Is it too late?

[Condi]

I know this has probably been asked before, but there are so many threads and posts that I decided to just ask again LOL (impatient I know LOL).. But I am new to chickens and I have grandsons who are excited about them as well. I am considering getting an incubator and letting them watch the hatching process (One grandson is 5 the other is 3). If I got the incubator today and the boys and I gather eggs tomorrow to incubate, would that put me having chicks that are too young to go out into the hen house and too old to stay in my house in September? (we have a week long trip that we go on every September). I was really looking forward to doing that project with the boys tomorrow, but now I am not so sure that the timing is good. Any thoughts?

 

[madamiec]

You should be able to put the chickens outside in plenty of time since it will be a late May hatch. Great project!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

If you place eggs this weekend, say Saturday, hatch day would be Saturday the 16th of May. If you brood them inside for 4 weeks it will be warm enough for them to be outside mid June.

If they are like my average birds that wont lay until around 24 weeks then you wont see eggs until November. Some birds lay later and with the quickly dwindling light that late in year some birds don't come into lay until spring. Supplementing light on a timer in coop to turn on early in morning and off around 8 am to add enough light with daylight for 12 hours will get them laying and continue laying trough winter.

 

[Condi]

Thank You, I will go get the incubator today. My Grandsons live 60 miles away, so it will be a fun thing for them to look forward to. I plan on lots of facebook pictures and text messages so that they can feel like we are doing this together. They are coming over tomorrow afternoon to "meet the chickens". I think that we will collect the eggs together, then begin incubating them.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thank You, I will go get the incubator today. My Grandsons live 60 miles away, so it will be a fun thing for them to look forward to. I plan on lots of facebook pictures and text messages so that they can feel like we are doing this together. They are coming over tomorrow afternoon to "meet the chickens". I think that we will collect the eggs together, then begin incubating them.

That's awesome! My son was 6 for the first and second incubation we did. He loved it. When you get the incubator, get your info for hatching here, from people who have hatched successfully and not from the instructions that go with the incubators, (especially the styrofoam incubators) especially where humidity is concerned. Those instructions are awful!! Most of us are more than willing to answer any questions and help you along the way. Also even if the bator has gages, if you can, pick up a seperate thermometer and hygrometer (or combo) that you can check for accuracy. Accurate gages can be a big factor in a succeful hatch and often the gages on the cheaper bators are off. Wish you all the luck!!