Hello all,
Over the last few monts I have taken the dive I to raising my own birds. Due to location and bylaws, I decided on raising Quail, though chicken would have been my preferred.
I have a cage set up in my garage with 3 tiers that are 3'x18"x1', each being about 4.5sqf per.
I am just finishing up my first hatch: I ordered 36 mixed variety eggs, got 38 in the shipment. Unfortunately my incubator only holds 35, so I sorted through, took the largest, and what seemed best quality ones for hatching.
I started my process with an Amazon incubator, though, one that had decent reviews, and waited.
When I went to lockdown, I Candled, and had 31 eggs that had developed.
Starting this past Saturday (day 17) I got my first hatch, then nothing else for about 24 hours. The next day, about mid afternoon, the mass hatch began.
As of today (Tuesday- day 20) I have hatched 22/31 eggs. The remaining nine, I float tested, and found 5 that seemed active. They are still in the incubator and a couple are currenrly pipping.
Sadly, I have also lost 3 chicks. 1 died on its own, and 2 had to be euthanized for various reasons in order to end suffering.
I have also, in this time, have rescued a chick from our cat that opened the incubator (chick is doing fine), had to help 2 chicks hatch (which seem to be doing fantastic), one of which had curled feet but was zooming around..... little napoleon... half the size of everyone else but is getting in their faces and throwing his weight around
(UPDATE** feet have flattened out), and help another chick that got splay-leg (he is also doing very well and is running around like the rest of them).
It has been a whirlwind adventure thus far, and I am only just beginning.
All in all, so far, I am sitting at about 60% hatch rate on shipped eggs, which, for. First timer, I feel is pretty decent. I must also note, the eggs were shipped in temperatures close to -20°C. Precautions were made in the ordering, which cost me some money, but I think the result shows.
Between family members that have chickens and quail and have had experience with hatching before, as well as answers from this forum, I have been well informed.
Make yourself at home here and welcome aboard!
