FEBRUARY Hatch-A-Long 2015:Please Read First Post To Join H-A-L

[bekkanblue]

Hi All! Thanks for the add! I set my first eggs ever last night, 5 Norwegian Jaerhons and 2 at-least-half Iowa Blues. Now I have 2 more NJ eggs today so may squeeze them in. Or just buy another incubator. <sigh> I got a small one to keep myself from going crazy hatching but it's not going to work! I'm staring at them sitting there, dropping everything to go watch when I hear the turner come on, it's kind of sad in a newbie-hyper-excited sort of way. : ) Here's hoping something hatches!

 

[Purpletie3]

Hi All! Thanks for the add! I set my first eggs ever last night, 5 Norwegian Jaerhons and 2 at-least-half Iowa Blues. Now I have 2 more NJ eggs today so may squeeze them in. Or just buy another incubator. <sigh> I got a small one to keep myself from going crazy hatching but it's not going to work! I'm staring at them sitting there, dropping everything to go watch when I hear the turner come on, it's kind of sad in a newbie-hyper-excited sort of way. : ) Here's hoping something hatches!

Congrats and welcome to the hatch thread! Hopefully, you will fall in love with the incubation process. It gets better each time...

 

[Orpington Crazy]

I don't know what is going on.... I lost the first 25 eggs due to low fertility and a power outage so I set another batch and low and behold the power goes out for another 6hours. luckily I was home the entire time as everyone was getting switched to the new power meters and someone had to be home. When they switched everyone's back on our it blew a transformer and ta da 6 hours later they finally fixed the problem. Sunday I shall know if this batch is done for or not. I did manage to keep the incubator at 85 the entire time so here is hoping.

Sorry about ranting we have not had a power outage that lasted more than an hour in years then in under five days we have two GRRRR.

 

[Orpington Crazy]

Welcome @bekkanblue

 

[minihorse927]

Mama Saxony duck has been brooding for a couple of days, and is still laying.    She is up to 10 eggs now.
I'm a little concerned that her hatch will be spread out so much that she may leave the nest with what babies she hatches over the course of a day or two, and leaves some viable ones behind.  When I candle next week I can hopefully get a feel for whether or not they are all developing at similar rates.  I will definitely fire up my incubator on lockdown mode when the first of the eggs pip, so I have a backup if mom decides to head out with half a brood... Just in case.... (Also, I don't quite know what to do with myself when I'm not the one incubating - feeling somewhat inadequate...)

She is very aggressive about defending her nest, and I'm also trying to formulate a game plan for getting the eggs out from under her at night to candle without getting bitten... 

gotta love a broody duck mama. They are always so protective. I put gloves on, thick leather ones, if I need to handle mama duck while trying to check eggs. I can pick her up this way without having to get pinched 50 times.

 

[minihorse927]

I don't know what is going on.... I lost the first 25 eggs due to low fertility and a power outage so I set another batch and low and behold the power goes out for another 6hours. luckily I was home the entire time as everyone was getting switched to the new power meters and someone had to be home. When they switched everyone's back on our it blew a transformer and ta da 6 hours later they finally fixed the problem. Sunday I shall know if this batch is done for or not. I did manage to keep the incubator at 85 the entire time so here is hoping.

Sorry about ranting we have not had a power outage that lasted more than an hour in years then in under five days we have two GRRRR.

always can count on the electric company, can't you? If it was 85° the whole time I don't think you have anything to worry about. They might hatch 12 to 24 hours later than they should but should be ok. Are you having any better fertility this time around?

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

gotta love a broody duck mama. They are always so protective. I put gloves on, thick leather ones, if I need to handle mama duck while trying to check eggs. I can pick her up this way without having to get pinched 50 times.

They bite hard too! This one has a temper. She was angry with my daughter and took it out on me once.... She loves the tender flesh on your arms - leaves quite the bruise! She goes after the mop when I clean the floor around her nest box. I can't get within a foot of the opening before that snapping head extends out and attacks the mop head!

 

[minihorse927]

They bite hard too! This one has a temper. She was angry with my daughter and took it out on me once.... She loves the tender flesh on your arms - leaves quite the bruise! She goes after the mop when I clean the floor around her nest box. I can't get within a foot of the opening before that snapping head extends out and attacks the mop head!

lol, there isn't anything gonna get her eggs!

 

[hausfrau77]

Hi guys! I have some pretty RIR (8large5banty) going into lockdown February 1st, due to hatch on the 4th. I am hatching these for donation to my kids 4h chicken auction.

 

[emvickrey]

I'm working on aquaring some pure english orps. So far I have some lavender that will be shipped on monday. Some others I haven't decided which color I want will be shipped when I finally decide. I figure if I'm gonna have chickens for our own personal egg use they may as well be pretty ones. I'm leaning towards motled or reds