Olive egg project... tempting?

[technodoll]

I'm getting an incubator for my birthday at the end of the month

Of course it's too bitterly cold to hatch any eggs so I have to be patient until early March...

Until then I am planning and plotting.

For my first batch of eggs I want to use my own to test the incubator, I don't want to waste money on ordering eggs if I don't know what I'm doing

Here's what I'm planning, am hoping to collect about a dozen eggs in total:

White sultan hen X white silkie roo = sulkie, should be really cute! Not for egg value, of course...

White silkie hen X white silkie roo = pure white silkies (my breeder wants some from me)

But most importantly:

EE roos (I have two, one black & rust and one blue & rust) X my best sexlink hens = possible olive/greenish eggs, if one or both roos carry the blue egg gene. These particular sexlinks consistently lay nice dark brown eggs!

What do you think?

 

[Goose and Fig]

Do you have any marans or welsummers? That's how you get the really dark olive eggers

 

[onthespot]

I agree with your plan. practice on your own eggs, and most importantly be sure to STERILIZE your incubator between batches. I can't stress this enough. Bleach it out, rinse it, use vinegar, rinse it, let it sun bleach for several more days... once you get some bacteria setting up housekeeping in there, it can just destroy further hatches unless you completely disassemble it and bleach every single part of it that can get wet. Sun bleach it afterward. The Ameraucana/sex links sound like a great cross! You should maybe offer up some of those eggs in the crazy 24 hour auction thread and see what happens! You might have some money makers there!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=281963&p=1

 

[technodoll]

Thanks guys!

My goal is to purchase and hatch Maran or Welsummer eggs this summer as I currently do not have any in my flock... Just need to source a good local breeder here. Working on it!

And thank you for the info on sterilizing the incubator, you probably saved me from making a really bad mistake!!

Do I have to do this also before the very first hatch, even if the incubator is new, just in case?

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

OMG..thanks for the tip on cleaning the incubator. I am also planning on getting one and didn't realize the need to sterilize it after each hatch. Also when I order from the hatcheries I get the chicks take care of for marek's disease....when I incubate them myself how will I do this?

 

[onthespot]

No, first time it is clean. After each hatch. completely dis-assemble it. Take the screws out of the top, take the braces off for the heating element, wipe that with cleaner, wrap a paper towel and then saran wrap or a baggie over the thermostat and just clean it like CRAZY, not scrubbing hard, just give the bleach time to work. Leave it on for a half hour or more, not just spray and wipe. I know you will be jonesing to set eggs as soon as you hatch. Just taking the time in between hatches will make your hatches that much more successful. If you MUST hatch continuously, get two incubators.

 

[technodoll]

OK, good information - thank you!

I don't have the space or time to handle many chicks so doubt to be hatching babies more than two or three times a year, if even that.

I shall be careful!

We're moving next summer, too, so it's going to be one very busy year!