March Hatch-Along Thread- Come Hatch With Us!!!!!

[mjanderson437]

I sent you a PM dear.

And now I understand why people have multiple incubators!!! Mine is full until mid-March. Arggggg!

 

[mjanderson437]

Well I tried my first hatch last month and was a total failure. Made some upgrades on incubator and temp/humidity gauge. Setting at 6Am. I'm going to do a few things different this time to see if it will help. I have 15 eggs I collected. Most from my production reds. Throw in 2 RIR/EE eggs for the heck of it. Why not lol. Going to try the dry method this time around. Humidity at 37%-Temp at 100. So I guess well go from there. Won't candle till day 7, so I guess I will give update from there.

Hope you have a better hatch this time. It's certainly a nerve-wracking process. Or maybe I'm just too impatient!

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Hope you have a better hatch this time. It's certainly a nerve-wracking process. Or maybe I'm just too impatient!

You and me both!!

Such a long wait. I do have some chicks to keep me busy. Have some Light Brahmas from TSC. These are the most scared birds I have ever worked with. Have some Heritage Reds coming in the middle of this month. So at least I will be busy building and fencing new houses and areas outside. LOL. That way I'm not sitting here staring at this dang thing 24/7. Like it's going to make the process faster.

 

[Maah]

So it is to early to candle right now? I can see in the eggs, but I've gotten mixed answers about candling on day 4.

I've seen your setup and wow, you have those kiddos packed in there! I think they're ALL going to develop and you'll have to get creative with your turning. And they will hatch like popcorn, and you'll have little chickie-doodles with their cheeks smushed up against the wall. Please please please take pictures when that happens! LOL. I am quite excited over your fitting (what was it, 17 eggs?) in there? Makes me want to see how many I can fit in mine.

I have read where one person had shipped eggs and though they did turn them, it wasn't a drastic turning. Just a slight tilting another way... a little rotation. They had a great hatch rate. I think you should be able to do that still with what you have. Most of them have some angle to them, just spin them a little each and I think it would be ok. But yes, you should wait until day 7 or so before you start chucking out eggs.

 

[PugBug]

ugh....well....we went with 2 weeks of HEAVY HEAVY antibiotics AND antifungals and we are PRAYING that saves the day. This tooth will require sinus surgery if it has to get pulled. **faint** How is your son doing after such a huge extraction load??

Thanks for the recipe Brooks!!!

GO BABIES GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAY FOR CHICKS AND EGGS!!!! GLB! *swoon*

I want to hatch turkeys!!! CUTENESS!!!

X2!!!

I would LOVE a box of those blood oranges!! *cough* mail me some *cough*

I didnt know chickens would eat citrus!

ADDICTING??? HATCHING??? Noooooooooooo!!!

I don't know about other citrus, but mine love the oranges- so far just about any fruit & veg I give them they love. Well not lettuce, they won't eat that... Since 3 oranges weigh a pound

I can't send you a box- BUT you are welcome to come get some!

It's what, an 8-10 hr drive? You could be here b/f the PO could get them to ya anyway!

 

[PugBug]

Well I finally lost the one I was worried about. Its organs were outside of its body cavity. Sometimes nature knows the right thing to do

Poor little thing! So sorry hokankai

Thankfully that is not something I've had to deal w/ before...

 

[PugBug]

Oh goodness, here's some interesting info.

One of my good friends just emailed me & would like the use of my incubator for an experiment. Apparently her mom's friend has a lonely chicken hen that seems to have a male duck as a "friend with benefits". She wants to try to hatch some of the eggs. LOL!!

I told her that chickens and ducks are not genetically compatible, but she wants to try anyways. I said sure, why not.

So, after my next set hatches (expecting March 30th hatch day), I guess we might make a failed attempt at her experiment. It should be fun at least. HA!! That is unless she changes her mind, or the hen gets herself a new boyfriend between now & then.

Oh dear! Even if it was possible, poor little things would be so screwed up!

 

[PugBug]

OK, so I came home from the dentist, took my meds, and now I just put incubator 2 on lockdown!! I candled and SMELLED all 32 eggs, removed one that I checked a few times before deciding on it being a quitter and locked the rest down....i have THIRTY ONE moving and kicking and I think one of those teeny tiny silkies may have already pipped inside!!!

The scariest thing NOW is the humidity. CLEARLY it was not high enough last time, so I am going to try and keep it 75% and up til the end now. The last bunch was a mess!!! I still cant believe I got my lockdown days off, lol!!! Here we go again!!!

Yep, I keep my humidity up high too, since then I've had 3 great hatches! Great hatch vibes coming your way!

 

[Maah]

I don't know about other citrus, but mine love the oranges- so far just about any fruit & veg I give them they love. Well not lettuce, they won't eat that... Since 3 oranges weigh a pound

I can't send you a box- BUT you are welcome to come get some!

It's what, an 8-10 hr drive? You could be here b/f the PO could get them to ya anyway!

Use a flat rate box... If it fits, it ships! LOL.

I can't believe your chickens won't eat lettuce! Wow. The only thing I've found that my chicken wont eat are fish heads (don't ask) and banana peels. However my goats will eat the banana peels and now we just bury the fish yuck when we plant a new tree... works as great fertilizer.

Oh dear! Even if it was possible, poor little things would be so screwed up!

I know right!? I told her it wouldn't work. I'm not sure why she's insisting on trying (trust me, she's a mature adult... and pure farmgirl at that, but her specialty is with horses, not poultry). I'm not worried about creating some little genetic mutation, since they're different species to begin with. We didn't force the hen & duck to become "friends", they just apparently are. Now our other friend (we're a trio of besties) got wind of the hen/duck situation, and she's wants in on the pre-failed fun. She said she'd try to wrangle up some turkey/chicken eggs. (She was joking). But, it will be another reason for us to get together, bust open the wine, and play some cards. Not that we need a reason.

 

[PugBug]

So it is to early to candle right now? I can see in the eggs, but I've gotten mixed answers about candling on day 4.

It's not too early, you just might not see much yet.