Hatch-Along - Setting eggs this weekend (Jan5/6) WHOS WITH ME!

[SarahJaneB]

I'm a day late on setting the eggs but I just bought an incubator

(I'm still building one out of an old dishwasher but it was taking time so that is still a work in progress for me) very exciting. I set 18 australorp eggs from my flock of 13. This is a test hatch and my first ever hatch

Though I've already warned my nephews that since these were stored wrong (in the fridge

) that chances are low on hatchability but I've read on here of people hatching their eggs they've stored in the fridge before so i'm hoping. Getting this humidity figured out is driving me crazy!! Buutttt I wanted to join in!!

hi guys!

 

[fisherlady]

I think we're all still here because if we weren't, we'd be staring into our incubators, waiting for something to happen. My BF used to called my old bator the "hover-bator".

OMG... guess we aren't so strange then.... we got a video system (one of those home security kind with night vision) and now have it installed in the coop with one camera aimed at Gracie's brooder box so we can keep track of anything she is doing! They are wireless now with a range of 300-500 ft (depending on price/company) so it is more feasible than they ever used to be. This one allows us to hook it up through the TV if we want...

 

[fisherlady]

Welcome SarahJaneB... we just joined in also, better late than never!

 

[Sparkyfam]

I've ordered the Brinsea candler so will take pix on day 7 of the cream Legbars! I sure would appreciate the feedback. I'm really pleased the temp and RH have been continually stable. One thing I need to do when I candle is to number the eggs and keep notes. Should hv done that from the outset.

Me too! I took out a couple of my eggs, just to make sure I had a good air sack, they seemed attached, so I started turning them. Couldn't see any veins, but it was only day 2.5... Now i wish I had weighed them.

 

[Conchis]

Yeah, I gotta make notes. Number eggs, weigh eggs. Both things that I forgot to do. I've numbered them, but I didn't weigh them. Maybe I'll weigh them at day 7 when I candle, but handling them any more than necessary seems scary too. More manipulations equal more chances to drop one.

 

[chicken pickin]

WOW so much avtivity while I was sleeping! I loved waking up to 5 pages to read

. This thread is going great and you all have such great info. Welcome to all the hatchers that just joined us. I am very excited for the broody that joined also as are many others. Ive been wanting to add a silkie and you might just give me that extra push

Thanks(any excuse to add a chicken right!?).

 

[fisherlady]

WOW so much avtivity while I was sleeping! I loved waking up to 5 pages to read

. This thread is going great and you all have such great info. Welcome to all the hatchers that just joined us. I am very excited for the broody that joined also as are many others. Ive been wanting to add a silkie and you might just give me that extra push

Thanks(any excuse to add a chicken right!?).

any reason is a good reason!!

 

[Conchis]

So, for the folks using broody hens, do they ever decide to stop being broody part of the way through the hatch? If they do, is it more likely when they are young or not? I think it would be great to do this process naturally and I can't wait to see how this works out for you.

 

[chicken pickin]

Im really hoping at least one of my girls goes broody this spring. My Marans Rooster is only 14 weeks so we have lots of time before he can get those eggs ready but I would love to see a broody chicken hatch out babies. Im really hoping my Japanese pullet will hatch some she is so tiny and cute i think it be adorable to see her with chicks. The main reason I got into hatching was because of my turkeys I wanted an incubator just incase my turkey hens dont go broody or arent good setters or mothers. Im a little nervous to let them try though. I might need to build them a seperate brooding area so the toms dont bother them.

 

[fisherlady]

So, for the folks using broody hens, do they ever decide to stop being broody part of the way through the hatch? If they do, is it more likely when they are young or not? I think it would be great to do this process naturally and I can't wait to see how this works out for you.

This is my first time with a broody hen so can't speak from personal experience. From reading up on it in books and on here though the answer is 'yes'... they can 'go off the nest' sometimes, though it is the exception. It is more likely that they will accidently mess up by going back to the wrong nest after being out for one of their breaks.. This happens when there are multiple nest boxes nearby and other hens lay in those boxes. It seems that hens are a bit challenged when it comes to remembering which nest is theirs... it isn't always that way, but can happen.
We are really hoping it works out ok for us!