January 2016 Hatch-Come Join Me

[Math]

I set backyard mix eggs today.

Congrats!   I so can't wait.

I just happened to see my present in the front seat of hubby's truck.
Farm Innovators Pro, with fan and turner.  

I will be waiting til the 31st to start my first batch, per http://www.almanac.com/content/setting-chicken-eggs-moons-sign

Good luck on your next incubation. I just finished a hatch that yielded 21 chicks. One chick is slower developing than the others. The 20 are doing very well. Thanks for the info on setting by the moon. I may try that next time because I think the moon makes a difference in nature.

 

[draye]

Still looking for hatching eggs.

I've collected 1 dozen with still a couple if days to go on collecting. Would love to have about 2 dozen more. Going now to check to see if my dad's hens are still laying any. Maybe he'll let me buy him some store eggs in exchange for his fresh fertile eggs.

 

[Math]

How did you come out at your dad's? Did you get more eggs? If you were close by me in South Georgia you could get plenty fertile eggs from me each day.

Mine are backyard mix. But I really like how my Rhode Island Red rooster over my Buff Orpington hens turned out. Nice pullets.

What kind do your dad have?

 

[draye]

Well he is going to save the eggs from yesterday thru tomorrow. He's been getting 5 to 6 a day from 10 hens.

His are mostly White Leghorns and a couple of hens that were Sexlinked roo over California White hens. So basically barnyard mutts. The hens are under a Welsummer too.

I'm just getting the eggs to hatch and will probably give the pullets back to my dad when they get a little older. I just like to hatch more than a dozen or so chicks at once.

Your RIR out of BO sound like good ones. I've read from other posts here on BYC they they are excellent layers that may set also.

Got any pictures of them?

Here is my rooster that is over 7 hens that are laying, only I think there is only about 3 maybe 4 are actually laying right now.

 

[Math]

I will try to get a picture tomorrow of the offspring of the cross of RIR rooster over Buff Orpington hens. It has been very rainy and wet here.

Your rooster is a nice one. And congratulations on having access to plenty eggs. I hope you have a good hatch of NN's and also pullets for your dad.

 

[BlackRubleHatch]

Ill set some Christmas day. I got the incubator plugged in and getting everything regulated so Im in. I just had some white leghorn girls start laying and I wanna have some youngsters coming up through spring and start laying by fall. Ill probably set a bunch of eggs like a dozen a week till the incubator is full and by the time the first hatch off Ill be ready to put more in it. Im gonna try and raise atleast 20 or 30 pullets to hens to be able to sell fresh eggs and have plenty chicks to trade on and such.

 

[draye]

I'm getting ready to crank my bator up now. Have the on the counter for setting early in the morning.

I try to hatch plenty all at once, I don't have enough space to spread them out like that. I try to hatch when the first set is 6 weeks old until I run out if runs to put them in.

 

[BlackRubleHatch]

I was blessed with a 6ftx6ftx6ft wooden (cedar) play house that I have turned into a brooder that I keep my little fluffies (in cold weather I wait and keep them inside for a few weeks before I put them in there). It has a 3ftx3ft box with light in it and wire mesh at the bottom for the droppings. The box is made from 2in insulated panels and it works awesome. If i put a couple 100 watt bulbs in it while the weather is cold it will keep the chicks at around 90-100. When I get back on my feet (have a broken leg now but its on the mend) Im gonna cut a hole in the side of brooder and move my box on the outside and just line up the holes that way it gives them more room in the brooder for them to move around in.

 

[WthrLady]

I'll be joining you. All 2 dozen of my new years eggs failed so I am starting
Over a couple of days after christmas.

 

[draye]

I was blessed with a 6ftx6ftx6ft wooden (cedar) play house that I have turned into a brooder that I keep my little fluffies (in cold weather I wait and keep them inside for a few weeks before I put them in there). It has a 3ftx3ft box with light in it and wire mesh at the bottom for the droppings. The box is made from 2in insulated panels and it works awesome. If i put a couple 100 watt bulbs in it while the weather is cold it will keep the chicks at around 90-100. When I get back on my feet (have a broken leg now but its on the mend) Im gonna cut a hole in the side of brooder and move my box on the outside and just line up the holes that way it gives them more room in the brooder for them to move around in.

I have a run set up as a brooder room. In the shelter part it is mostly closed off and I have an old comforter up up to shield from the wind. Part of it is partionioned off and I put a couple of heat lamps for the chickens. They go out 2 days after hatching. I've had the best luck with them that way and lose less that way.

Where do you find 100 watt light bulbs? I've looked everywhere and can only find 72 watt.

I'll be joining you. All 2 dozen of my new years eggs failed so I am starting
Over a couple of days after christmas.

Sorry you lost all the New Years hatch eggs. But so glad to have you joining us for the January hatch.