Anyone starting a hatch today?

[Hennyhandler]

Ohhh, I WISH these eggs were under a broody hen. That seems to take all the responsibility off of you at least. If they were in the 'bator' your OCD would totally kick in-mine has! I'm checking the temp (from the window) every 5 minutes. And I have 3 weeks to go!

I am the same way!! I am checking constantly. Has the temps changed? What is the humidity? Is the turner working? What is it now? I am just constantly going. Sad thing is, I am driving myself insane!

Having a broody would be easier since she has ALL the work but it is fun to try it myself. Besides the fact I think my stress level is out the roof. No biggie, right?
If I was you cali chick I would go 99 to 100 if it is a still air incubator but as this is my first time... don't know if you should really believe me. LOL!

 

[Wingsfan]

I'd love to join you. We started 13 BBS Marans on Wednesday night and have 7 more to add today. I also have 15 Basque eggs coming next week to go with some local Aracuna / Americana eggs my daughter will have from her teacher. This is our first hatch this year.

 

[Hennyhandler]

Wingsfan, You have hatched before?

There are lots of people that do staggered hatches but I just don't know if I could do that. At least not right now.

 

[lemuckley_flock]

I promise you, as you all are checking your incubators I'm walking down and putting my ear on the outside of her broody coop, listening to see if I can tell if she's off the nest or stealing my dh's 'mirror on a bendy stick' that he has for work and snaking it in to see if she's sitting contentedly. She went broody close to two weeks ago, and when we were offered the eggs we decided to pull her out of the big coop and put her on a new nest with fake eggs - we did that Wednesday evening. I think she's decided that she WILL hatch in the new nest, especially once I started popping eggs in front of her. If a chicken every got bug-eyed she did, lol! I've checked her two or three times and she's all fluffed over them, sitting happy, totally in the Zone. But instead of obsessing about temps and humidity I'm obsessing over how often she wants off the nest, is she eating/drinking enough, etc. I think the OCD gets us either way!

 

[Hennyhandler]

Oh, I am sure, lemuckley. I too would be worried that she was getting off too much or then if she was on it too much I would worry she wasn't going to get enough nutrients. Or that she might abandon them.

I guess if you do it you worry about what you have or will mess up but if she does it you worry about what SHE will mess up? Gosh, the whole process is a stressful event, isn't it?

Mine are still clucking along. I know that the eggs are supposed to be 99 degrees and so the still air should be 101.5 in the incubator. I have the probe down in one of the egg cups and it reads 100 and I also have the thermometer that has the probe in a ceramic egg and it reads 101. DO you think this would be ok? I am trying to not worry and let it do it's thing but...

 

[CowgirlJules]

I had a broody hen last year, but the first thing I knew about it was seeing her pop up in the compost pile with fifteen babies with her. I hadn't even noticed her missing (I have rather a lot of chickens.) She had hidden the nest in some garden debris, and at least three hens had been laying in it. There were six or seven duds left in it too, so I know she was busy trying to keep them all warm! She was a very good mama too.

That was the way to go, no stress at all. Of course, they weren't my breeders, but it was fun.

I just checked, and now I have four pips, and some chirping coming from the bator. I've spent the last hour getting my brooders all set up.

Oh! And now I'm going to be setting some Midget White turkey eggs with tomorrow's chickens. I pick the eggs up tonight. Should be fun, I've never hatched turkeys.

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

One of my silkie hens has gone broody yesterday, today someone gave her another egg (makes two). Since it is so cold out I am unsure of how many will fit under her and how many I really want to chance with her.

I have silkies due next tues, turkeys due next week and then in two weeks I have more silkies, in three weeks more turkeys

I am a bit crazy!

 

[Hennyhandler]

Congratulations Cowgirl!! I can't wait till mine get to pop out of the shell.

And I thought I was doing good with 4 silkie eggs. You are popping those things out, mommyofthree!!

Do turkeys have to stay in the bator longer?

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

Congratulations!! I can't wait till mine get to pop out of the shell. My, you are going to be pretty busy, huh? But it sure is fun to do. Do turkeys have to stay in the bator longer?

Turkeys take 28 days, or 4 weeks. I keep putting them in with the chicken eggs which is why I have such a hectic staggering in the hatches. This is the first time I am attempting it! Hopefully I can just put the turkey eggs into the second incubator while the silkies are hatching!

 

[Hennyhandler]

That is awesome! Have you hatched silkies before?