The 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Cynthia12]

Arielle..what kind of eggs are you going to have for me? And, how many did I pay for? I can't remember? I guess I can go back to the messages.

I'm not one that cares too much for the Marans. Anything blue, or green is great if you have that. Blue girls..I love blue girls. Remember the one I posted with her foot up under her during the cold..cutest face..here she is again..one of yours. What a sweetheart. She's the one that lays brown eggs.

 

[Happy Chooks]

When should I start counting for my hatches?
When is day 3?
When is day 7? 14? 18? 21?
I think that sounds silly, but IDK whether to count the first day as day 1 or day 0.
For instance, I set eggs on Monday morning about 10.
I need all the expert advice and info and experience I can get!!!

The rule of thumb is that if you set before noon, that day is day 1. If you set after noon, then the next day is day 1.

I'm in. Sizzles and silkies will be hatching like crazy. Thanks for the excuse to give my husband for hatching all these chicks lol

Welcome!

I am going to guess 7,993

Please put your guess in the Contest thread. You can find the link on the first post of this thread. Thank you!

Quote:

Probably.

I'm in.

Welcome!

Quote: It just goes to show you that Ron would try to hatch ANYTHING!

I'm in! Hatching ameraucanas and Oliver eggers.

Welcome!

 

[ronott1]

It just goes to show you that Ron would try to hatch ANYTHING!

I have been eyeing the Ducks on Campus here at UCD---wondering where they are nesting and if I could snag some egg without getting caught...

Ducklings are so cute!

 

[CayuseRanch]

hmmmmm is this a contest?

What time was the first pip? then I will guess

Well I was sleeping during the first pip. When I woke up this morning and checked there were 6 pipped. So 6 more pipped in the two hours that I am wandering the house, downing caffeine, etc getting ready for work another 6 had pipped. (Total 12) I have sent a text to my teenager who is now home from school asking for a head count if any...he hasn't responded yet

The participant list is current to post 1320.

How many participants do we have so far?

Its to cold my chickens are yelling at me lol

"How do you expect me to lay eggs in weather like this"

I love this picture! Great picture for a caption contest too

Love ORps--

Whatcha setting??



17

with more to hatch tonight!

I hope you are right Arielle, that would be awesome.

I generally try to keep our broody hens in a protected area until their chicks are 2-3 weeks old, then I start letting her bring them out with the main flock during free range time, when the other chickens are more distracted and there is more room to roam. I will close her back in the enclosed area at night, until about 4 weeks when most of our broodies start leaving the chicks. Then I just let them stay with the main flock (who is already used to them) and find their own place.

Last year was the first year we decided to just let all broody hens hatch eggs with the plan to sell or eat any extras. With this in mind, I selected hatching eggs from our largest hens for better eating potential. We ended up having 5 or 6 hens go broody, with a couple of them doing a second batch after their first was old enough! I did let some of them start off in a nesting box, and most were protective enough to stay on their eggs and keep the other hens out, except for a couple times when I caught another hen sitting ON TOP of the broody in the nest! Thankfully my brother finally built me a double decker broody pen at the end of our coop where I was able to put a cardboard box/nest for the broody to sit and have space to come out and eat without being bothered by the rest of the flock. Even then we had trouble when we had three at one time go broody... I think I need a triple decker next time!

My hubby built me a small run with a small doghouse in it for a broody area. Love it. If needed I could add another dog house for multiple broodies

I am going to guess 7,993

I think there is a separate thread for guesses

I'm hatching for Easter but will setting my eggs early, so that I will be able to sell them the Saturday before Easter.
Ya'll have fun with the hatch-a-long.

Depending on when you set, I think you could still participate

Just curious and this is to everyone on the hatch along


Who want to try to go for the world record of most planned chicks/poultry to hatch on the same day through out the entire world in the Guinness Book of World Records.

I don't believe there is a record for it and the record if won would be held in BYCs name. AND we could all be part of that. If BYC won the record it would also be a good promoter for BYC.

Just a thought. Anyone?

I love this event and would love to see it get some publicity, although for guiness, I believe you have to have Guinness staff there to record it and that could be a problem with our incubators spread all over the world lol. But it would be neat if BYC brought it to the attention of some of the national news channels as a human interest story. And I think it is safe to say that this is the largest world wide ORGANIZED hatch a long! Key word organized, as I know no where else that does it, it's pretty safe for us to assume we are the largest.

I have been eyeing the Ducks on Campus here at UCD---wondering where they are nesting and if I could snag some egg without getting caught...

Ducklings are so cute!

rules smulz

 

[Peep-Chicken]

 My girls haven't stopped yelling about the cold yet. The SLW and Bantys are on strike. The say no eggs until we hit 50+.   I had 1 above 50 day in the past 2 months and all of them laid that day. They're lucky my house chickie gives me enough eggs for a couple sandwiches a week.

Wow. Your chickens really are on strike!

I get 2 dozen plus each wee from 5/8 that are laying. And those that are laying are 4 polish and a RIR mix!

 

[mlm Mike]

How many participants do we have so far?

156 as of post 1360

 

[TeaChick]

Opportunistic hen!! TOo lazy to make her own nest . . oris it that she is too smart!!



I have never read a complaint about DIck Horstman!

Your girl has it right!! Mine had started pciking up but with 10 degrees last night, OMG they will hold off again.

Is she a tolbert-- name is eluding me . . . .

Breathe!! St on the date in the first post and you will be good. Day 7, 14 and 18 for candling-- just cound and compare to the chart ---
I set at midnight for a reason-- I can't count hatching day if I set at noon!!

Thank you. =)
I set some eggs on the morning of the 3rd. I'll check the chart (and probably copy and paste it into my chicken folder) for comparison. =)

 

[ocap]

Just curious and this is to everyone on the hatch along


Who want to try to go for the world record of most planned chicks/poultry to hatch on the same day through out the entire world in the Guinness Book of World Records.

I don't believe there is a record for it and the record if won would be held in BYCs name. AND we could all be part of that. If BYC won the record it would also be a good promoter for BYC.

Just a thought. Anyone?

write to " Guinness Book of World Records" and see how they would verify our numbers.

 

[Kismet]

Thanks, everyone, for the advice on keeping broodies. I have a dog crate, and I think I'll set that up for one of them, and leave the other hen in the nesting box. The aggressive hen that nips my hands and draws blood - she also got me on the cheek - she's going in the crate!

My daughter-in-law who is in Germany saw the article below about sexing chickens in the egg. This seemed like an audience that might find it interesting.

http://www.farminguk.com/news/Scientists-sex-chicks-in-the-egg-as-Germany-threaten-ban_28509.html

 

[Gardeningmama]

Quote:
See, I knew you'd have a tidbit soo....Nifty-Chicken...Let's make this happen!!