Setting Eggs on the 27th...

[MyNameIs86]

Congrats Dreamer5577... I had a 50% hatch rate... Since I bought 12 and got down to 7 after the first 2 days due to cracks. Only 6 of the 7 hatched so I say 50% hatch rate is good... considering last year i had 0 %. lol. Now comes the fun part....<--- me being sarcastic... Time to clean the incubator....

 

[goodb]

I also have a video, but I don't have a you tube account. It seems funny to have chicks again after just tending to the big girls for a year.I hope these Partridge Rocks do as well as the Barred Rocks because they seem to be egg laying machines. I'll have to play with the heat lamp to get it just the right temp for the chicks. Now I'm going to have to get off my butt and build a growing out coop and pen. It won't take them long to out grow my brooders. I also got to get my incubator all cleaned up and sanitized before I put it away.

Just so you know, I had a Partridge Rock from Murray McMurray. She was not a strong layer. I hope that's not the case for you. Congrats on your hatches.

 

[MyNameIs86]

So, it's been 1 week for some of my chicks since they hatched and they have become rowdy.
trying to fly the coop...literally. lol. I have found a great home for them all and delivering them on Thursday... right now it won't come soon enough but at the same time i'm going to miss these little buggers... BUT i will be hatching more eggs starting on Friday.

 

[Feather duster]

Same here, their just bouncing from one end of the brooder to the other. They keep taking these flying leaps trying their wings out already. I usually keep chicks in my small brooder for two weeks before putting them in the larger one.But I'm thinking maybe this weekend they will be ready. These birds seem a lot more livelier and healthy than the day old chicks I got last year. I think being able to rest 24 hours in the incubator after hatching and not having to go through the ordeal of shipping really gives them a jump start.

 

[WVduckchick]

Same here, their just bouncing from one end of the brooder to the other. They keep taking these flying leaps trying their wings out already. I usually keep chicks in my small brooder for two weeks before putting them in the larger one.But I'm thinking maybe this weekend they will be ready. These birds seem a lot more livelier and healthy than the day old chicks I got last year.  I think being able to rest 24 hours in the incubator after hatching and not having to go through the ordeal of shipping really gives them a jump start.

Interesting observation. Wonder if anyone else has noticed much difference between hatched and bought chicks. I'm hatching some now, and bought 2 females (locally, not shipped) about 4 weeks ago to keep the turkey I hatched company. But being with the turkey may not give me a good comparison. And they are different breeds. But still interesting to wonder about.

 

[WalnutHill]

Interesting observation. Wonder if anyone else has noticed much difference between hatched and bought chicks. I'm hatching some now, and bought 2 females (locally, not shipped) about 4 weeks ago to keep the turkey I hatched company. But being with the turkey may not give me a good comparison. And they are different breeds. But still interesting to wonder about.

There is NO doubt that home hatched chicks of equivalent stock and care have at least a three day advantage on mail order chicks. I've bought thousands of chicks and many dozens of turkeys and have switched to hatching eggs, even shipped eggs, due to the difference.

 

[WVduckchick]

There is NO doubt that home hatched chicks of equivalent stock and care have at least a three day advantage on mail order chicks.  I've bought thousands of chicks and many dozens of turkeys and have switched to hatching eggs, even shipped eggs, due to the difference.

Very cool. I like incubating better anyway! Lol

 

[dreamer5577]

So, it's been 1 week for some of my chicks since they hatched and they have become rowdy.
trying to fly the coop...literally. lol. I have found a great home for them all and delivering them on Thursday... right now it won't come soon enough but at the same time i'm going to miss these little buggers... BUT i will be hatching more eggs starting on Friday.

Awesome! I'll be hatching again starting next Friday! Good luck with your new hatch!