BYC's 2026 Valentine's Day Hatch-Along

[Debbie292d]

BYC's 2026 Valentine's Day Hatch-Along
Hatch Date: February 14.
​

It’s that time again! Every year, members from all over the world come together to set eggs so they hatch on the exact same day—Valentine’s Day, February 14. If you’re new to hatching, this is a great way to get plenty of help, tips, and advice while hatching alongside the BYC community.

Spoiler: Set Dates

Type of Egg	Days to Hatch	Set Dates
Emu	49 - 55	December 21 to December 27
Muscovy duck	35	January 10
Goose	28 - 32	January 13 to January 17
Pheasant	22 - 29	January 16 to January 23
Mallard (derived) duck, goose,	28	January 17
Turkey, Guinea, Peafowl	28	January 17
Call duck and other bantam ducks	26	January 19
Bobwhite quail	23	January 22
Seramas other small bantams	19 - 21	January 24 to January 26
Chickens	21	January 24
Pigeons	17 - 19	January 26 to January 28
Coturnix quail	18	January 27
Doves	14 - 16	January 29 to January 31
Button quail	16	January 29

Set Chicken eggs on Saturday, January 24th, at Noon (whatever time zone you are in). Other poultry set dates are listed in the spoiler & table above. To join the hatch-along, simply post in this thread that you wish to enter, and we will add you! Set dates for each type of domestic fowl are listed above.

This is our main chat thread for the hatch-along, where you can find anything from new friends, and awesome incubation help, to the most detailed educational discussions possible, and how could we forget the laughter and fun!

This post of the hatch-along will be updated as we move along with all the important information you will need, but if you find yourself with a question, just post it on the thread, everyone is helpful!

If you end up not setting any eggs, please let us know! It makes it easier for our record-keeping, and we don't have to try to track you down!

Places to find hatching eggs:​

• Chicken Hatching Eggs
• The NEW Crazy 24hr AUCTION thread
• Just In Time Hatching Egg AUCTION and BIN Thread

Incubation, Hatching, & Baby Chick Threads​

• Incubating & Hatching Eggs
• Raising Baby Chicks

Educational hatching articles:​

• The Beginner's Guide to Incubation
• Incubation Humidity
• Development of a Chicken Embryo Day by Day
• Candling Pics Progression Through Incubation Of Chicken Eggs
• Incubating And Hatching Muscovy Eggs
• Egg failure to hatch - Diagnosing incubation problems
• Guide to Assisted Hatching for All Poultry
• How To Incubate Hatch Eggs Using The Dry Incubation Method
• Fixing Curled Toes With Tape - Picture Tutorial and Video

All of the contests are held in separate threads. To enter each contest, you must visit each contest thread, read the rules, and enter the contest. See post #2 for the current contest lineup!​

 

[Debbie292d]

Who says that Valentine's Day can't be for poultry, pets, & livestock?!

Love is in the air here at BYC, and we just had to offer some contests to show how much we care! There is a contest for everyone and lots of prizes too!

The 14th of February is Valentine's Day, a day when we celebrate love and friendship. Besides being romantic for couples, it is a fun event for kids, families, and friends. Come check out the hatch-along and contests, there's fun to be had and great prizes to be won!

2026 Valentine's Day Hatch-Along and Contests
Click on a picture or link to view!


BYC's 2026 Valentine's Day Hatch-Along


Cutest Couples Photo Contest—Poultry Edition


Cutest Couples Photo Contest—"Other Critter" Edition


Some Poultry Are Red, Some Are Blue, But Let's Not Forget, They Can Be Barred Too!


Wattle I Do Without You?​

 

[casportpony]

I'm in!

 

[casportpony]

 

[redinator]

I have some I already set yesterday . . . and some I ordered that haven't arrived. I'm happy to add them if it's allowed.

 

[casportpony]

I have some I already set yesterday . . . and some I ordered that haven't arrived. I'm happy to add them if it's allowed.

You bet!

 

[redinator]

In the 1st incubator 6 Buff Orpington eggs and 5 Lavender Ameraucana eggs.

The second incubator has 4 Black Tailed Red Marans eggs and 5 Crele Penedesenca eggs

I set these eggs yesterday so today is day 1. I plan to candle the lighter eggs and sniff the darker eggs on days 10 and 17. They'll be due to hatch on the 30th-31st of January.

I'm still waiting on Cream Legbar eggs, but the seller has a wait list.

 

[Sefirothe]

I might be in if my hatch rate on the current coturnix in my incubator really stinks. And if I can get new eggs in time. My current ones are due to hatch on the 20th so I should get a better idea then.

 

[Debbie292d]

We calibrated seven hygrometer/thermometers today.

If you haven't calibrated yours this year, here's one way how:

For temperature, put your device in a sealed Ziplock bag. Then fill a large bowl with ice, crushed ice is best if you have it. Fill it almost to the top with water and stir it around. Toss your device in there. It could take several minutes, but it should eventually read 32°F.

For the hygrometer (humidity), take a soda or water bottle cap and fill it with salt. Then add a bit of water so it's saturated, but not super wet. Put that cap in a zip-lock bag with your Govee. Wait a couple of minutes, and it should read 75%.

If you have a Govee and its readings are off, to calibrate, hit the settings icon and scroll down, and you should get to where you can +/- each setting. These usually aren't off or off by very much.

If you have a large temperature variance, I'd double-check with something else. Some cooking thermometers or medical ones will work for this.

If you find yours is off, and you aren't able to calibrate it, you can still use it by writing on it with a Sharpie or using a sticky note. If it should read 32F, but after half an hour it's reading 33F, I'll write -1. That tells me if I'm looking at it in an incubator, to subtract 1 degree from what it's reading.

 

[Debbie292d]

In the 1st incubator 6 Buff Orpington eggs and 5 Lavender Ameraucana eggs.
View attachment 4281102
The second incubator has 4 Black Tailed Red Marans eggs and 5 Crele Penedesenca eggs
View attachment 4281103

I set these eggs yesterday so today is day 1. I plan to candle the lighter eggs and sniff the darker eggs on days 10 and 17. They'll be due to hatch on the 30th-31st of January.

I'm still waiting on Cream Legbar eggs, but the seller has a wait list.

I had to look up Crele Penedesenca and they sure look neat and have very dark eggs. What drew you to them if I can ask?