Incubators Anonymous

[HugHess]

6 in lockdown yesterday, five more 'snuck' in this evening, 12 on day 3, 24 coming tomorrow or Wednesday, 12+ coming Friday.  Looks like I'm going to be turning eggs by hand for a while until I make some room on the turner.  Has anyone ever WISHED for the culls to show,hurry, hurry, hurry??  I will have to drive home for lunch every day!   

Newbies, beware.  the sickness will get you!!

X 100 !!!!

 

[Bazy]

I tell myself 48 (there are 41) and oh horrors I am short 24 slots! I could have SWORN it was 48 slots (and yes, I have 65 eggs for 48 (really 41) slots.

I thought I was sooo clever. I ordered an additional incubator, but two fan kits and two cool hatch meters...and only one turner because, hey! I was just going to use the second bator for a hatcher, right? WRONG ...I AM GOING TO PACK THEM BOTH FULL AS POSSIBLE! AND HEY! I can get 50 eggs in the one without the turner!

It costs me about $6 per day to come home for lunch to turn the eggs until I get them culled down to 41 eggs (not that hard with the shipped eggs I've been incubating lately) A turner costs about $45-50. My reasoning is the turner will pay for itself in one week. Right???

Maybe I'm good at chicken math after all!!

OMGosh! I just realized if I get another turner I will have 34 free spots!!!! ahhhhhh!!! This can not be happening to me! an incubabor with 34 FREE SPOTS!!!!!

(I think i need help)

 

[CharterChick]

Maybe I'm good at chicken math after all!!

Lol
Chicken math basics (at my house)
Only add chickens. If for some reason you have to subtract for meat or other circumstances double (or triple or more) the amount gone either by hatching, ordering or acquiring more chickens. If you don't have chicks, GET MORE! They are cute. Cute is always needed. Besides your incubator LOVES to be full of eggs.... Right?

 

[calichicken]

OMGosh! I just realized if I get another turner I will have 34 free spots!!!! ahhhhhh!!! This can not be happening to me! an incubabor with 34 FREE SPOTS!!!!!

(I think i need help)

LOL.....nope...no help needed at al

You are simply using your bators to their FULL potential which is smart and economical,,,,afterall filling bators to capacity is efficient use of electricity and time

Count on us at the incubators anonymous thread to support your request for help

incubating that is!!!!!

 

[Bazy]

Lol
Chicken math basics (at my house)
Only add chickens. If for some reason you have to subtract for meat or other circumstances double (or triple or more) the amount gone either by hatching, ordering or acquiring more chickens. If you don't have chicks, GET MORE! They are cute. Cute is always needed. Besides your incubator LOVES to be full of eggs.... Right?

yes, yes...the incubator is most efficient when it is full. Chock full, eggs on top of eggs!

Thank God above that they are cute, and that they like the grasshoppers my husband catches daily for them or he would probably divorce me!

 

[calichicken]

Lol
Chicken math basics (at my house)
Only add chickens. If for some reason you have to subtract for meat or other circumstances double (or triple or more) the amount gone either by hatching, ordering or acquiring more chickens. If you don't have chicks, GET MORE! They are cute. Cute is always needed. Besides your incubator LOVES to be full of eggs.... Right?

X2...I fully support the need for cuteness + keeping bators happy= MORE EGGS!!!!!!!!

 

[sonderah]

So I'm on day 24 of my last hatch for a few months. They are expensive eggs, so I refuse to unplug it til the end of day 25, just incase.

What will I do without babies!?!? Idk if I'm really capable of keeping all 3 of them unplugged for 4-5 months! But my brooder is outside in an uninsilated shed. I'm afraid babies wouldn't make it even with the heat lamp.

 

[Faraday40]

I've been hatching chicks for years in the classroom - but I simply gave the Leghorns away after 3 weeks. Now that I've had chickens for 1.5 years (loveable mixes that follow me around & jump into my lap). I can't help but hatch & want to keep more. My daughter's science project was the perfect excuse!

The last hatch was way back in July. Her project was outstanding, we sold a bunch of chicks, and kept a bunch. They're all doing well, the project is over, and my classroom won't be doing incubation until May 2015. I put my incubators in the attic to keep me from collecting or buying eggs. I keep telling myself that the coop is full and it's not a good time of year to raise chicks, but..... I want to hatch more! There are so many breeds I've never seen!

There's a possibility a hen is going broody. I keep catching Princess in the garage looking for her old broody nest/cage. Yesterday she was flattened out in a nest box for a while. (She left, though, and is still laying eggs.) Do you think she's going broody? Am I bad for wanting a broody hen in the fall? Is there a way to encourage broodiness? If some unexplained chicks suddenly appear in the coop someday, I could tell my DH that I didn't hatch them.

 

[calichicken]

I've been hatching chicks for years in the classroom - but I simply gave the Leghorns away after 3 weeks. Now that I've had chickens for 1.5 years (loveable mixes that follow me around & jump into my lap). I can't help but hatch & want to keep more. My daughter's science project was the perfect excuse!

The last hatch was way back in July. Her project was outstanding, we sold a bunch of chicks, and kept a bunch. They're all doing well, the project is over, and my classroom won't be doing incubation until May 2015. I put my incubators in the attic to keep me from collecting or buying eggs. I keep telling myself that the coop is full and it's not a good time of year to raise chicks, but..... I want to hatch more! There are so many breeds I've never seen!

There's a possibility a hen is going broody. I keep catching Princess in the garage looking for her old broody nest/cage. Yesterday she was flattened out in a nest box for a while. (She left, though, and is still laying eggs.) Do you think she's going broody? Am I bad for wanting a broody hen in the fall? Is there a way to encourage broodiness? If some unexplained chicks suddenly appear in the coop someday, I could tell my DH that I didn't hatch them.

LOL...I don't know if you can encourage broodiness, but what your explaining is how my hen starts showing signs of broodiness. Sits in her box, but will get up and gets "clucky" more so than normal. This morning she laid her eggs and I caught her SITTING ON IT

content as can be

I am not looking to hatch right now so no sitting on eggs I told her! I also hatch in my classroom, which is how I got my bantam cochin. When time comes to hatch for the classroom, I think I will also get some more bantam cochin eggs to hatch too

Hatching is so much fun and the kids love it!!!!!

 

[sonderah]

Guess its time to give in and unplug the bator today. :/ I have 3 VERY beautiful Sheri Minkner Sizzle babies in my brooder. Hatched 4, but 1 died. 1 still looks a bit rough and keeps getting MASSIVE pasty butt, so a little extra TLC, & hopefully he/she will continue to flourish! Can't wait to see how adorable they stay as they continue to grow and change!!