November 2021 Hatch-A-Long

[artbykarenehaley]

Mind if I JOIN IN??
View attachment 2886898
I traded two White Faced Black Spanish pullets for some eggs. My sister has a mosaic hen from Gold Feather Farms that is broody. Little Miss Sprinkles was setting on way too many eggs (20!!?) , so my sis packed them up in a warm blanket and brought them to me.

She's selecting eggs from specific hens to give to her broody at her house. Sprinkles still gets to be a mom, with a reasonable amount of eggs in a prefab coop kept only for broodies to use.

I'm hatching out the first group since I will need new layers next season.

Hatch dates are guesstimated between 11/14 and 11/18

I am here to update that I've only had to remove two quitters so far. Still goin strong with 18 eggs!

I will soon have to set up some sort of hatching incubator, since these eggs are pretty staggered in due date. I did make a homemade incubator last year that hatched some quail eggs, although it's quite small, but since these eggs' hatch days spread across about a week I should only be dealing with a few babies in it at a time. Right?

 

[Angel07]

4 ducklings in the brooder so far. Hoping to get another one or two but not sure. I'm also hoping they're soon because I've got 4 peacock eggs that need to be incubated.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Okay you Hatch-A-Holics, I had planned to store the incubator until the Easter hatch, but you twisted my arm here!

Actually I just found a stealth nest of sorts, waaay up in an overgrown rosemary bush. I don't understand how a Welsh Harlequin duck's behind can fit where my skinny arm can't, but... duck physics.

Those ones are marked with question marks. I also added today's (marked with 6) and yesterday's (marked with 5R to remind me they were refrigerated) and I'll sneak in tomorrow morning's also. Now I'm saving RIR chicken eggs and I'll add them in 7 days, which is also when I'll pull the obviously infertile/otherwise bad duck eggs.

 

[artbykarenehaley]

View attachment 2890248
4 ducklings in the brooder so far. Hoping to get another one or two but not sure. I'm also hoping they're soon because I've got 4 peacock eggs that need to be incubated.

Yaaaaaay! They're so fluffy

 

[McPickle88]

We are wanting to hatch some of our own eggs! When is the best time to do some?

 

[AgnesGray]

We are wanting to hatch some of our own eggs! When is the best time to do some?

It depends. The easiest time is to hatch early spring through summer and time them to be old enough to integrate with your flock before winter. The downside is that they are old enough to lay right when it starts getting cold and dark and the laying doesn't really happen much.

If you are wanting early spring eggs, hatching now is not a bad time as they will likely be coming into laying age right around spring and be very productive. The downside is brooding in the winter which lasts longer (at least where I am). I will say that my winter chicks tend to be very cold hardy.

 

[McPickle88]

It depends. The easiest time is to hatch early spring through summer and time them to be old enough to integrate with your flock before winter. The downside is that they are old enough to lay right when it starts getting cold and dark and the laying doesn't really happen much.

If you are wanting early spring eggs, hatching now is not a bad time as they will likely be coming into laying age right around spring and be very productive. The downside is brooding in the winter which lasts longer (at least where I am). I will say that my winter chicks tend to be very cold hardy.

Thank you for the information! I keep trying to talk my husband into letting me hatch this winter in our sunroom! I am think of investing in an incubator from TSC!

 

[AgnesGray]

Thank you for the information! I keep trying to talk my husband into letting me hatch this winter in our sunroom! I am think of investing in an incubator from TSC!

We have NR360s from TSC and they do great for us. It's best to keep the incubator out of any direct sunlight and not in a garage or anywhere it might struggle to maintain a steady temperature. We have a bathroom that has no windows that we set them in. I will warn you though.... it's addicting!

 

[McPickle88]

We have NR360s from TSC and they do great for us. It's best to keep the incubator out of any direct sunlight and not in a garage or anywhere it might struggle to maintain a steady temperature. We have a bathroom that has no windows that we set them in. I will warn you though.... it's addicting!

Good to know!!

 

[Miller79]

Waves hello to everyone. I am very new to having chickens and I have 9 eggs in the incubator. my hens were not sitting on them so i took them in ran out and got an incubator! well I think i have 9 eggs looking good. I would have more but my incubator only holds 9( using the automatic egg turner) they have been in 4 days! I will be here asking LOTS of questions!