Arizona Chickens

[MagicChicken]

Hi guys!! Haven't been on here for a while

! Anyways, I want to hatch out one last batch of chicks before it gets too cold. So, I was wondering if you guys could let me know what the best incubators you guys of had/ heard of. The last one that I had was this crappy one that I got off craigslist that hatched only three out of 21 eggs (and they all were fertile). Thanks!

I use two Genesis Hovabators (model 1588, which has a large viewing window, digital controls, and an air-circulating fan). One for incubating and another for hatching. I have an automatic turner for the incubator. It holds 40+ eggs with the turner. It is not perfect but it works pretty well for me. I tend to do small hatches every 7-10 days during breeding season. With this system I can have two or three sets of eggs in various stages in the incubator simultaneously.

I divide the hatcher into compartments so I can hatch from different crosses at the same time without mixing up the chicks. I made the dividers out of plastic needlepoint mesh "stitched" together with zip ties.

Good luck!

 

[cyborg]

Well, I have 2 relentlessly broody Ameraucana hens, so this morning I gave up, and put some real eggs under them (BCM and Ameraucana). They are not laying anyway, so I decided to give them something a little more productive than ceramic eggs!

 

[DesertChic]

Well, I have 2 relentlessly broody Ameraucana hens, so this morning I gave up, and put some real eggs under them (BCM and Ameraucana). They are not laying anyway, so I decided to give them something a little more productive than ceramic eggs!

LOL! You sound like me! One of my White Rocks persisted in being broody even after a month of me trying to break her, so I gave her some eggs, enjoyed her very successful hatch, and am now learning a great deal from this amazing little Momma. I just wish she'd let me handle the chicks a bit though. As soon as I show up to refresh their food and water she calls her babies over to the corner of the pen or takes them outside until I leave.

 

[cyborg]

LOL! You sound like me! One of my White Rocks persisted in being broody even after a month of me trying to break her, so I gave her some eggs, enjoyed her very successful hatch, and am now learning a great deal from this amazing little Momma. I just wish she'd let me handle the chicks a bit though. As soon as I show up to refresh their food and water she calls her babies over to the corner of the pen or takes them outside until I leave. :/

Well, I moved them into a separate nursery pen, and put the eggs in nice clean nesting boxes. So far, they are ignoring them, and want out of the nursery pen.

 

[moms3cuties]

For those of you who have used broodies to hatch and raise chicks, at what age does Momma deem them old enough to "let go"? 

my cuckoo Maran let them go at about I'm going to say maybe two or so months old.

 

[moms3cuties]

LOL! You sound like me! One of my White Rocks persisted in being broody even after a month of me trying to break her, so I gave her some eggs, enjoyed her very successful hatch, and am now learning a great deal from this amazing little Momma. I just wish she'd let me handle the chicks a bit though. As soon as I show up to refresh their food and water she calls her babies over to the corner of the pen or takes them outside until I leave. :/

Well, I moved them into a separate nursery pen, and put the eggs in nice clean nesting boxes. So far, they are ignoring them, and want out of the nursery pen.

oh no that's terrible, what are you going to do now? Are you just going to wait to see what they do?... Now just maybe this is the way to break their Broodiness!!

 

[cyborg]

oh no that's terrible, what are you going to do now? Are you just going to wait to see what they do?... Now just maybe this is the way to break their Broodiness!!

For now, just wait and see what they do.

 

[DesertChic]

Well, I moved them into a separate nursery pen, and put the eggs in nice clean nesting boxes. So far, they are ignoring them, and want out of the nursery pen.

Yep! Mind did the same thing. As soon as I released her from the nursery pen she jumped back into her favorite nesting box and went back to trying to hatch that dang golf ball. I finally left her there, provided the rest of her flock with another nesting box, and put fertile eggs under her. Then, once they all hatched I moved the new family into the nursery pen, where they've been living happily for over a week now.

 

[cyborg]

Yep! Mind did the same thing. As soon as I released her from the nursery pen she jumped back into her favorite nesting box and went back to trying to hatch that dang golf ball. I finally left her there, provided the rest of her flock with another nesting box, and put fertile eggs under her. Then, once they all hatched I moved the new family into the nursery pen, where they've been living happily for over a week now. 

Hmmm, and I just rearranged all the nesting boxes this morning.

 

[Sill]

@Sill
Congradulations on your new badge!!! You deserve it!! You are such a great help on BYC!!

Thank you! I spend most of my time here in the quail part of the forum helping out people but this thread feels more like home.

I use two Genesis Hovabators (model 1588, which has a large viewing window, digital controls, and an air-circulating fan). One for incubating and another for hatching. I have an automatic turner for the incubator. It holds 40+ eggs with the turner. It is not perfect but it works pretty well for me. I tend to do small hatches every 7-10 days during breeding season. With this system I can have two or three sets of eggs in various stages in the incubator simultaneously.

I divide the hatcher into compartments so I can hatch from different crosses at the same time without mixing up the chicks. I made the dividers out of plastic needlepoint mesh "stitched" together with zip ties.

Good luck!

Great idea! I love finding out what others do to keep hatches identified.