HomesteadNowhere Hatch-a-long! Set April 7, hatch April 28!

[HomesteadNowhere]

I've been collecting eggs and will be setting soon! It was fun last time so I decided to do a hatching thread again. If you're setting near the same time feel free to join in!

I'm prioritizing my experimental breeding meat birds. So I've been collecting from them and if needed I can pull some of the others eggs to fill up.

Incubator is the farm innovators. Not great but making due til I build a cabinet incubator. Turning by hand to be able to cram it with eggs! I got a thermostat (for the cabinet build) and I plan to use it with this to double check my thermometer and the warm/cool areas that I'm pretty sure are in it from the last hatch.
We'll see how it goes!

Freedom ranger hens x new Hampshire roo are the bulk of the eggs.
Freedom ranger hens x Bielefelder roo will be some of the eggs, these hens have turned into bad egg eaters in the temporary cage situation in order to breed them to the Bielefelder roo. Grrr!
I don't think I will but.. if there is space left to fill I can pull some eggs from the other pen which are buff brahmas and a white orpington. They were with the new Hampshire roo and have gotten fun time visit from him just to keep them bred if I do need to pull eggs.

 

[Justso]

I'm going to join you on April 7th!
I've had my incubator running a couple days, steady Eddie. My hatch will include Arkansas blue, Arkansas blue x Silveruud, and I'm throwing in a couple AB× gold laced polish cross, that should be interesting.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

From Bielefelder roo x freedom ranger hens (3)... 12 eggs.

From new Hampshire roo x freedom ranger hens (7) and a NH hen... 44 eggs. There was a few more that I pulled for having small hairline cracks. I swear the hens don't lay the eggs and some shoot em out.. I don't know how they manage it..

We'll see how many I get tomorrow to put in. I went ahead and set out some eggs from the other pen, 7 buff brahma and a white orpington. They will fill in whatever space is left.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Last Major hurricane I rescued a feral momma bantam and her baby chick (who ended up being a bantam cockerel). About 3 weeks ago, I lost my feral hen (her name was Midge) I kept looking for her and just couldn't find her. In the middle of the night last night. I heard peeps and found Midge and 15 chicks under my house. They are safely in a broody box.
Just thought I would throw a little levity into the thread. It kinda seemed ironic.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

75 eggs in! I miscounted something because my notes say 18 brahma/orp, 44 FR, 12 B/FR. One of those is plus one. They are loaded up just so.. I'll check it when I candle before pulling anything.

 

[Justso]

Wow 75!
I loaded my 13 today, maybe 2 more if anyone decides to drop some later. May include an olive egg to test fertility.
And we're off!

 

[Justso]

Ok 16 in the pot I'm really done, until I have a hen go broody

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Ok 16 in the pot I'm really done, until I have a hen go broody

Ever since @sourland , the broody magician waved his magic wand over my coop, I have had at least 3 or 4 broody hens each summer. I have already had one who hid a clutch of eggs under my house, disappeared for 3 weeks and I heard peeping last night and I have 15 new chicks.
I would ask @sourland so you have a broody hen on a regular basis. I am telling you, for real, it works.

 

[sourland]

Ok 16 in the pot I'm really done, until I have a hen go broody

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Be careful what you wish for.

That's what you told me @sourland and I couldn't be more pleased with the results I have gotten. Thank you