Incubators Anonymous

[Arielle]

I learned something new yesterday.... Never move the tractor when the girls are out!!!!

I have 16 pullets and 4 cockerels in a growout pen, and they just started going out.. I only moved the tractor about 15 ft, but they were totally confused, trying to get back into the boys growout pen instead of their own and causing a huge rucus in the boys pen, and some of them were running around on the spot where the tractor used to be getting really agitated... so i had to capture everyone in the dark and manually cart them over to their own pen and put them in!! I wont be doing that again LOL!!

You are not alone!! I move tractor after dark, or as soon as they have cooped up for the night. THey are creatures of habit!

 

[ChickNmamma]

Well, it seems that all I had to do was talk bad about her. My silkie is now broody.

I would really like to move some of my eggs that are due to hatch on Friday under her (replacing the ones she's currently sitting on) but I'm having trouble finding a solid answer about a few things. How many eggs can I put under her? I'm thinking 7, if I still have that many good ones left. Best to do all of this after dark? I have a big plastic dog crate set up in the coop to move her in to...probably will do that after work tonight....so I can keep the others from bothering her and possibly killing any chicks. I'm planning on putting food and water in there for her. Anything else I should do for this setup? I know people have done the opposite (broody until lockdown and then put in a hatcher) but I don't seem to be having issues with the incubating part.....just the hatching part. I got 50% of my shipped BCM eggs to the end, fully developed, and then the stupid incubator stopped working and I lost every single one of them. It doesn't look like my genesis will be here until hatch day or later, so that's not an option at this time.

I would move the broody first - make sure she stays with the broody program before I put anything under her. Sometimes moving them from one location to another will break them.

Yes, move her at night to the new location. Hopefully she will accept it and go back to the nest and stay broody.

I was able to give my birds the eggs during the day with no problems.. just kept putting them next to her and she would bulldoze them right under.

Once she stays on her golfballs.. then you can put the eggs due to hatch under her. She may think she is supemommy if they hatch in 5 days.. but hopefully she will be good mommy and take care of them.

My silkies have 9 eggs under one and 12 eggs under the other. I would guess 7 is fine. The one with 9 is hatching them out now (one out yesterday, restraining myself from looking today) and the other is due next week.

Good luck with the hatching!

P.S. forgot to say all their eggs are banty eggs.. wouldn't try that with big ones!

 

[gladahmae]

I would move the broody first - make sure she stays with the broody program before I put anything under her. Sometimes moving them from one location to another will break them.

Yes, move her at night to the new location. Hopefully she will accept it and go back to the nest and stay broody.

I was able to give my birds the eggs during the day with no problems.. just kept putting them next to her and she would bulldoze them right under.

Once she stays on her golfballs.. then you can put the eggs due to hatch under her. She may think she is supemommy if they hatch in 5 days.. but hopefully she will be good mommy and take care of them.

My silkies have 9 eggs under one and 12 eggs under the other. I would guess 7 is fine. The one with 9 is hatching them out now (one out yesterday, restraining myself from looking today) and the other is due next week.

Good luck with the hatching!

YAY! I'm so happy to get some advice from someone who has btdt. My current plan, based on what you just posted, is to move her tonight with her current 7 eggs. If she stays on them, I'll swap them out for the ones I want her to hatch tomorrow night. She's been glued to her nest since Saturday, and this timing couldn't be better!!! I'm really really hoping she will be OK with me moving her. She let me peek under her today to get an egg count. My husband thought she only had 5, but I count 7 so maybe someone donated yesterday.

 

[ki4got]

Well, it seems that all I had to do was talk bad about her. My silkie is now broody.

I would really like to move some of my eggs that are due to hatch on Friday under her (replacing the ones she's currently sitting on) but I'm having trouble finding a solid answer about a few things. How many eggs can I put under her? I'm thinking 7, if I still have that many good ones left. Best to do all of this after dark? I have a big plastic dog crate set up in the coop to move her in to...probably will do that after work tonight....so I can keep the others from bothering her and possibly killing any chicks. I'm planning on putting food and water in there for her. Anything else I should do for this setup? I know people have done the opposite (broody until lockdown and then put in a hatcher) but I don't seem to be having issues with the incubating part.....just the hatching part. I got 50% of my shipped BCM eggs to the end, fully developed, and then the stupid incubator stopped working and I lost every single one of them. It doesn't look like my genesis will be here until hatch day or later, so that's not an option at this time.

i would move her with her current eggs or dudds (just in case) and let her sit in her new 'home' for a day before giving her good eggs or chicks.

and it depends what size chicks you're giving her, as to how many she can handle. my bantam blrw right now has 18 LF chicks under her between a week and 2 old (she took them 3 days ago! LOL) and it's all she can do to cover most. if it were bantam chicks, i would say 10 would be a comfortable number. my orp broody has 10 lf chicks to care for, about 4 weeks old now, and they're all roosting in the coop with her and everyone else now. she hasn't got room for them all roosting so they're tucked in and under anyone who won't complain now. LOL then again, she stayed separated but visible (and visitable) in a pen in the yard while everyone free ranged around her. then she ranged in the yard for another week+ but went to bed in her little house. then she migrated to the coop all on her own one night. been there since.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:
That sounds like a good plan. If she stays with her 7 eggs all day tomorrow then she is "with the program" and will hatch the incubated ones for you.

And yes - other hens will "donate" daily - its why I move mine. I found the poor broodies get confused by too many hatching dates - and some will give up after getting a few chicks if the other eggs are too far behind..

 

[gingerly1983]

Hello, my name is Ginger, and I have a problem.

I'm addicted to incubating and hatching eggs!!! I have 18 adults of different breeds. I really want to have 3-4 of each breed that I love (there's a lot!) So right now I have 15 chicks that are 4 weeks old, 17 that are 2 weeks old, and I have 43 eggs that will go into lockdown on Wednesday. I have 3 incubators running at all times (I know!!! haha my husband keeps letting me get away with it!) I have 100 quail eggs that I set on Saturday, 89 in another incubator that are on day 2 of lockdown. I've already ordered more eggs on BYC to set this coming Saturday once my chicken eggs have hatched. I told my husband to tell my father in law that I would hatch some of his eggs for him since he's having a hard time. He forgot to tell him today, and I'm so thankful. I accidentally already bought eggs that will completely fill up the bator! I won't have room to hatch any of his! I feel like a terrible person lol. I told my husband that the game plan was to thin out the chicks once I can figure out who's male or female, then to just keep my favorites of the pullets. I hope I will be able to follow through with that plan. I don't need 100 chickens! OMG lol that would be upwards of 43 dozen eggs per week if only 75% of them lay daily. lol....crap.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Hello, my name is Ginger, and I have a problem.

I'm addicted to incubating and hatching eggs!!! I have 18 adults of different breeds. I really want to have 3-4 of each breed that I love (there's a lot!) So right now I have 15 chicks that are 4 weeks old, 17 that are 2 weeks old, and I have 43 eggs that will go into lockdown on Wednesday. I have 3 incubators running at all times (I know!!! haha my husband keeps letting me get away with it!) I have 100 quail eggs that I set on Saturday, 89 in another incubator that are on day 2 of lockdown. I've already ordered more eggs on BYC to set this coming Saturday once my chicken eggs have hatched. I told my husband to tell my father in law that I would hatch some of his eggs for him since he's having a hard time. He forgot to tell him today, and I'm so thankful. I accidentally already bought eggs that will completely fill up the bator! I won't have room to hatch any of his! I feel like a terrible person lol. I told my husband that the game plan was to thin out the chicks once I can figure out who's male or female, then to just keep my favorites of the pullets. I hope I will be able to follow through with that plan. I don't need 100 chickens! OMG lol that would be upwards of 43 dozen eggs per week if only 75% of them lay daily. lol....crap.

Welcome Ginger,

The only problem I could see is that you almost promised to hatch eggs you didn't have room for - but that is what tetris stacking is for. Or you could buy a cabinet incubator, or two... Was there something else?

Oh, and I wanted to tell you your chicken math was close, but 15+17+(43+100+89+whatever else in coming) eggs is actually less than 100 hens... because only half will hatch, half will be roosters..

Did you have a plan for doing something with the ones you didn't want to keep? And - how many acres of Broody pens, grow-out pens and chicken pens do you have.. or do you still need to build those...

 

[Runawaylobster]

A chicken friend locally came by today and I was telling him about needing a new hatcher, he is going to help build it for me

He works at a place that builds those closet organizers and has lots of scraps left from jobs. He is going to cut all the wood at work, design it mostly and we will pick up the wood and he will come over and help me build it. Says it would take about an hour

I gave him a basket that I use and told him I wanted the drawers 3 baskets wide and 2 baskets deep, with 3 drawers and a way to pull the drawers out and still seal the opening so as not to let all the heat and humidity out. He suggest a double door for the bottom to put the mechanicals so I can get to them easy. I am so excited! I figured it would be months before I could make it! BIGGER and BETTER. No more cramming eggs in where I can. I will have room for 6 more baskets than I do now.

Awesome news

 

[Runawaylobster]

Ok so now this is getting nuts.... I went to collect eggs today and Mrs Brahma and Mrs Cochin are still sitting there... and now My darned Hambug Speedy was sitting in there on two eggs!!! Jeez i'ts getting like a moms club in there!! I didn't give speedy any eggs i chased her off, but that was what i did at first with the otherss. I'm doomed..

 

[gingerly1983]

Welcome Ginger,

The only problem I could see is that you almost promised to hatch eggs you didn't have room for - but that is what tetris stacking is for. Or you could buy a cabinet incubator, or two... Was there something else?

Oh, and I wanted to tell you your chicken math was close, but 15+17+(43+100+89+whatever else in coming) eggs is actually less than 100 hens... because only half will hatch, half will be roosters..

Did you have a plan for doing something with the ones you didn't want to keep? And - how many acres of Broody pens, grow-out pens and chicken pens do you have.. or do you still need to build those...

Tetris stacking? That scares me lol I don't think I'm into the degree of addiction that it takes for a cabinet incubator.

So maybe there's hope for me after all?
You forgot the 18 chickens I already have. haha 15 of those are hens. I actually have a buyer for the quail I hatch out so those won't be a problem. I have a large run for the adults, and a large run for 'teenagers'. My hubby is working on a 'toddler' pen right now! I have brooders under his shop for the youngens until they are ready to go outside and be toddlers. I keep the chicks in the house for 2 weeks as well. So I have lots of stages before they get to be teenagers. I have a plan! haha I do have 5 acres of pasture I can build more pens on if needed.
My plans for the ones I don't want to keep...eat the roosters (

) and the pullets I will give to friends and family that may want them. If no one takes them then I will definitely keep them. I love all my birds. I really just like the whole incubating/hatching process. It keeps my mind off the whole babymaking process. (Mine, not the chicken's)