Incubators Anonymous

[calichicken]

I have some eggs due to hatch today or tomorrow, but have no pips, zips, or chicks. JUST EGGS! Since I saw wiggling eggs in the turner Tues night, I really thought they would have been early. Because of this, I put them into lockdown Wed am. (Day 17, maybe 18) Has anyone ever seen rocking eggs 4-5 days before a hatch? My hatches have always been predictable, but these were started by a broody & finished in an incubator. (Kind of dirty-looking, but that's how they looked after my broody sat on them for a while. )

Meanwhile all I can do is stare at the hatcher & wait. I've also been talking to them & tapping on the incubator to see if the eggs will react. (Family thinks I'm going crazy.

)

LOL...mine thinks the same thing! And they even make a point to tell me that staring doesn't make them hatch any faster...LOL

Doesn't keep me from peeking in that window though and talking to them anyway! I have only noticed rocking a day or 2 before their due, but I also don't think I am looking for them to rock until then

Good luck with your hatch

 

[Faraday40]

Update:
Day 21 came & went with nothing.
Day 22 pips & chicks. All 6 hatched!

Let's play find the chicks:

 

[PD-Riverman]

Update:
Day 21 came & went with nothing.
Day 22 pips & chicks. All 6 hatched!

Great they hatched----beautiful picture. If you started counting day 1 24hrs after you put them in---then if you want you could increase your temp about 1/2 degree on your next hatch---then they should hatch late day 20 early day 21. Good Luck

 

[crzyckldy]

So I have been an incubating addict now for almost a year . So ofcourse my chicken population has exploded. Yet, I just can't stop hatching!! Lol! My question though, is what do all of you other "addicts " do with all of the chicks you hatch?? If you sale, where & how much, etc..? I have to learn I can't keep them all!! Thanks!!

 

[Sustained]

So I have been an incubating addict now for almost a year . So ofcourse my chicken population has exploded. Yet, I just can't stop hatching!! Lol! My question though, is what do all of you other "addicts " do with all of the chicks you hatch?? If you sale, where & how much, etc..? I have to learn I can't keep them all!! Thanks!!

I sell my extras on Craigslist. I also get a good idea of prices by checking what everyone else on there is selling for. It's easier to rehome Roos if you sell a pair. Meaning a hen and roo package. I'm curious what others do though.

 

[PD-Riverman]

So I have been an incubating addict now for almost a year . So ofcourse my chicken population has exploded. Yet, I just can't stop hatching!! Lol! My question though, is what do all of you other "addicts " do with all of the chicks you hatch?? If you sale, where & how much, etc..? I have to learn I can't keep them all!! Thanks!!

I have hatched 1 or 2 styrofoam incubators of chicks a year for years until about 10 months ago. I decided to Hatch a few more. I built a cabinet incubator and a cabinet hatcher and hatched some more. About 3 months ago I bought 2 more cabinet incubators because they sold at Auction for a deal/steal----figured I would clean them up and resale----No I ended up filling them with eggs. About a month ago I had 949 eggs in these incubators-----incubating at one time. 2 weeks ago I bought another GQF cabinet at Auction----got it cleaned up and working good----But I have not put any eggs in it------Yet----LOL.

In the last 10 months I have hatched around 4000 chicks with 900 eggs in the incubators as I type this. I sell some on craigslist, I sell some to people that get my number off the Bulletin boards. I sell some from referal from customers and a couple workers at Tractor Supply(when they don't have any or do not have what the customer is looking for). I sold several hundred to a Auction House that sells chickens once a month and to a store that wanted to sell chicks, etc, etc. In the beginning my Biggest place to sell was a weekly small animal Auction I attend weekly---but now I sell more from home. I do have about 500 right now that I am growing out----or trying to grow out-----people are wanting young chicks now that do not have to be on heat as well as just pullets---so I sell them some and keep hatching more and the cycle repeats. Incubating/hatching can lead to an Addiction----be careful! LOL

 

[scflock]

So I have been an incubating addict now for almost a year . So ofcourse my chicken population has exploded. Yet, I just can't stop hatching!! Lol! My question though, is what do all of you other "addicts " do with all of the chicks you hatch?? If you sale, where & how much, etc..? I have to learn I can't keep them all!! Thanks!!

I sell faster than I can hatch on Craigslist. People are waiting this time of year. I sell day olds, and if they don't sell in the first few weeks I keep them until they are old enough to sex and sell started pullets and roosters. Tip on the roosters: Find a few customers that will buy many roosters at a time, sell them cheap, and don't ask what they are going to do with them

 

[crzyckldy]

Thank you so much for your replies!! I did sale 5 young cockerels to one person one time , and yeah, I didn't ask why he wanted them all!

 

[ki4got]

thought I'd post up my GQF family... (hubby's having a fit, I just set about 150 eggs... or so.)


the sportsman is on loan (kinda)... it had a faulty control center, I swapped it out with my hatcher's and works good again. just can't add a turner to the hatcher if I ever decide to.
the brooders behind, the bottom 2 are in use, but the bottom one, those chicks will be going outside this weekend likely. the middle one has 3 Serama in it, until some more sfh hatch in a few days.

 

[Faraday40]

I sold a bunch last year off Craigslist & got taken a few times.
Paid $40 for 1 dozen hatching eggs & sold all 10 chicks to a family who fell in love with them for $45. They seemed so sincere, the kids were adorable, & I liked the idea of my chicks going to a great home. The next day I saw my baby chicks (same leg bands, numbers, & all) selling for $10-15 each! I could understand if they changed their minds & needed to sell a few extras, but why double & triple the price?