Setting Eggs tonite - due to hatch March 2nd, Anyone want to join in?

[Busybee1]

I am setting 11 eggs. 3 Speckeled Sussex, 3 light Sussex and 5 Buff Brahma. This is my second go around in a homemade bater. My first batch did not hatch. I think my temp was low. I am ready for round 2. They are shipped eggs from hot2pot

All arrived intact, I let them sit for 12 hours and in the bater they went this morning.

 

[Glenmar]

Getting my eggs Sunday. 24 mostly Dominques and a few Australorps.
This will be my first hatch for this year.

 

[LoupGarou]

I am setting 18 eggs: 11 golden campine and 7 bantam EEs. I am very curious about how the EEs will turn out, since one rooster in with the one hen is the only survivor of a nice brown red Ameraucana clutch of eggs (stupid post office) and the other roo is an EE with very pretty plumage. I'll be trying a second time with eggs from the same seller, since it wasn't his fault that the P.O. took so long to deliver the eggs, but I won't complain if the chicks turn out as pretty as the EE parents (the hen is a white with what looks like red lacing on her head and shoulders and blush on her breast) or if they lay eggs as nice as the hen does.

 

[PAchickenlover]

I set 16 chicken eggs and 26 duck eggs on the 9th. So I should have some chicks hatching on the 2nd and some ducklings on the 9th. I am also using a home-made bator... I am using an old cooler, I put a hole in the top of the lid for the light cord to go through. I still have to get a thermostat to regulate the temperature better but so far it is holding around 99 - 102 degrees. I check the temperature often so that I know it doesn't get too hot. The cooler seems to be keeping the temperature pretty steady though.. Most of the time the temp is at 101. I have a regular florescent light bulb in it, no heat lamp bulb. We are going to start to build our brooder soon so it is ready when the chicks and ducklings hatch. I am so excited for this hatch
If you have never had ducklings you dont know what fun they are.. To watch them in your bath tub swimming around, diving under the water and shooting across the tub, it is hilarious... When mine hatch and I can put them in the tub, I will have to put a video of them in the tub on here so you can see...
Mollie

 

[Busybee1]

I set 16 chicken eggs and 26 duck eggs on the 9th. So I should have some chicks hatching on the 2nd and some ducklings on the 9th. I am also using a home-made bator... I am using an old cooler, I put a hole in the top of the lid for the light cord to go through. I still have to get a thermostat to regulate the temperature better but so far it is holding around 99 - 102 degrees. I check the temperature often so that I know it doesn't get too hot. The cooler seems to be keeping the temperature pretty steady though.. Most of the time the temp is at 101. I have a regular florescent light bulb in it, no heat lamp bulb. We are going to start to build our brooder soon so it is ready when the chicks and ducklings hatch. I am so excited for this hatch
If you have never had ducklings you dont know what fun they are.. To watch them in your bath tub swimming around, diving under the water and shooting across the tub, it is hilarious... When mine hatch and I can put them in the tub, I will have to put a video of them in the tub on here so you can see...
Mollie

Don't even tempt me to hatch ducks.....I have already become too obsessed with chickens

Can't wait to see them!!

 

[Loretta212]

i hatched my first ducks on jan 28th!!!! they are sooooooo cute!!! and so easy to hatch ! very forgiving and the eggs are almost transparent when you candle making it so cool too watch them develop!! you should try it!

 

[Busybee1]

I learned a lot from my first "bad" hatch.

I figured out my light and digital thermometer are a little too high above the eggs to give an accurate reading. I am leaving it as is and keeping the temp higher than last time. Additionally, last time I had some low dips to 96-97 because I was so afraid of frying the chicks. This time a couple of days before I put the eggs in I put a meat thermometer in a cup of water it read in the 94 range. I don't think it was as accurate as the other internal temp taking methods but it gave me an idea of the internal vs. external difference.

I also candled way too often. This time I bought 4 baby chicks, so every time I want to "play" with something I play with a chick instead of the eggs.

This is starting to get way too technical, but it is so much fun!! Happy hatching to us!!

 

[PAchickenlover]

Here are some of my pics that i tool of the first time I hatched a duckling.... It is just as addicting as chickens... This is what the eggs look like when you candle them..


This is our Buddy at a few days old..

His first swim..

Ok i promise i'll stop soon.. This is the part that is sooooo funny... When they do this and more in your bathtub..

Last one.... Here is Buddy now..

Ok sorry, now that I have that out of my system.... I do the same with my chicks... Keep track of their growth through pics... But nothing compared to hatching our first duck egg....

 

[Busybee1]

That duckling is tooo cute

 

[Busybee1]

Ok, I candled a couple days early.....day 8. 9 out of 11 look viable. Four were moving like crazy!! I do not want to count my eggs before they hatch, but i am really excited!!!!