First Timer hatching eggs- started them 3/21 -

[luvmychixandducks]

I bought three dozen barnyard mixes to see if this used incubator still operates. Originally contacted a BYC member to see about getting some BLRW eggs, but just didn't want to learn on rare breed embryos. If we make it to the end and have a successful hatch, I'll be more inclined to gamble on the $24. per dozen eggs, and I won't feel as bad as I would have if I destroyed three dozen BLRW embryos. Not that crossbreeds are any less entitled to be hatched, but the difference between $8.00 and $72.00 is significant.
The three dozen I did get were a mix of brown eggs and green- so maybe I'll have some Ameraucana's (mixed) to raise for the summer. As well as a lot of surprises. Had to drive out of state to get the eggs- to avoid mailing/handling issues.
Read everything I could find here- but there's no substitute for hands on experience.
After our County Fair, a poultry auction is held to benefit the kids at the local Aggie School, and the FFA projects are funded by the proceeds of the auction- so I'll have an incentive to raise them to laying age, then contribute to the education of some deserving high schoolers.
I buy up used cages at yard sales, and they are always in demand at the poultry auction. The kids are so helpful and consigners always receive a nice thank you letter from the school, informing us how well the auction did as a fundraiser.
Never figured retirement would be so interesting.
As long as I can stay under the radar of Animal control, I'll be OK. The zoning line is two houses away- my neighbors can have horses, goats, poultry, etc. but I am in an excluded zone. It hurts to be so close yet so illegal.
I even got muscovy ducks, because they are quackless.
Moving is not an option- our family has lived here since 1873.
So if I get nabbed, I'll rehome the chicks to a neighbor on the other side of the street, so they'll be legal again.

 

[paddock36]

They are not chickens.....they are Asian Ground Parrots! Parrots aren't illegal

 

[luvmychixandducks]

Thanks paddock36 - for the encouraging words and the great one liner.
Would I be "grandfathered" in with chickens If I could prove my grandfather had them when he grew up here as a boy ?
I could get mom to verify they were still here when she was growing up here.
She's 86, but would back me if I had to plead my case to zoning board.
(My great uncle did actually raise budgerigars in the back yard, where I have my duck pen. He had hundreds, where I have only four.)

 

[BunsNChicks]

Just make sure you are good to your neighbors and then maybe you won't have a problem....our neighbor turned us into code enforcement...they thought we had turned them in for cock fighting and we hadn't (our other neighbor did!).

 

[luvmychixandducks]

Our town is sensitive to this issue right now... a family who had chickens for eight years , and lived next door to the Agricultural School, ended up on the front page of the paper for having a rooster.
A neighbor complained, and even though only the rooster was the issue, the zoning board put the whole backyard chicken issue up for review.
No follow up story, so perhaps the neighbors agreed to look the other way if the rooster disappeared - but the zoning folks probably wouldn't be as forgiving.
Grandfathering is the issue here also... if the family can prove chickens were there prior to zoning change, they can keep them.

 

[chadr7850]

I started some chicken eggs the 1st of march and they were due yesterday but none hatched and none did today I saw growth when candled do you think that they just need a little longer or died how long should I wait in till breaking them open to see inside? Thanks

 

[chadr7850]

Quote:
Any idea on my question

 

[luvmychixandducks]

You're asking the wrong guy...
This is the first time for me and not going like I had planned. Got temp and humidity pretty well set but auto egg turner motor was not functional on used equipment, and I did not notice without eggs present.
Now I have to get replacement motor as well as turn eggs by hand until replacement can be found.
All this assuming the eggs are not dead from not being turned for the first 48 hours, when instrucrtions were NOT TO OPEN INCUBATOR FOR FIRST 48 HOURS.
If I just unplug the turner, lack of motor heat will drop temp below 97.
I think I'll try to settle an old incubator with no turner at all and use that until the replacement motorcan be bought and installed.
Hopefully the eggs will survive the transfer. It's not easy being mama chicken.

 

[luvmychixandducks]

UPDATE:
Moved the eggs to an old Hoverbator that I got settled quickly. Since I am turning the eggs by hand, I marked the eggs with the classic x and 0 and turned off the original incubator . Found a company on internet with a replacement motor in stock and submitted order/mailed payment.
So if USPS does its thing I'll have the original motor turned eggs setup back and running the beginning of next week- so I'm not totally joined at the hip to 36 little dependents.

Update 2 :
The motor arrived Friday am via FED EX and all eggs have been transferred back to original bator with auto egg turner.
Much more efficient and more user friendly arrangement.

Now... waiting for Monday to candle and clear out non-fertiles.