March 2017! Hatch with us!

[KeelErrrrp]

Very adorable!

Is your brooder a kiddie pool?

Yes, we have a little one to start them in, and a bigger one when they start to escape. We wrap it in taller cardboard.

 

[dan26552]

She's on the final stretch, eight days left!!!

 

[hensareus]

Everybody wish me luck. Just bought a new lg9300 and started some ducks. Have not done them before, so if there are tips or tricks...Have read until my eyes hurt.

 

[Birdydeb]

Girls brooder

Boys brooder

Last five that hatched late afternoon and last night

 

[Jessimom]

My quotes aren't working this morning! Congratulations to all the new hatches - adorable chicks and ducks!! Good luck to all the new hatchers!!

My broody pile has at least 2 chicks. I could hear them, but couldn't see them. Saw 1 hatched shell and it looked clean. I figure with that many mommas, I"m not going to see a chick unless I set up a camera down there. There is a 5th hen that joined the pile. I have another pile of silkies that have gone broody in another area - they don't have any fertile eggs, so no fun for them. They are tucked in a tunnel like area, so I can't see how many are there. But, I think at least half of my silky pen is broody right now.

Plus I have about 3 of my LF birds that are broody as well.

Since I have 3 incubators going right now. I just locked down a full bator, I just set an almost full bator with the Easter HAL and I have a 3rd bator with day 16 eggs and day 10 eggs. Since my lock down bator isn't going to be clean in time for the day 16 eggs, does anyone think I should slip the hatching eggs under those broody hens?

 

[Birdydeb]

Everybody wish me luck. Just bought a new lg9300 and started some ducks. Have not done them before, so if there are tips or tricks...Have read until my eyes hurt.

This was my first duck hatch ever. Not an expert by any means. I used my own eggs and gathered the cleanest, freshest for five days in egg cartoons pointed end down and turned the ones waiting morning and night. I got 16 out of 18 that went into lockdown. Everybody had different thoughts on what percentage humidity to use. Not sure where I read it....maybe Metzer's site? I used 50% humidity until lockdown when I pushed to 75-78% because I had read somewhere in an article..."they are waterfowl, they like the moisture" , so I went with that thought. So whether it was newbie luck or how anal I was....dunno. But they just kept popping right out without problems. Maybe that helps.

 

[WVduckchick]

Everybody wish me luck. Just bought a new lg9300 and started some ducks. Have not done them before, so if there are tips or tricks...Have read until my eyes hurt.

Several duck hatchers here, so we'll hold your hand if you need it. Good luck!

My quotes aren't working this morning!  Congratulations to all the new hatches - adorable chicks and ducks!!  Good luck to all the new hatchers!!  

My broody pile has at least 2 chicks.  I could hear them, but couldn't see them.  Saw 1 hatched shell and it looked clean.  I figure with that many mommas, I"m not going to see a chick unless I set up a camera down there.  There is a 5th hen that joined the pile.  I have another pile of silkies that have gone broody in another area - they don't have any fertile eggs, so no fun for them. They are tucked in a tunnel like area, so I can't see how many are there.  But, I think at least half of my silky pen is broody right now.   

Plus I have about 3 of my LF birds that are broody as well.  

Since I have 3 incubators going right now.  I just locked down a full bator, I just set an almost full bator with the Easter HAL and I have a 3rd bator with day 16 eggs and day 10 eggs.  Since my lock down bator isn't going to be clean in time for the day 16 eggs, does anyone think I should slip the hatching eggs under those broody hens?  

Tough decision. Do you mean the set of hens that don't have fertile eggs? Are they experienced mommas? Maybe slip them a couple of the eggs today and more later? I'd be most concerned about them being about ready to hatch, and maybe the girls aren't quite ready for that. I know, I'm not much help. Lol!

This was my first duck hatch ever. Not an expert by any means. I used my own eggs and gathered the cleanest, freshest for five days in egg cartoons pointed end down and turned the ones waiting morning and night. I got 16 out of 18 that went into lockdown. Everybody had different thoughts on what percentage humidity to use. Not sure where I read it....maybe Metzer's site? I used 50% humidity until lockdown when I pushed to 75-78% because I had read somewhere in an article..."they are waterfowl, they like the moisture" , so I went with that thought. So whether it was newbie luck or how anal I was....dunno. But they just kept popping right out without problems. Maybe that helps.

Awesome hatch you had, congrats! I incubate ducks around 30-35%, and it seems to work for me. I really wish humidity was as easy a number for everyone as temp is, but so much about local conditions affects ideal humidity. Sounds like you dialed yours in well!

 

[orrpeople]

Yes, we have a little one to start them in, and a bigger one when they start to escape. We wrap it in taller cardboard.

Very cool, pics?

 

[Cerise1924]

Not egg or hatch related- but we made some transitions with our roosters today. God-complex roo attacked my husband today, so he was reassigned to a smaller grow out pen we have until a lady on CL comes to take him away. So we brought out our two 18 week old boys to start learning the flock master trade. It was like Jr. High boys around a bunch of high school girls. At one point, they were both just standing frozen behind a bush as the hens walked past. I think I may have heard them whisper something like, "Wow, she's cute... shhh. Don't let her know we're staring!"

That is such a cute description!

 

[Cerise1924]

My first hatching! Swedish Flower and Double-Laced Barnevelder Babies. We got 14 chickies!!