Setting eggs in incubator May 3rd...Anyone with me?

[melina90]

Well, it is so strange you should be asking this. Today I was in the barn, cleaning out a horse stall that is now a chicken pen. The barn is metal with rough cut oak boards lining the stalls, so there is a small dead space there. In one corner of the stall I have made a brooder, which is contains 38 meat chicks....red rangers, and dual purpose males. I don't know if the chicks made a noise, or I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye, but I turned toward the brooder in time to see a 3 foot long black snake come through a gap in the wood boards and drop into the brooder. Needless to say, I went nuts. I had a flat coal shovel in my hand, and I took it and started screaming like a fool, and hitting at the snake. It managed to get out of the brooder, and I penned it under the edge of my shovel, and eventually killed it. I just knew that will all of my panic that I had hurt one or more of the babies, but I guess they managed to stay out of the way of the shovel. I really think it was just coming to the heat lamp, because we are having a really cool day today, and the sun it had been in was moving and it was seeking warmth.....but I am sure it would have gotten at least one of my babies if I hadn't been there. Some predators would have come in and hurt your hen, but a snake would go after the eggs. Now whether they would literally suck the inside out of one, I do not know....though I think I remember my mother telling me about a snake doing that when she was younger. The gap it came through was no more than 3/4 of an inch. Gonna have to line the brooder with plywood or something similar.

Eeeeeeek! This is going to give me nightmares! Gosh. Glad you have a strong heart! I would have fainted!

Still have goosebumps five minutes after reading!

 

[SarahJaneB]

My broody has a good 8 chicks out of 11!!! One was half hatched and crushed underneath her sadly but for a first timer she's an awesome momma!! My incubator hatch was horrible sadly. Out of 44 eggs only 11 made it and 3 I know are going to die because they were in the eggs to long and their feet and legs wont let them walk which doesn't let them eat. I know I should cull them but I haven't the heart to do it, so i'm thinking of taking them to my neighbor who raises chicks and asking if he'd do it for me?

So many mishaps during this hatch that I suppose having just 8 healthy chicks is a blessing. I bought a new incubator and a turner so I can have two bators going at the same time now... I'm going to be overrun with chicks soon!!!

 

[SarahJaneB]

 

[BCMaraniac]

Eeeeeeek! This is going to give me nightmares! Gosh. Glad you have a strong heart! I would have fainted!

Still have goosebumps five minutes after reading!

It still gives me the willies today!!I figured I would have bad dreams, but I didn't......my husband did though

Serves him right for being on the tractor and not hearing me scream!!

 

[BCMaraniac]

How sweet!! I had two peeps hatch today under my black copper maran broody, and one of them looked a lot like this one(all are mutts), so hopefully more by morning!!

 

[serama hen]

the eggs are due to hatch in 2 days but 2 of them are moving vigorously! and i heard a pip but i have a problem it a hovabator 1602 humidity at 75 and temp at 99 to 100 perfect. So the egg turner i left in because i mistimed the chicken egg hatching day and added duck eggs wich are due to hatch 2 weeks later. now i couldnt leave the duck eggs without turning while the chickens lied flat and i count lay the chickens flat while the duck eggs turned. So the rods that carry the eggs are able to be taken off and i took off 3 rows but under them was a plastic lining so i didnt know what to do i put the eggs in between these plastic lines and it seems movement for them would be hawhat should i do take out the egg turner their on their second day of lockdown i will lose valubale humidity and temp but how will the move to get to their air sacs what will i do i need an answer by today please! oh i wanna join the hatch along!

 

[Cotton42]

Looks like my hatch is winding down. 9 hatched, 3 assisted. I don't think my humidity was high enough for a little while and they got shrink wrapped but all 3 are doing fine so far. 2 piped on the wrong end and died before I noticed and 4 haven't piped at all but I'm not holding my breath, they are the ones I was worried that the air cells were too small at lockdown. All things considered I think 9 out of 15 was a good hatch rate for the trial run of my homemade bator!

 

[DiamondDust]

My hatch is finished! I ended up with 8 Barnevelders and 3 Polish chicks. That is exactly half of the eggs I set three weeks ago. I am happy with that average with an older LG incubator and shipped eggs. My friend hatched 4out of 6 Barnevelder eggs and 3 out of 6 Polish eggs. She gave me back the Barnies that she hatched so I have a nice dozen Barnevelder chicks! Oh, happy day!!

DD

 

[melina90]

My hatch is finished! I ended up with 8 Barnevelders and 3 Polish chicks. That is exactly half of the eggs I set three weeks ago. I am happy with that average with an older LG incubator and shipped eggs. My friend hatched 4out of 6 Barnevelder eggs and 3 out of 6 Polish eggs. She gave me back the Barnies that she hatched so I have a nice dozen Barnevelder chicks! Oh, happy day!!

DD

Congrats! Why didn't she want the barnevelders? 50% hatch rate is AWESOME for shipped eggs. I had about 22,5% on mine...

 

[melina90]

Nothing sweeter to watch than a momma hen with her peeps! It gets more fun every day, soon she'll be taking them out and about to show them the world! Make sure you take time to watch and enjoy