She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[WalnutHill]

I'm sorry, guys, but I have to set my eggs tomorrow.

The challenge:
18 assorted bantam chickens, with three eggs randomly selected (the last in each row in an 18 egg carton), ID tagged, weighed and air cell marked.
12 ISA Brown eggs, with 3 eggs randomly selected (every fourth egg in a 12 egg carton), ID tagged, weighed and air cell marked.
16 Narragansett and Narr x BBB eggs, one at 152g and one at 104g
21 Easter egger (mostly olive) collected dating back to 4/20 so the oldest will be 24 days old when set. These have been in a turner since collected, stored at cool room temperature.
I bought a Brinsea spot check today and will set the incubator for 99.5 internal egg temp. I am just about done calibrating the redwood Leahy. That is an incredibly stable incubator!

I still have lots of tray space and am fighting not to just go out and buy eggs to fill it up.

 

[scflock]

Can you tell me a bit about your "hatching and selling"? Do you sell day olds? Have multiple breeding pens? Sell POL pullets?

This is my first year hatching and selling, so I have been experimenting to see what breeds sell the best, and at what age. Yes, I have multiple breeding pens. White crested black Polish, cuckoo marans, white silkies, and booted bantams. I also have new flocks of BCM and EEs growing out, but they aren't laying yet. In my area it seems the biggest sellers are the ones with the biggest and prettiest eggs. Most people want pullets, and they want the brown and blue/green eggs. That's why I started the BCM this year. People always call about the cuckoo marans and say they want "chocolate" eggs. I am very upfront with them, and tell them that the cuckoos are the lightest of the marans eggs, so I started with a batch of straight run BCM in January. I hope to start getting eggs within a month or so.
The ornamental breeds, bantams, silkies, and polish, sell pretty well as day olds, and I can sell them for more money than the layers, but you are selling to a smaller audience. The plus side is that people will drive long distances to buy them. I try to sell them young as straight run, because they are so difficult for me to sex until about 3 months old, especially the polish.
I make more money with the marans selling started pullets. They are easy to sex by 4 weeks, and as soon as they come off the heat I start selling them. That's usually 6-8 weeks in the summer, and 8-10 in the Fall and Spring. I haven't sold POL yet because they never last that long. I also sell excess roosters at bulk prices, usually 5 for $20. I try to price them just a little cheaper than Publix chicken

Edit: I haven't made a dime in profit, but I have paid myself back for the incubator and have bought all supplies since January with money from chicks and eggs

 

[scflock]

Ok, here is the first official scflock hatching timeline in support of the "hands-off" approach:

Tuesday Night, Day 20: 9:00PM, first hatch


Wednesday morning, Day 21: 7:30 AM, three now

Wednesday night, Day 21: 9:00PM, up to 13

I lost count after this. There was too much pipping and zipping, so no one gets out tonight...

Thursday morning, Day 22: 7:30 AM, who knows how many, incubator is full

Ok, this is where my position has been ammended. It's been 34.5 hours since the first hatch with no chicks removed, and the incubator is full. On my last hatch, I woke up to a similar situation and left them until I got home from work. 2 had trouble hatching, and I think it was because it was too crowded, so this time I'm going to take them out and count
Thursday morning, Day 22: 8:00AM, 21 have hatched, and are dry


All healthy, alert, and relaxed. No crooked toes, no splayed legs. 5 unpipped eggs are left. I will give them until the end of the day tomorrow, day 23, and shut down no matter what is happening, unless one is zipping

 

[WVduckchick]

All healthy, alert, and relaxed. No crooked toes, no splayed legs. 5 unpipped eggs are left. I will give them until the end of the day tomorrow, day 23, and shut down no matter what is happening, unless one is zipping

I believe those are some of the cutest babies I have ever seen

 

[WalnutHill]

Ok, here is the first official scflock hatching timeline in support of the "hands-off" approach:

Tuesday Night, Day 20: 9:00PM, first hatch


Wednesday morning, Day 21: 7:30 AM, three now

Wednesday night, Day 21: 9:00PM, up to 13

I lost count after this. There was too much pipping and zipping, so no one gets out tonight...

Thursday morning, Day 22: 7:30 AM, who knows how many, incubator is full

Ok, this is where my position has been ammended. It's been 34.5 hours since the first hatch with no chicks removed, and the incubator is full. On my last hatch, I woke up to a similar situation and left them until I got home from work. 2 had trouble hatching, and I think it was because it was too crowded, so this time I'm going to take them out and count
Thursday morning, Day 22: 8:00AM, 21 have hatched, and are dry


All healthy, alert, and relaxed. No crooked toes, no splayed legs. 5 unpipped eggs are left. I will give them until the end of the day tomorrow, day 23, and shut down no matter what is happening, unless one is zipping

They are adorable!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Congratulations SC that is great hatch and they are super cute

Lockdown for mine a little later today hoping they are all still doing ok. I have just had a read of your sellings etc. Thats good you have managed pay for your incubator and supplies from cicks and eggs. I too have found over here the polish are selling ok. I too am selling as from day olds and straight run. I've managed to sell all barring a cockerel that was left on his own from his hatch. I rehomed his brother but as he was left in his own I'm afraid he got the chop. I had him advertised free to good home but no takers. I know he had a happy well looked after life and the end was fast. It is the down side of incubating that I don't like.

 

[scflock]

I believe those are some of the cutest babies I have ever seen   

I agree. Polish chicks are my favorite

 

[scflock]

Congratulations SC that is great hatch and they are super cute

Lockdown for mine a little later today hoping they are all still doing ok. I have just had a read of your sellings etc. Thats good you have managed pay for your incubator and supplies from cicks and eggs. I too have found over here the polish are selling ok. I too am selling as from day olds and straight run. I've managed to sell all barring a cockerel that was left on his own from his hatch. I rehomed his brother but as he was left in his own I'm afraid he got the chop. I had him advertised free to good home but no takers. I know he had a happy well looked after life and the end was fast. It is the down side of incubating that I don't like.

That's the downside of Polish. They are stunning, but not for everyone. I've been lucky selling them so far, but have never had this many at one time

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok, here is the first official scflock hatching timeline in support of the "hands-off" approach:

Tuesday Night, Day 20: 9:00PM, first hatch


Wednesday morning, Day 21: 7:30 AM, three now

Wednesday night, Day 21: 9:00PM, up to 13

I lost count after this. There was too much pipping and zipping, so no one gets out tonight...

Thursday morning, Day 22: 7:30 AM, who knows how many, incubator is full

Ok, this is where my position has been ammended. It's been 34.5 hours since the first hatch with no chicks removed, and the incubator is full. On my last hatch, I woke up to a similar situation and left them until I got home from work. 2 had trouble hatching, and I think it was because it was too crowded, so this time I'm going to take them out and count
Thursday morning, Day 22: 8:00AM, 21 have hatched, and are dry


All healthy, alert, and relaxed. No crooked toes, no splayed legs. 5 unpipped eggs are left. I will give them until the end of the day tomorrow, day 23, and shut down no matter what is happening, unless one is zipping

I absolutely love them!!!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

"What are you looking at?? Get your butt back under there."