Incubators Anonymous

[ki4got]

I'm so glad to see I'm not the only one with this problem! I have 4 laying hens and the orpington is constantly broody. My granddaughter came to live with me and asked if we could just let her hatch the eggs. Off I went in search of fertile eggs. Bought an incubator and ended up with 45 eggs! Those are set to hatch on the 23rd and I'm getting 20+ more in the mail tomorrow. Off to buy another incubator at lunch. Thinking of setting it up in my closet so my daughter won't see and lecture me! Also looking for call duck eggs to try after the first incubator is empty. Yep, definitely have a problem!

problem? what problem? I don't have a problem.

I just have 3 full incubators with hatches rotating weekly...

my only problem is remember what days I set the eggs, so I try to keep it to Friday Saturday or sunday most weeks. LOL

 

[sonderah]

IKR! Last Spring I decided I hey honey, let's get some chickens. We buillt a coop/run, and off to TSC I went and purchased 4 red sex links, & 2 Speckled Sussex chicks. I was only supposed to buy 4 females. Something then should have warned my bf, he's in trouble!! Both SS turned out to be cockerels, so I rehomed 1. I decided I really liked the way Buff Orpingtons sounded, cause I wanted a lap chicken, and a broody chicken, so I ordered 2 BO pullets and a SS pullet, so my SS roo would have a matching gf, from Meyer in August. A month after my red sex links started laying I thought, I would love to hatch some babies! So incubator, auto turner, & a new book later, I set a dozen eggs. Hatched 9 new chicks in October. My SS pullet died for some unknown reason and I thought hmm I really like my Bo's. So I rehomed ALL of my chickens except the 2 BO pullets and my 1favorite red sex link, Cajun Chicken, cause she turned out to be a lap chicken. I then slowly purchased a BO rooster, and 4 more BO hens all breeding age. Decided I want to breed them, so set up the bator, they go on lockdown today. Turkeys would be fun! Bought a hen but she seemed lonely, so went and got a tom. He got killed, and she started laying, so had to get another. Thought it'd be cool to have some "funny looking" chickens running around the yard!! Bought a Sultan pullet and an EE pullet. Had been whining all year about wanting a 2nd coop/run for bantam sized chickens. So, we got started, we just finished that yesterday. Had to have chickens to go in it!! Hmmm Sizzles sound interesting to breed! Got 9 possible sizzle chicks, a Silkie hen and a Frizzled Cochin rooster 3 days ago. And while I was out buying chick start, I had to grab a few more EE's cause they're just soooo cute!!!

So, that long story short, I've went in 1 year from 6 baby chicks in a little coop, to 11 full grown chickens, in 2 large coop/runs, 11 baby chicks in a brooder , 2 turkeys, and 2 incubators going with a total of 5 dozen eggs (a mix of BO, turkey, and some mixes) in them, & 2 dozen just waiting to go in! Holy crapazoid!!!

Oh yeah, and I have it set up to purchase 6-1 month old Polish chicks Saturday! Somebody make me stop!!!

 

[Runawaylobster]

Quote:
I use excel to organize my hatches, i set it up so that all i do is punch in the set date and it tells me candling days, lockdown etc:.. my biggest issue is making sure that i don't get overlapping hatch days because i hatch and incubate all in the sportsman at the same time. Well,.... no actually my biggest issue right now is that someone answered my craigslist ad and asked for 40 chicks!! they bugged me for 2 days with emails and how the hatch was going, and then asked me for a final count on saturday afternoon... I send the the final count (about 47) and asked for delivery address and they have disappeared.. that makes me so mad!!, Grrr.... i dont know maybe they dropped their phone or something...

 

[sonderah]

Quote:
I use excel to organize my hatches, i set it up so that all i do is punch in the set date and it tells me candling days, lockdown etc:.. my biggest issue is making sure that i don't get overlapping hatch days because i hatch and incubate all in the sportsman at the same time. Well,.... no actually my biggest issue right now is that someone answered my craigslist ad and asked for 40 chicks!! they bugged me for 2 days with emails and how the hatch was going, and then asked me for a final count on saturday afternoon... I send the the final count (about 47) and asked for delivery address and they have disappeared.. that makes me so mad!!, Grrr.... i dont know maybe they dropped their phone or something...

Can u come set me up??!! Lol I'm so ignorant on all that spreadsheet kind of stuff, but that would be amazing!

 

[ChristyinGA]

Reporting the results of my first hatch!

Started with 37 eggs, including 8 shipped.

28 made it to lockdown.

20 chicks hatched (2 assisted - pipped/zipped, but stuck. They are doing well.) 1 other died last night, so 19 chicks. Added to the 31 from McMurray - I have 50 chicks in the brooder

 

[abmaddox1981]

My hatching addiction is being enabled! Yay! I have 3 styrobators (2 FI forced air, one LG still air) and the husband just bought me a 6' cabinet incubator (converted wine cooler)! So now I can set eggs in the cabinet and hat h in the styros. I'm soooo excited!

 

[Caitlin_VT]

My first hatch is done... 24/39? I think! 16 shipped eggs and the rest local or my own. I ended up with 5 Lavender Ams, 7 Silkie crosses, 1 Silkie, 3 EE's, 2 white Bresse, 2 CCL (pair!), 1 Chocolate Orp bantam, and 3 Gold Laced Orps. Whew, lots of chickies! Definitely gives my chick-need a fixing. I have never hatched this many at once

. Going to have to get advertising!

Plus, just found another wine cooler that will hold my egg turners

Going to be able to stop using the Styrofoam 'bators & their temp issues!

 

[Caitlin_VT]

Reporting the results of my first hatch!

Started with 37 eggs, including 8 shipped.

28 made it to lockdown.

20 chicks hatched (2 assisted - pipped/zipped, but stuck. They are doing well.) 1 other died last night, so 19 chicks. Added to the 31 from McMurray - I have 50 chicks in the brooder

Wow, that's definitely a lot of chicks!

 

[mckeesbackyard]

I'm so glad to see I'm not the only one with this problem! I have 4 laying hens and the orpington is constantly broody. My granddaughter came to live with me and asked if we could just let her hatch the eggs. Off I went in search of fertile eggs. Bought an incubator and ended up with 45 eggs! Those are set to hatch on the 23rd and I'm getting 20+ more in the mail tomorrow. Off to buy another incubator at lunch. Thinking of setting it up in my closet so my daughter won't see and lecture me! Also looking for call duck eggs to try after the first incubator is empty. Yep, definitely have a problem!

I feel so empowered already especially sinceI just recently discovered the Crazy 24-Hour Auction. I tell you, that thread is like Starbucks coffee to some people. Especially when you find yourself checking what new auction has been posted every morning at breakfast.,,

 

[ChickenFox]

I have 41 eggs in my bator at the moment. 39 of which are shipped and 2 from my bantys. The EE banty egg is doing well at day 5.

The other as far as I can tell isn't fertile but I'll give it a bit longer. Now the shipped eggs...I'm only seeing life in about half of them but they range from day 4-5. How long do you all give shipped eggs before tossing? I won't throw anything out if I think there's even a chance of it developing but I don't want to come home to find an exploded egg in the bator either.

I usually give at least 10 days if not 14 before I toss anything. I'm so excited that I actually saw a heartbeat in one of my Ams this morning but that has me wondering about the rest that don't seem to be as far along. Thoughts? Oh and to continue my addiction I'll be picking up 6 chicks from Meyer tomorrow.

1 blue cochin, 1 dark cornish, 1 light brahma, 2 gold laced polish and 1 meyer meal maker. (Who I'm REALLY hoping won't be a Roo).