Beginner's Hatch-A-Long

[dutchbunny83]

I used to live in Fayettville and then Ft Bragg. There are rural areas all around there outside of the city and no one was selling fertile eggs? I guess it has grown up a lot since I left in 1994.

Nope! Even went to the flock swaps and looked on craigslist. All I could find were super expensive duck eggs and I have no desire to raise ducks.

After I already had my mail order eggs we went to a chicken auction, and they had some hatching eggs but my batch was already half way through.
We did get a couple adult birds, who ended up getting my entire flock infectious coryza because my quarantine wasn't good enough so no more chicken auctions for me!!!!

Either way I've had 11 out of 24 hatch, so I think that's a pretty good ratio for mail order eggs and a first hatch. (Honestly at some points I doubted I'd have any hatch since all 3 thermometers were giving different temps and my humidity has been through the roof).

Haha only problem is I had a dozen barnyard mixes and a dozen more expensive Olive Eggers and the majority decided to hatch at night so some of them I can't tell who is who!!!

 

[DavidKerk]

Hey how long do you guys keep yours in the bator before going into the brooder?

Someone on BYC told me they could be in there up to 48 hours.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Okay thanks!
I ended up taking mine out since they were crashing all the other eggs around in there and kept getting super close to the heating element.
I waited about 8 hours until they were dry and fluffy, then put them in my bathroom with an infrared heatlamp brooder.
I ran the shower to get up the humidity.
So far they're looking good....

We had 10 hatch, #11 is working it's way out.
The other's I don't think will hatch.

 

[SA Farm]

I have two pips this morning! I'm so excited and my niece is coming for the weekend, so it'll be great for her to see some babies hatching!

 

[DavidKerk]

Okay thanks!
I ended up taking mine out since they were crashing all the other eggs around in there and kept getting super close to the heating element.
I waited about 8 hours until they were dry and fluffy, then put them in my bathroom with an infrared heatlamp brooder.
I ran the shower to get up the humidity.
So far they're looking good....

We had 10 hatch, #11 is working it's way out.
The other's I don't think will hatch.

I have two pips this morning! I'm so excited and my niece is coming for the weekend, so it'll be great for her to see some babies hatching!

Nice!

 

[wolfandfinch]

I'm a little late to ths game but I'm on day 5 of my first hatch. I'm doing it for the school for my son's kindergarten class. We're not legally allowed to hatch them at home. We have 24 eggs that I got from some people on craigslist. They're a mix of crossed wyandotte, buff orpington, lavender orpington, blue laced orpington. I got to buy all the gear for the hatch including the incubator, feed, feeders, egg turner, heat lamp, pellets etc. for the preschool which my daughter was in. We got a grant for it. Anyway that means we'll be doing it again in the fall or so for the preschool kids.

So, in 2 weeks I'm going to have a bunch of chicks! I'm going to candle them today as I won't be able to access the school on day 6. When they hatch, however many I have, I'm putting them into a brooder made out of a dog crate and a heat lamp. I'm going to put cardboard along the sides so they can't escape. Then I'll have a bunch of chicks I need to deal with, eek! I'm furiously building my coop that I've been planning for 3 years so I can keep seven. I think they'll stay at the school for a week then I'll bring them home and keep them in the house until they're showing some real feathers, then put them in the coop. As soon as I can sex them I'll sell all the males at the auction in the closest farm suburb. The females I'll keep 7 of, then give any others to any other parents who want them and whatever are left I'll try to trade for the next batch of fertile eggs. I have a couple people interested in that.

I'm probably in for a world of hurt looking after all these chickens. ACK!

 

[mariama]

I'm a little late to ths game but I'm on day 5 of my first hatch. I'm doing it for the school for my son's kindergarten class. We're not legally allowed to hatch them at home. We have 24 eggs that I got from some people on craigslist.

Hello!

How would anyone know if you were hatching them at home? (Sorry if it's a stupid question.)

 

[mariama]

So, a miracle occurred and at about 9:30am, there was a small pip in one of the eggs. I was amazed since we had terrible temperature fluctuations and are working with a homemade incubator.

Justin Peeper, as my 'tweens' have named him, was born at about 3pm, and there is pipping in one other egg since this afternoon.

 

[DavidKerk]

So, a miracle occurred and at about 9:30am, there was a small pip in one of the eggs. I was amazed since we had terrible temperature fluctuations and are working with a homemade incubator.

Justin Peeper, as my 'tweens' have named him, was born at about 3pm, and there is pipping in one other egg since this afternoon.

Great!

 

[ivyrash]

So, a miracle occurred and at about 9:30am, there was a small pip in one of the eggs. I was amazed since we had terrible temperature fluctuations and are working with a homemade incubator.

Justin Peeper, as my 'tweens' have named him, was born at about 3pm, and there is pipping in one other egg since this afternoon.

Congrats!