June Hatch-A-Long

[jolenesdad]

So far so good!!!! No carnage in the broody’s nest and she clucked at me instead of screamed. I didn’t check underneath her, I’m going to wait until later this morning to disturb her. Oh, fingers crossed those eggs made it out, and now they can fight fowl pox.

 

[FortCluck]

I only let her sit on 6 to incubate and threw all the rest under her at lockdown. She isn’t the largest girl and I thought anything more than that would develop staggered. I have a friend that hatches 2 dozen under her Cochin!!!

My Cochins are both sitting on eggs. The bantam Brahma and Muscovy are too. I don’t even know what day they are on.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So I finally cracked and bought 3 cartons from Whole Foods to hatch (the person nearby I was originally going to buy celadon quail eggs from got super swamped with orders so I was tired of waiting). Eggs are around 9 days old which is good enough for me! (yes, I have chicken themed decor for my kitchen ). Rock Island rep let me know that their eggs are Leghorn/Rhode Island crosses.

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I have hatched 5 chicks from 24 grocery store eggs before (the eggs were around 2 weeks old). The carton was marked fertile, I haven't tried it with regular free range/cage free ones. If the Julian date is recent (around 7 days or less) you might have a good chance of getting a few to hatch.

Thanks! Can't wait to hear how yours do!

 

[Vantic]

Two fluff balls out, more pips!

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have tighter wire than that, in my incubator, but I am going to lay paper towels out before the hatch, I had one hatch fine, but the wet cords hanging off the navel got stuck on the wire, and dragged the rest of the guts out. what I said was graphic, but I hope it doesn't happen to others.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I "THINK" one of my broody hens may have self-broken. She was broody the longest so I wouldn't be surprised. She will officially be my longest sitting broody. My unintentional experiment, she sat for about 3 months. Long story short, I have hatched chicks for her like 3 times but the demand for chicks has been so high that the chicks would sometimes be sold before they even hatched! Looking back now I'm feeling pretty guilty because she's one of my super sweet proven broody hens but I wouldn't be surprised if she starts caring for the chicks with the other hens once these babies hatch. She was one of my co-parenting hens from last year and her girlfriend is sitting again and she keeps coming in to chat with her. I love chicken watching, lol.

This was them last year.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

How many of you guys have tried the Mama Heating Pad and how many still use the tradition heat lamp?
I usually have the brooder in the house and find a typical 60 or 75 watt (old round type) bulb does fine for 15 to 20 chicks. But I've got a shipment of 15 coming this week plus whatever hatches out of these 18 eggs.

If you do the MHP, how do you like it vs the lamps?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

How many of you guys have tried the Mama Heating Pad and how many still use the tradition heat lamp?
I usually have the brooder in the house and find a typical 60 or 75 watt (old round type) bulb does fine for 15 to 20 chicks. But I've got a shipment of 15 coming this week plus whatever hatches out of these 18 eggs.

If you do the MHP, how do you like it vs the lamps?

I use heat plates, I used the heat lamp like once and then gave it to my friend. I'm not a fan of the heat lamp personally. I keep my chicks indoors for the first 2-3 weeks and I like that they sleep naturally with the heat plate and can cuddle under it. They also seem healthier in general. When I used a heat lamp they would run around and they just drop randomly from exhaustion, I don't really see that at all with the heat plate, they go under it to sleep and come out for everything else. I also had issues with them pecking each other with the lamp and that doesn't happen with the heat plate. It also gives them somewhere to go where the others leave them alone when I'm raising multiple ages together. Just my thoughts.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Safely use a lamp. clamped tied and bolted.

 

[FortCluck]

How many of you guys have tried the Mama Heating Pad and how many still use the tradition heat lamp?
I usually have the brooder in the house and find a typical 60 or 75 watt (old round type) bulb does fine for 15 to 20 chicks. But I've got a shipment of 15 coming this week plus whatever hatches out of these 18 eggs.

If you do the MHP, how do you like it vs the lamps?

I use a brooder plate