Incubators Anonymous

[DMRippy]

I had one little Easter egger hatch and 1 blue and 1 black copper marans

I am BACK!!!! Maybe....next batch may have a little hatch too, we will see. All Marans in the next batch.

The new incubator hit a snag when the little bitty rotisserie motor would not turn the super capacity trays with some weight.

Called the engineer and he brought us a small motor but it looks like the eggs are going to be flung across the room

they say with a timer I can run for a couple of seconds it will be fine... IDK.... Just a 1/2 turn at full speed still makes me think not great, we will see.

BTW I prefer the White/Black roo I have one that looks a lot like him. I the like the black guy too... So just a preference thing.

 

[Arielle]

Yikes ! Donna! THe poor eggs will get scrambled!! Any way to slow it down? It seems like a hatch never goes smoothly, always a glitch. What is the saying? the course of true love never did run smooth . . . ? THink it applies to incubating and chickens, too. LOL Sorry the new incubator has hit a snag. GL on the marans hatch.

 

[DMRippy]

Yikes ! Donna! THe poor eggs will get scrambled!! Any way to slow it down? It seems like a hatch never goes smoothly, always a glitch. What is the saying? the course of true love never did run smooth . . . ? THink it applies to incubating and chickens, too. LOL Sorry the new incubator has hit a snag. GL on the marans hatch.

Thanks. I think they will all be sea sick when they get here.

 

[ki4got]

Gee, Karen, they both look promising and very attractive. Any other qualities that might discount one over the other? Do you have other EE pens that could use one of the boys or would influence which male you keep for this trio??

nope. i only have the 2 roos 2 hens for EE's. everyone else will be dorking or bantam cochin. i need to concentrate on the dorkings primarily since that breed needs the most work. I like the darker roo's colors better, but he hatched upside down (remember the pic of the pecked to bits egg back in october?) with assistance, and i think his tail is going to be curly like a brahma or cochin's. it's not growing out long and straight like the other's. i don't know if the odd assisted hatch would have anything to do with anything, and the fact that in the process of trying to hatch he broke 2 toes that are now crooked as can be LOL.

if they'll co-habit and share the hens, i might just keep both and put all 4 in a pen together. the oldest cockerels i have, and they're just now starting to crow.

the cochin babies a month younger have been crowing since they were 4 weeks old (ee's are 4 months old now). and the dorking cockerels are starting to make noise every now and again. they're between 2 and 3 months old. then again i did just put funky, aka bad attitude sultan, in camp kenmore, so he's not there to beat up any baby roos that make noise. the Jap and oegb are both mellow and get along just fine with the babies. Jap's been a good 'babysitter' for new chicks free ranging. still trying to find a home for him, but nobody seems to want a black japanese roo.

 

[Arielle]

nope. i only have the 2 roos 2 hens for EE's. everyone else will be dorking or bantam cochin. i need to concentrate on the dorkings primarily since that breed needs the most work. I like the darker roo's colors better, but he hatched upside down (remember the pic of the pecked to bits egg back in october?) with assistance, and i think his tail is going to be curly like a brahma or cochin's. it's not growing out long and straight like the other's. i don't know if the odd assisted hatch would have anything to do with anything, and the fact that in the process of trying to hatch he broke 2 toes that are now crooked as can be LOL.

if they'll co-habit and share the hens, i might just keep both and put all 4 in a pen together. the oldest cockerels i have, and they're just now starting to crow.

the cochin babies a month younger have been crowing since they were 4 weeks old (ee's are 4 months old now). and the dorking cockerels are starting to make noise every now and again. they're between 2 and 3 months old. then again i did just put funky, aka bad attitude sultan, in camp kenmore, so he's not there to beat up any baby roos that make noise. the Jap and oegb are both mellow and get along just fine with the babies. Jap's been a good 'babysitter' for new chicks free ranging. still trying to find a home for him, but nobody seems to want a black japanese roo.

My 1/2 EE boys are mellow and the 3 get along. Another EE rooster picke on my BO to the pint that I had to remove the BO. Fighting over girls I suspect. BO will get his own girls when a breeding pen is available. Hard to know if your 2 boys will get along until you try. Will allow for some genetic variability by having 2 roosters. Can you keep one separate and use as needed so the hens aren't overly used?

So many decisions to make when breeding!! My EE eggs are the largest eggs I have. Beats all the others including RIR and Australorp. I have 3 roosters from my EE hen. DH is eager to see them gone. THey don't bother anyone; they are sweet like their mom.

Easy to have several pens. LOL

 

[LilyD]

The eggs are officially growing 27 out of 38 are growing and moving like crazy. I was worried that they would all be frozen and no one would grow. So glad that wasn't the truth. Now I can dream of 27 little fuzzy butts running around in the brooder in 2 more weeks!!

 

[DMRippy]

My 1/2 EE boys are mellow and the 3 get along. Another EE rooster picke on my BO to the pint that I had to remove the BO. Fighting over girls I suspect. BO will get his own girls when a breeding pen is available. Hard to know if your 2 boys will get along until you try. Will allow for some genetic variability by having 2 roosters. Can you keep one separate and use as needed so the hens aren't overly used?

So many decisions to make when breeding!! My EE eggs are the largest eggs I have. Beats all the others including RIR and Australorp. I have 3 roosters from my EE hen. DH is eager to see them gone. THey don't bother anyone; they are sweet like their mom.

Easy to have several pens. LOL

I was just putting my info in my speadsheet for eggs and my RIR 3 pullets 16 eggs, NH 4 pullets 17 eggs (there was some moving this week too) and my EE jumped from 7-8 wees a week to 16 and I don't think all my girls that were moulting are laying yet.

Going to have TONS of eggs for the Newnan show. 2 weeks ago 105 eggs a week and now 160 and they are not all laying again! My bator is going to fill up quick. 180 a week will be the max for the new bator, BUT I will still have the old one for backup

BTW My EE lay the prettiest, cleanest and largest eggs I have too. I have my EE Leghorn Crosses growing up, so I can't wait to see what they produce. I have more of that cross going in the bator too.

 

[Arielle]

BTW My EE lay the prettiest, cleanest and largest eggs I have too. I have my EE Leghorn Crosses growing up, so I can't wait to see what they produce. I have more of that cross going in the bator too.

SOmeone had told me about crossing Ameraucana x LEghorn. Not sure of the egg size on the Am as I only have boys for breeding. I'm no longer convinced I want to do the above cross. EE x LEghorn maybe be better for egg size; Am x Leghorn for more blue eggs than green.

My brain starts running away with the possiblities and it's hard to find the perfect chicken combo to fulfill my dreams! LOL

I have a couple lambs to feed; then check all the ewes, then sleep. I'm on autopilot and I can see all the misspells.

 

[JD4570]

I'm baaaack! Tomorrow I start collecting eggs for my first hatch of the year.YAY!!!

I'm still planning on setting 82, minimally. If I get more I'm gonna stuff a bator. Oh and set date is March 2nd.

I'm also planning on getting 12 BSLs and hopefully 24 BA eggs and at least 12 Bourbon Red poults later on. I'm so eggcited!!!!!!

 

[ki4got]

Well, as of last night I have a full 'bator... 31 red and red/colored dorkings, a couple of my own silver grey dorkings (set last week and FERTILE! FINALLY!), and a dorking mutt and 2 cochins due to hatch the 20th. oh and 1 mutt in the hatcher that's pipped to join the 3 that hatched out earlier this week. (i have been tossing eggs in the bator randomly, hoping the roo finally started doing his job... he has!) and i;ve got a dozen colored dorking eggs on the way too. oh and i've got 3 colored hens lined up too, so they'll be ready to go when i get a roo.