Hatchers Anonymous *Official Thread*

[ga_goat]

Hi my name is Ray and i'm a hatchaholic , have 58 chickens , 20 or so in the brooder , 42 in one of the incubators , built a hatcher today because the eggs are scattered with 9 coming off early , am working on 3 rd incubator , but I don;t need help , I can quit anytime I want to , right after the auction sale tomorrow where there will be MORE HATCHING EGGS SOLD CHEAP .

 

[chickenpickens]

I use hatch rates to illustrate math problems for my sons...we've only had three hatches. Is this a bad thing? lol! We are not going to have another hatch this year - unless - someone needs us to incubate for them or eggs fall out of the sky. Could happen! You never know

I am getting the impression that this doesn't get better. Thanks for letting me know what I've gotten myself into, I think

 

[BunnyMomma]

Oh I definitely belong here! I have 25 chickens that are 15 weeks old in the henhouse.

One 10 year old granny chicken that has free run of the place.

21 four week olds in the brooders, and 31 more eggs that I just put in my homemade incubator today. MMMmm. I'm pretty sure I'm on my way to a Hatcha holics meeting.

Does anyone else want to go! HeeeHeeeeehe.

Yes and my name is Bunny?

 

[elieugene6]

I knew I had a problem before I even started. I did not purchase an incubator, I built it. As I was thinking about building I had to find the perfect size, a cooler was just to small. I settled on an old air force chest. I believe it fits 4-5 dozen eggs. I haven't filled it yet as I can't afford to buy the eggs. I did at one point have 3 dozen in there and when my current set finishes hatching w/in the next day or two. I will clean it and start the next 2 dozen. I started my hatching career with a staggered hatch in one bator. I got 4 chicks out of the first and so far 2 have hatched from this set with a possible 8 more. One dozen was clear, darn fertility problems. I really need to try some bantam eggs, some guinea, some ducks, and some quail. My darned cochin refuses to lay me any eggs. So Sunday I am driving 3 hours to go get a pair of sebrights. Maybe they will lay me some eggs. I am not counting on it and am hoping that someone at the yankee classic is selling hatching eggs. After all I will need at least 3 dozen more to completely fill the incubator. Oh and in the basement is my next project a large dorm fridge that doesn't work. Hmmmmmmm what should we do with this? I am thinking of turning it into main bator and using my current as a hatcher. But shhhhh don't tell my fiance. He told me I need to get a job so I stop obsessing. lol. Oooooooooo thats a new peep gotta go.

Oh yeah and my name is Jennifer and I definitely have a problem. Heres a pic to tide you guys over. One is americauna x ee and the other is ee x silkie.

 

[gryeyes]

Okay, so here are 10 chicks hatched this past week. 5 each of French Black Copper Marans and Salmon Faverolles. I took away the shelf liner because they were ALL fixated on pecking the feathers on each others' feet. With the pine shavings, their toes are usually covered.

I took that picture before adding the Buckeye chick which was the only one of 4 hatchlings that survived hatching.

They're in the bathroom in a new "Nanny Brooder" I bought from Foy's, next to my tried-and-true 54 gallon Rubbermaid container brooder, which has six 3-week old Jersey Giants in it.

Just re-loaded the 3 emptied MiniAdvance 'bators with "old" shipped eggs. These are eggs I didn't have enough incubator space when they arrived, so I don't have very high expectations for 'em. They're probably about 10-12 days old. Plus they're shipped eggs. But I just could NOT toss those eggs! So 21 "iffy" eggs are in 3 'bators, along with the other incubators still cookin'.

The fourth Brinsea MiniAdvance was due to hatch tomorrow.... but one chick has already hatched this evening.

I'm so addicted to this I cannot even remember what breed I put into that 'bator! I wrote the set date, candle date, lockdown date, and hatch date, but neglected to write down the BREED. Dork.

Oh well - chicks are chicks and they're all adorable!!

 

[LaurenM23]

I am so glad that so many are willing to join in! Or...maybe I should be sad that we are all so crazy? NAH!

Congrats to those with new babies! Thank you for sharing your fluffy pics! There are few things in this world so cute.

My two 6 week olds were moved from the little brooder into the large stock tank last night. Now they can stretch out much better! I am hoping that keeping them in so long will make them more sweet as they grow.

 

[Sootsie]

Hi I,m Jo and I think im a addict in waiting, im constantly in the incubating and hatching section on here and i dont have my chickens at home yet

the plans are all there

get the coop and run built

get my chucks from my daughter (she is currently looking after them for me with hers)

im only allowed 6 hens no cockerals

get a job (its looking hopefull)

buy a incubator £££

buy hatching eggs

make brooder box

get more hatching eggs (start cycle again)

hide chicks in house

sneak them into my coop under cover of darkness (so neighbours dont see and report to landlord)

when old enough transfer to daughters flock

When secure in job rent field with daughter and then build up breeding stock of old traditional breeds

Revisit this thread on regular basis

Right now get my butt in my garden and continue with clearing coop and run site.

 

[kathyinmo]

 

[Wynette]

Sigh.................I know I said I was done, but I keep looking at my olive egger pullets and I keep thinking....if they lay soon, I can still get one more hatch in for the year..............

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
There ya go ..... proof that you are an addict!