The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
I always hatch in cartons. I get better hatch rates without the chicks playing soccer with the eggs. I use paper cartons and don't cut the bottoms out. (it contains the mess) You will need to work a bit more initially to get the humidity up, but once you do, it's no different.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Quote DragonOxWeasel:

Hey guys I want to participate!

I will be using shipped eggs for the first time though. Any tips on what day to have them shipped??


Most wont ship eggs after Wednesday morning to ensure they get to you by Saturday. Try and get them shipped Tues or Wednesday. You'll want them to set fat side up in egg cartons at room temp for 24 hours prior to setting in incubator. If they show up Saturday you can set Sunday but likely they'll arrive Friday so you can start incubating with the bulk of us at noon Saturday.

 

[Happy Chooks]

So I am procrastinating letting my chickens out! When I was locking everyone up last night we had a visitor in the trees above. First one I have seen since we moved here, and of course it was 5 pm and the hippy neighbors come driving down their driveway and story ends here.

I will be so upset if I loose a bird to it! I was so torn on the open run idea, I always had chickens in enclosed runs and soooo wanted a huge area for them to wonder so I made a bigger run in the woods and left the top open.

Hawks are determined predators. Do you have a rooster? Even with a rooster here, I lost 3 pullets in December. Biggest hawk I've ever seen too - I think it's a red shouldered hawk. I put netting over my run now because it is the coop I always have babies in.

Hey guys I want to participate!

I will be using shipped eggs for the first time though. Any tips on what day to have them shipped??

Welcome! It depends on how far away the shipper is from you. I'd recommend no later than Wed the 6th. I'm having some shipped to me on Tuesday.

I LOVE my new coffee mug! You'll have to pry it out of my dead hands, tadpole! Lol! He found it in a Cracker Barrel Restaurant/shop. That's a great place to get items like that. Can't wait until I can go on the next road trip!

That is a great mug!

I am in. I will have duck eggs, jumbo quail, button quail and chicken eggs

Welcome!

I would like to join the hatch. Was also wondering if any one had any eggs they might be willing to send for shipping cost if not that's okay will check around with some farms and Amish if not thanks for letting me join.

Check the BST section for hatching eggs - Lots of great breeders there!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/36/chicken-hatching-eggs

 

[Happy Chooks]

For those of you hatching goose eggs, it's time to start setting eggs!


We want to hatch on March 30th, (the day BEFORE Easter Sunday)
button quail: 16 days to hatch; set March 14th
coturnix quail: 18 days to hatch; set March 12th
seramas: 19 days to hatch; set March 11th
other bantam and LF: 21 days to hatch; set March 9th
bobwhite quail: 23 days to hatch; set March 7th
call duck: 26 days to hatch; set March 4th
mallard (derived) duck,goose, turkey, guinea: 28 days to hatch; set March 2nd
goose: 28 to 32 days to hatch; set Feb 26th - March 2nd

 

[CayuseRanch]

As some one pointed out I still had last years easter hatch in my signature. I have officially changed it in hopes of helping us recruit more participants. Roughly I think we need 66 more to beat last year record of 268. The more the merrier.

Edited to say that I thought I changed it. lol

Last year someone posted how to do that. I went to my user name, changed my website to this thread but it is still showing up as last years. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Shellz]

So I am procrastinating letting my chickens out! When I was locking everyone up last night we had a visitor in the trees above. First one I have seen since we moved here, and of course it was 5 pm and the hippy neighbors come driving down their driveway and story ends here.

I will be so upset if I loose a bird to it! I was so torn on the open run idea, I always had chickens in enclosed runs and soooo wanted a huge area for them to wonder so I made a bigger run in the woods and left the top open. :/

Was it an owl? Raccoon? Yikes! Yeah, I free range mine in the nicer weather. In the fall they tend to wander more into the woods. I have to keep a loaded gun handy, or have my dogs out. Can't shoot birds of prey though here. It's the foxes that are my worst predator though. I've only had one hawk attack a grown chicken. It failed. Yay! They have lots of places to hide. Coons seem to come into the yard only at night when my birds are safely locked up. They clean up the spilled feed. It's all good if you can confine them well in a run. Save yourself from having to shoot anything. Free ranging vs penning. There are pros & cons to each, as I'm sure you know. Best of luck to you!

 

[Sueg4332]

I want to join. was no where close to the amount of eggs guessed last year.... My guess is 9063 set.
love the coffee cup. But I really like the picture of the hen on the wall. did you paint it.
now I have try to catch up on reading the posts

 

[DragonOxeWeasel]

Thanks for the answers! She is in Ohio and I am in North Carolina. I think I will ask her to ship on Tuesday!

 

[JoyfulPromise]

As some one pointed out I still had last years easter hatch in my signature. I have officially changed it in hopes of helping us recruit more participants. Roughly I think we need 66 more to beat last year record of 268. The more the merrier.

Edited to say that I thought I changed it. lol

Last year someone posted how to do that. I went to my user name, changed my website to this thread but it is still showing up as last years. What am I doing wrong?

I think that is in your signature, right? So you should be able to just go to your profile, and then scroll ALL the way down to where it lets you edit your signature.

 

[tadpole98]

So I am procrastinating letting my chickens out! When I was locking everyone up last night we had a visitor in the trees above. First one I have seen since we moved here, and of course it was 5 pm and the hippy neighbors come driving down their driveway and story ends here.

I will be so upset if I loose a bird to it! I was so torn on the open run idea, I always had chickens in enclosed runs and soooo wanted a huge area for them to wonder so I made a bigger run in the woods and left the top open. :/

For days like this you could build a closed run with a door on it so they could go out when you aren't worried.