The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[CherokeeFlats]

So I made a good deal today.... I need more incubators (like who doesn't right??), and a friend of mine wants rabbit meat. Well, he has 2 of the hovabator incubators and I have rabbit meat. So we are swapping

Hubby was like "Looks like we'll need to save more eggs to hatch" God I love that man!!

 

[mstricer]

Nice deal. I like rabbit meat. They just stink when raising them.

 

[mstricer]

Who else is sick of this winter weather. It is freezing here today, wind is biting like a pit bull and the snow is whipping around, I was supposed to ship out some started chicks today and opted out, didn't want the bitties to turn into ice chicks.

 

[JulieNKC]

I guess I got lost in the posts, so here we go again.

I'm thinking about setting whatever eggs Ducky lays by the set date for mallard derived ducks, my only problem is that I've never hatched duck eggs, so I have no idea what to do. Should I do anything different while incubating the duck eggs? Is it true that they're move forgiving of humidity than chicken eggs? Do I really need to cool the eggs daily? Also, does anyone know what the ducklings will look like when they hatch? They're Pekin/Mallard cross. I read somewhere on here that they're sex-linked, but I have no idea if I should believe that. Any help is appreciated!

Most pekin/mallard mixes I have seen have been cute little black bibbed ducks, so I'm guessing that's what they will look like although anything is possible. White in ducks is like white in chickens I think, it's"covering" another color so depends what that color is.
I keep my humidity around 40-50 for ducks, and 65+ or so for lockdown. There is a waterfowl hatching guide in the stickies in either the goose or duck section that has some pretty good info.

My Valentine's present from the hubby came in today!!


Of the 12 only 2 were broken so I cant complain.

So now my bator looks like this....


Here's hoping that at least a few hatch!!

Awesome hubby!

So I made a good deal today.... I need more incubators (like who doesn't right??), and a friend of mine wants rabbit meat. Well, he has 2 of the hovabator incubators and I have rabbit meat. So we are swapping

Hubby was like "Looks like we'll need to save more eggs to hatch" God I love that man!!

Another awesome enabling hubby, how wonderful!


Looks like my geese eggs are getting shipped right around time to set for the Easter hatch, so I'll be hatching those along with my call and serama eggs.

 

[Little Wing]

I'm in! I'll be hatching Easter Eggers (of course) Olive Eggers and a few Ameraucanas. Good luck everyone!

And if you are not on the BYC Members Map, here is a link https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/740342/interactive-byc-map Add your location and check out where other BYC members are.

Ken

 

[tazcat70]

The eggs at a local health food store are VERY fertile and so who knows how many I will set!!!!! I bought 6 dozen and they are usually 50% brown and 50% blue/green. The brown are growing at about 75%, but the blue/greens have 100% fertility!!!

Hmmmm, how many dozen does my sportsman hold?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Hmmmm, how many dozen does my sportsman hold?

A lot.

 

[Jessshan8]

I'm in! I'll be hatching Easter Eggers (of course) Olive Eggers and a few Ameraucanas. Good luck everyone!

And if you are not on the BYC Members Map, here is a link https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/740342/interactive-byc-map Add your location and check out where other BYC members are.

Ken

Very neat.....Added myself a few min ago!

 

[tazcat70]

A lot.

Yes indeed!

 

[OffGridMAMA]

Hoping for a broody or I'll have to ask one of my byc enablers (um I mean friends) to hatch for me!

Yaay my first hatch along!

Teresa