Help with chicken breeds, incubators, and candlers??

[CammieSilkie]

I am going to hatch eggs. I have this coop ((i did NOT pay 350 bucks for it! i got it used for 45. the whole back of it was ripped off. XD but i repaired that, and added in a screened window that opens for summer ventilation, and closes for winter warmth)) --


http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Chicken-Coops/The-Foursquare-Coop-with-Run-Ships-Free-p720.aspx


It works like a charm! It says holds up to 3-4 regular chickens, and 4-6 bantams, but I've had 8 silkies in there without a problem and silkies aren't even true bantams!! well, my lead rooster, Dil, and one of my hens, Nuggets, have gotten eaten up by hawks..

so now i have six silkies! We have two roosters, and we might find a home for one of them, so that will leave me with 5 silkies. I can probably fit one regular sized chicken in there, and maybe 2 more bantams. i am planning on getting this incubator --


http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Incubators/Mini-Eco-Manual-Incubator-10-eggs-p663.aspx


But what i can't decide on is what breed to get!!! should i get a blue ameraucana? two bantam barnevelders? a wheaten maran? how about a Golden Lakenvelder? (i order from MPC XD )

What breed do you think i should get? any ideas? And since we have roosters, i am planning on hatching our own chickens' eggs in the summer. I can't really decide between the manual mini (one i showed you before. --the link above-- it is manual, but it holds 10 eggs.) or the automatic mini? (holds 7 eggs, but it's manual. --link below-- )


http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Incubators/Mini-Advance-Automatic-Incubator-p664.aspx


or should i just buy this little three egg incubator?? (below.) All i would need to do is set it to chicken, add water and ka-boom! chicks!

http://www.avianweb.com/rcom3egg.html


And for candlers, should i just get the standard, or the high intensity? what's the difference, anyway?

standard:


http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/chickens/OvaView-Standard-egg-candler-p850.aspx


high intensity:


http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/chickens/OvaView-High-Intensity-egg-candler-p849.aspx


Wow i have a lot of questions,

hopefully someone can answer?

 

[midget_farms]

WOW! Welcome. Looks like you have to make some decisions.

The incubators are pretty much your choice - as are the breeds - just make sure if you get a large breed that they won't pick on the silkies too much.

For candeling eggs - the high intensity one is best for dark eggs. white or light eggs can easily be candled by a normal flashlight. But the darker the egg the harder it is to see in there.

Good luck