The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[Smithyard Farm]

Wet sponges add humidity. You can use clay pellets from the reptile section of the pet store to add heat ballast and dry they'll reduce humidity, damp, they'll increase it. I ignore humidity and don't add water until someone pips, but each can choose what works best in their incubator/region. Look in my signature for the 'why' and 'how' of a dry incubation method.

Edited to finish incomplete thoughts...

Thank you! I am afraid to go with no humidity - without anything, my reading is at 10%, but i think thats just as low as it goes.... if you are not using anything, i guess i wont worry (too much!) about my lower reading.....

 

[Happy Chooks]

Oh well. not going to be able to participate this year. We lost power Tuesday night and still don't have it back yet. The eggs that were supposed to hatch Thursday have been gradually hatching...delayed by the erratic low temperatures we have desperately been able to keep since the power went out. 7 have hatched so far out of 30 so no setting of new eggs until this ordeal is over with. I am so wanting these eggs to hatch well. They are non-standard dorking colors given to me by someone who was driving though (he doesn't ship eggs...too many unhappy customers) so they aren't easilly replacable.

still...very happy with the husband for having thought to stockpile enough gas to get us through this!!!!

What a bummer. Hope your eggs hatch okay.

Kelly, is there a window for setting to be considered part of this hatch? I see people mentioning staggered hatches that are due in the next couple of days, all the way to eggs that will be set a week or more from now. I'd say that would make it very difficult to wrap up the contests (such as total hatched, etc.). I know there are no hatch time sensitive contests, but I'm assuming there is a window of time the hatch should fall within.

Lets go with no more than 2 days before and 2 days after. So the eggs need to be set between 3/7-3/11.

Where oh where is Sally

Sleeping. She'll be back soon.

 

[Eggzausted]

Thanks for all this...will try. Does any manufacturer make a decent incubator for back yard chickens?

Hova Bator Low Voltage Genesis Egg Incubator 1588
I got a good price from incubator warehouse,ain't cheap but niether is time wasted killing eggs or shipped eggs lost.

 

[chicken pickin]

You and I are in the same boat this morning. My DS is just under 2 and he lost his whole breakfast in about 30 minutes. Now it's apple juice mixed with pedialite. I think I have a similar bug but thankfully a tougher stomach. Good luck, hope he feels better soon.

Same here my 7 year old DD got sick yesterday all day and isnt feeling anybetter today. I think she has the flu I hope everyones sick kids feel better soon.

 

[michaelf]

Im so sorry I will Pray for Phoenix and Your family, I know it would hurt us as if we lost a Child If we lost one of our Pets. Hope I do not offend anyone For saying A prayer!

 

Thanks! You will not offend us. And thank you everyone for the concern. You guys are awesome!

 

[thedollysmama]

I set (doing quick math, 48...48...12...3) 111 eggs, mixed eggs being the smaller portion, the rest are genetic hackle or Phoenix banty and there are 4 duck eggs, too. This is actually quite the accomplishment as RATS chewed up two of my styrofoam incubators and they had to be jimmied together with cardboard and gorilla tape.
I was wondering if someone could enlighten me regarding cleaning eggs before setting them. I am confused as to whether to dry clean then (sandpaper, etc) or use some sort of whiz bang egg wash.

Thedollysmama

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote: It's okay, Cyn, I laughed, too. So did everyone in the parking lot at church. I'm sure I will be the topic of conversation all day tomorrow. It is actually not as bad as it looks. Thankfully, that box was there to catch most of the yuck and there is a carpeted mat that covers the entire area. I lifted it out and hosed it off. I may have to carry it by the carwash and use the steam cleaner on it tomorrow. I am the only person I know that would have a hen nesting in her Toyota Sienna.

Nasty, but hilarious. And I thought I was strange showing up at the gym with an egg in my pocket.

Aww, poor Happy Chooks. You definately your hands full. Lots of new additions today and everyone posting how many eggs they have. Do you need some help? Want me to do a cliff notes version of certain pages for you?

ETA - Not to mention those of us whose chicken math skills seem to show up when we are trying to count how many eggs we are setting lol

I have a helper inputting for me - so you are stressing him out, not me.

I'm just trying to keep up.

Welcome back!

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE !!! I set a little after 3 yesterday. Unfortunately we discovered our dog. Phoenix a boxer, had a stroke It made him blind in right eye and right side of face drooped. He stumbles but it does look like he will pull through. We have had him since a puppy. He is 9 yrs old now. Its amazing how you can get so attached to animals. He is family to us along with our chickens.

Oh no! I'm sorry. Hope he recovers.

Here's the eggs I set. 15 midget white turkeys set last week and 6 of my own set Friday. 21 total

Do tell on those purple eggs please. Croad Langshans? I would abandon my breeding program to have some.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm caught up.......................I think.

 

[Sueg4332]

I just found some local black copper maran eggs that I'm going to pick up tomorrow so I'm in for 18 eggs!

any tips on hatching BCM eggs? That really not what I was writing about. it is your avadar picture The little girl looks so serious holding on to those chicks like she was off to butcher them. So cute

 

[redchicken9]

For whoever is record keeping, I set a modest 27 eggs, yesterday. Even so, all smiles about it!!