Incubators Anonymous

[darkbluespace]

Yes...since you are planning a 100% hatch

then you are going to need 4 more duck eggs to keep the 8's going! Seems to be the number that is working for you...LOL!!! Do you get eggs locally or by mail? Always curious to check in with people and see how mailed eggs work for them and successful hatching

I may sell a rabbit tomorrow and then I'll have 8, though she might get 2 so we'll see!

All my 100% hatches have been from local or my own eggs. 7 eggs in the incubator are local and 9 are mine. If they make it to lockdown then I expect them to hatch!

Shipped eggs have been a challenge... my very first attempt ever was with 4 duck eggs and none hatched because humidity was too high.. all 4 developed though... very sad.

Second attempt was with 28 Serama eggs that were shipped in state and I knew they would be packed really well. I had 7 clear and 13 make it to lockdown and 9 hatched... pretty good for Seramas! Humidity was too low for the tiniest eggs... next time I would incubate them separately.... and drive to pick them up!

The latest was 10 Ancona eggs I bought... dropped 2 right off the bat!! That was rough. It was early and I didn't understand how they were packaged and I thought they were in foam with a bottom but they started dropping out! I started them in the bator and only a few started to develop and they looked weird. When the power went out I put the two good eggs left under my broody and they both hatched. I was bummed about only 2 developing but one of the ducklings is probably lilac or silver so I am excited for the variety... if he's a boy I will probably keep him and one other drake to hatch a variety of colors.... so it turned out to be worth it. The Ancona eggs I am about to get... I want just to get a few more layers and hopefully a few more colors besides black and chocolate. These 12 eggs are $8 so I figure that helps my average. This may be more detail than you need but I just love talking about it ; )

I have been lucky that I could buy most of the eggs I really wanted locally... though I did do a lot of driving... perfect little road trips to go visit other farms and see birds and animals!

 

[calichicken]

I may sell a rabbit tomorrow and then I'll have 8, though she might get 2 so we'll see!

All my 100% hatches have been from local or my own eggs. 7 eggs in the incubator are local and 9 are mine. If they make it to lockdown then I expect them to hatch!

Shipped eggs have been a challenge... my very first attempt ever was with 4 duck eggs and none hatched because humidity was too high.. all 4 developed though... very sad.

Second attempt was with 28 Serama eggs that were shipped in state and I knew they would be packed really well. I had 7 clear and 13 make it to lockdown and 9 hatched... pretty good for Seramas! Humidity was too low for the tiniest eggs... next time I would incubate them separately.... and drive to pick them up!

The latest was 10 Ancona eggs I bought... dropped 2 right off the bat!! That was rough. It was early and I didn't understand how they were packaged and I thought they were in foam with a bottom but they started dropping out! I started them in the bator and only a few started to develop and they looked weird. When the power went out I put the two good eggs left under my broody and they both hatched. I was bummed about only 2 developing but one of the ducklings is probably lilac or silver so I am excited for the variety... if he's a boy I will probably keep him and one other drake to hatch a variety of colors.... so it turned out to be worth it. The Ancona eggs I am about to get... I want just to get a few more layers and hopefully a few more colors besides black and chocolate. These 12 eggs are $8 so I figure that helps my average. This may be more detail than you need but I just love talking about it ; )

I have been lucky that I could buy most of the eggs I really wanted locally... though I did do a lot of driving... perfect little road trips to go visit other farms and see birds and animals!

LOL...I hear ya...detail is good

I am also trying to stick with local eggs, even if it is a bit of a drive to increase my success. I think part of my problem buying through mail is that I am only buying the number of eggs I am hoping to hatch, when I should be ordering more than that amount because many mailed do not hatch

I just worry about hatching out chicks that I need to rehome. No roo's allowed where I live so unfortunately I am not lucky enough to be able to hatch out my own...sigh!!!! I love Bantam cochins and looking for fertile eggs in my area has been a challenge!

 

[darkbluespace]

LOL...I hear ya...detail is good

I am also trying to stick with local eggs, even if it is a bit of a drive to increase my success. I think part of my problem buying through mail is that I am only buying the number of eggs I am hoping to hatch, when I should be ordering more than that amount because many mailed do not hatch

I just worry about hatching out chicks that I need to rehome. No roo's allowed where I live so unfortunately I am not lucky enough to be able to hatch out my own...sigh!!!! I love Bantam cochins and looking for fertile eggs in my area has been a challenge!

More shipped eggs definitely up the odds of hatching some. I put my last batch in the incubator but I wonder if I should have put them right under the broody. It seems like the perfect conditions under a broody might be better for shipped eggs... I guess it would depend on their condition.

Having roosters is dangerous... I only have one in action and I can't stop incubating... but hey, I am following my bliss. In the Spring it will be madness! I really need a barn. I am working on my cabinet incubator... 120+ eggs!

I think you need a stealthy roo!

 

[calichicken]

More shipped eggs definitely up the odds of hatching some. I put my last batch in the incubator but I wonder if I should have put them right under the broody. It seems like the perfect conditions under a broody might be better for shipped eggs... I guess it would depend on their condition.

Having roosters is dangerous... I only have one in action and I can't stop incubating... but hey, I am following my bliss. In the Spring it will be madness! I really need a barn. I am working on my cabinet incubator... 120+ eggs!

I think you need a stealthy roo!

LOL! I just hatched out a beautiful bantam cochin that was a roo and boy was I tempted to keep him !!!

But I would be so sad if I kept him and then had to get rid of him

He was so sweet too!!!! We have them as pets with tiny eggs as bonus

I really need to move to a place with more land so I can go crazy hatching

I tried shipped under my broody and in the bator and neither were very successful

I always hatch with my classroom in the spring, I am planning on trying a bigger batch on bantam cochins at that time. I have no problem rehoming the chicks that I don't keep then through the lady that supplies fertile eggs to our local schools. Gotta figure out how to hatch out a quiet roo..LOL!!!!

 

[TeaChick]

Hello Tea Chick,
Actually your experience with the cochin broodiness goes beyond mine. I have never owned one, but a chicken, is a chicken, is a chicken! Your clues from the Golden Comet seem plain enough. If the Golden Comet were mine I would give her, her own nest box in a pen exclusive to her; and in that box I would place at least ten starter eggs; twelve being better. Presumably you have already collected or have access to the eggs you want her to hatch. And you know how to store them. Or collect as many as you want during the time she is going into broodiness. After she has finally gone broody for three days, take away the starter eggs at night and gently put under her your target eggs. She should be in a closed environment safely away from any and all predators: rats to snakes (Gopher snakes and their allies are good to have as rats will be eliminated as these do not eat larger birds or your precious eggs. There is a 6 foot female gopher living near my coops and there are no rodents to be concerned about, although I have not seen her about lately. The sad part is that they migrate away after they have cleaned house, plus they hibernate in cool weather making themselves unavailable for rodent duty. They don't bite and are quite docile and are not given to musking on you should you choose to handle one.) to coyotes. I would visit broody Goldie only to supply fresh H20 and food refills; otherwise stay away. I certainly would give this a go. Great thing is, is that the more often you engineer a broody, the better you get at it. It is a bit unusual for a hen to go broody this time of year what with the cooling days and nights and the progressively shortening daylight periods. But so what? At worst you redo the experiment again in late winter or spring. There is no such thing as guaranties in the animal world. If you go for it let us know how it works out. I'd be tickled to know. Your bird may be undergoing a discrete molt which can make them a bit huffy and pecking as this is a prime time of the year for it. Other molters look as though they have been run through a threshing machine.
I wish you and all our fellow bird nuts wellness, contentment and remuneration beyond your fondest dreams,
Neal the Zooman

Thank you, Neal!
I don't actually have eggs on hand at the moment.
It is beginning to get chilly here; I'd hate to lose chicks to the weather.
I did an image search for gopher snake pics. They look like pine snakes we have around here.
I'll consider experimenting with Goldie. We're supposed to have lows in the 40s within the next two weeks, but if it's supposed to warm up after that, then I would consider it more seriously.
All my girls molted last month.
Take care!!! Thanks again!!!

 

[TeaChick]

I always leave a "clutch" of plastic Easter eggs in the nest for them to go broody on. Then when I'm sure they r committed, I switch them out for the real thing.

I've been told (and experienced) that chickens will not always go broody on anything that doesn't warm up like eggs do. But I've heard of using golf balls (didn't work with my Cochin Bantam Frizzle) or plastic easter eggs, etc.
If I had eggs I'd want hatched, then I'd leave a clutch to see if she'll go ahead and go broody on her own eggs first.

Well shoot, I set some eggs sometime last week but I forgot to write down the date.

There's a post of candling pics. I check that to see where my eggs are developmentally and date candling, lockdown, and hatching dates from there.

 

[TeaChick]

LOL! I just hatched out a beautiful bantam cochin that was a roo and boy was I tempted to keep him !!!

But I would be so sad if I kept him and then had to get rid of him

He was so sweet too!!!! We have them as pets with tiny eggs as bonus

I really need to move to a place with more land so I can go crazy hatching

I tried shipped under my broody and in the bator and neither were very successful

I always hatch with my classroom in the spring, I am planning on trying a bigger batch on bantam cochins at that time. I have no problem rehoming the chicks that I don't keep then through the lady that supplies fertile eggs to our local schools. Gotta figure out how to hatch out a quiet roo..LOL!!!!

I feel ya. I hate having to get rid of my extra boys.

 

[flemingfeather]

Just bought some paint silkie eggs. Should not be hatching in Oct but couldn't say no lol

 

[TeaChick]

Just bought some paint silkie eggs. Should not be hatching in Oct but couldn't say no lol

I like not saying no!!!

 

[TeaChick]

So, an update on my shipped eggs thing:
I got 8 eggs. One of them was cracked, and I cracked it further a few days after I got them, so I had to toss that one.
I've been candling every few days to make sure I didn't have anything that looked like it might explode and to see what's going on with their development.
I candled last night. Two were alive and kicking!!! Three were obvious quitters and two were obvious clears. (I've never had zero questionable eggs before, weird.) Anyway, hopefully, these two go all the way and I get a blue egg layer and a green egg layer out of the hatch!!!