happy Chooks]

Hatches where you have to cull chicks are awful.

But there are happy parts of hatching as well. My last hatch I didn't expect anything from as the eggs went through 3 power outages from days 10-13. I figured I'd be lucky to get a couple of chicks. To my surprise, I ended up with 23 healthy chicks.

I have had much better hatch rates since I bought the Brinsea Spot Check Thermometer. It's super accurate, and I found that I was incubating 5 degrees too low before I got it.

 

[kla37]

I think I may like to try hatching, under a broody hen!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
That is the best way to go. I have never owned an incubator and at time I envy those that have incubators. But when I begin to read posts that talk about humidy, temperature and moisture problems with incubators, I am immediately thankful to my broody hens that do an superb job at hatching for me. I love my broody hens!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Be careful with chickens from the auctions, a lot of people use those as a venue to 'unload' their sick birds.

 

[theberlinfam]

I can not WAIT to have a broody to set my eggs for me! I am so disappointed with hatching via incubators. It's fun for the kids bit very disappointing when you only get a 50% hatch rate at best

So now just waiting for my chicks to grow up and do it for me!!