- Jun 10, 2013
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I am from Virginia and have decided to raise a few chickens again. In the past I have incubated and raised quail, chickens, and Cockatiels. I now have 15 lovely girls (chickens) that we bought from a local feed store....we have several different breeds including Brown Leghorns, Golden Comets, Araucanas, and Black Sex Links. This forum has helped tremendously because I recently was given some turkey eggs that a hen stopped sitting on. I could not find my old trusty incubators therefore to give them at least a chance I tried making an incubator (which could not maintain temp), so I simply got a box and some pine chips, pulled out my old reptile heating light, added a couple of thermometers and added a foam lid (sideways)...........I quickly ordered the new genius hovabator (I had wanted to try a hovabator instead of the little giant brands). I did check they were growing before ordering (of course they shipped me the wrong item, they shipped humidity pads????)....so I had to end up waiting a couple weeks for my bator), in the mean time kept eggs regulated as best as possible in my bathroom in the box on my heated floor, constantly making small tweaks to temp and placement of eggs in the box. When my bator finally came, I checked the eggs and two had internally pipped (this was Thursday June 6, 2013). I put the remaining 5 living eggs in the new bator, cranked up humidity turned down temp by 1 degree and today I have two lovely amazing baby turkeys, two more have externally pipped (one on small end) and one egg I can't tell what is going on. I have freaked out all weekend wondering if/when should intervene.........didn't realize they could internal pip and then almost 3 days later external pip, then hatch hours later. I have constantly read this forum for help and I kept telling myself just leave them alone. I am amazed they have lived. Thanks!!!!
