BYC's 2025 Spooktacular Halloween Hatch-Along

[redinator]

Thank you Redinator!!!

Hi all, I’d love to join! I decided last night to hatch for the first time ever today. I got the incubator set up and going early this morning just gotta make the final decision of what I’m putting in it.

How many will the incubator hold? How many chicks can you handle in a winter hatch?

Keep in mind your climate and whether or not you have space to keep them warm if the weather turns bad before they're fully feathered.

 

[redinator]

Yay!! Can't wait to see what you decide! I won't be in time for this one, but I'll be getting my incubator and hatching my first eggs pretty soon as well.

There's still Thanksgiving, Christmas/New Years, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day . . . . you get the idea, lol.

 

[redinator]

Real chicken math: 3 weeks to hatch, 6 weeks till fully feathered . . . that's 9 weeks . . . December 12th. They can go out before then, but they'll need a heat source and warm dry place to hunker down in colder climates.

 

[Rooski456]

How many will the incubator hold? How many chicks can you handle in a winter hatch?

Keep in mind your climate and whether or not you have space to keep them warm if the weather turns bad before they're fully feathered.

Incubator will hold 30. I am thinking of doing 20. I can do all 20 if I need to. Realistically looking to keep around 5-10 long term. I figured between first time incubating, and weeding out the boys it’s a good starting point.

 

[Rooski456]

Real chicken math: 3 weeks to hatch, 6 weeks till fully feathered . . . that's 9 weeks . . . December 12th. They can go out before then, but they'll need a heat source and warm dry place to hunker down in colder climates.

I made the new chicken owner mistake of keeping them inside much longer than I needed to the first time so we’re totally prepared for that haha.

 

[redinator]

Incubator will hold 30. I am thinking of doing 20. I can do all 20 if I need to. Realistically looking to keep around 5-10 long term. I figured between first time incubating, and weeding out the boys it’s a good starting point.

What breeds do you have?

 

[redinator]

I made the new chicken owner mistake of keeping them inside much longer than I needed to the first time so we’re totally prepared for that haha.

My first chicks stayed in until they were 6 weeks. I only had 5 from that hatch, so it wasn't too bad. The weather last year was unseasonably cold for our climate. They hatched in February and didn't get moved outside permanently until mid-April.

 

[Rooski456]

What breeds do you have?

My boys are Easter egger, and barred rock. My girls are 2 Easter eggers, 2 buff Orpington, silver laced Wyandotte, olive egger, black australorp, light Brahma, Plymouth blue, and sapphire sky. We are going to have a big old mess of BYM

 

[Rooski456]

Ok picked 20 eggs to put in. My Wyandotte’s eggs are slightly smaller. Will those two be an issue or do any others stand out as something I need to pull?

 

[redinator]

My boys are Easter egger, and barred rock. My girls are 2 Easter eggers, 2 buff Orpington, silver laced Wyandotte, olive egger, black australorp, light Brahma, Plymouth blue, and sapphire sky. We are going to have a big old mess of BYM

I love the surprises of BYMs. You seriously have no idea what's coming out of the eggs.