More expensive bator..better?(Updated w/Pics)

[zchickens]

One thing I forgot to mention. In the developing eggs, you can definitely tell a marked difference in how well developed the chicks from the crossbreeds are versus the purebreeds. The blue copper/wheaten fetuses are much larger and the veining much more pronounced versus the white orpington fetuses (same goes for the maran/orpington & austrolop/maran crosses). I know that hybrid vigor is expected, but am very surprised to the extent of it. It is as if the eggs from the maran crosses have incubated 3 or 4 days longer than the orpington eggs, yet they were started at the same time

......

One other note on the faverolles I got a few days ago....I am very impressed on how gentle they are, even the roo, with my young kids (3, 7 & 9). My oldest son is already asking if I will incuabate a few eggs once they start laying.

Z

 

[zchickens]

Bump. On Day 19. Have eggs set in the cartons, and will up the humidity tomorrow morning.

Not much longer....

 

[skeeter9]

Well????? Anything ??????

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

I plan on buying the rcom 20 pro. Let me know how this one works

 

[the1much]

hehehe,, the sportsman took like 20 minutes to get to temp,, and has been going strong for 4 days

pssssst ,, get the sportsman

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

no sportsman for me. Your nuts! If I got one my mom would kill me when she sees 200+ chicks in my room.

 

[the1much]

Quote:
break her in right ,, do the thousand+ quail

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

yeah thats great! 100 cages around the house with nothing but button quail. Actually scratch that! Make a huge bird cage around our yard and put them in! that way I can have as much as I want.

 

[zchickens]

WHOA!!

Hatch Day arrived. 10 out of the 11 hatched, with the 10 new chicks hatching out within about 12 hours. I have four blue chicks, 3 black ones, and 3 white orpingtons. So for the chickens from my barn 7 out of 7 hatched. On the shipped orpington eggs 3 out of 7. The buff orpington/blue copper maran chick turned out to be blue

; the austrolop/blue cooper chick was black. Surprisingly (at least to me) all the wheaten maran/blue copper maran chicks were either blue or black (no wheaten

)

10 out of 14 .... a whole lot better than 3 out of 8, 2 out of 14, 3 out of 34, 4 out of 14, and zero out of 15 (all the hatches with my brower top hatch).

So yes, it is well worth the $$ if you can afford it (or find a used one like I did). A ton less work to boot !!

Okay, I know....pictures...

In the brooder

I will post some closer up photos of the new chicks tomorrow (I think I have disturbed them enough today)

Z

 

[chickenma]

Now I really want one.
Great chicks pictures.
Thanks for sharing