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

[MaineiacJay]

i would like to join in. i just got a Still Air Incubator and im really excited to use it. this is my first time attempting to hatch eggs so if anyone has suggestions or tips, that would be AWESOME. i have the Little Giant incubator with an automatic egg turner. ive got a bunch of different chickens so they will probably be mixed breeed since they arent separated but i think thats ok to start. I want to breed purebreds later but i want some practice in first. after i am comfortable with hatching chickens, ill move onto ducks and other fowl (we are considering turkeys).

 

[Kismet]

Welcome, MaineiacJay, I'm so glad you are joining us. I am guessing you are close to Maine - I am close to Vermont. Last night I candled Day 14 eggs in my test hatch. All 23 eggs seemed to be alive, although there were two that were so dark I really couldn't tell much. Lockdown is Wednesday. I weighed them and figured the percentage lost to be about 10%, so I think I am pretty close to target.

 

[ozexpat]

Oz....are emu's ever on your import list?

Mrs Oz would love some - at the price of the eggs and my prior hatch rates, I was hesitant.

If we continue to have great hatch rates for the rest of the year - put me down for half a doz emu and ostrich next year

 

[Cynthia12]

i would like to join in. i just got a Still Air Incubator and im really excited to use it. this is my first time attempting to hatch eggs so if anyone has suggestions or tips, that would be AWESOME. i have the Little Giant incubator with an automatic egg turner. ive got a bunch of different chickens so they will probably be mixed breeed since they arent separated but i think thats ok to start. I want to breed purebreds later but i want some practice in first. after i am comfortable with hatching chickens, ill move onto ducks and other fowl (we are considering turkeys).

 

[Cynthia12]

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Good night! I am going to bed right now. Sleeping is the best part of life, almost.

 

[LaGeniaLoca]

I'm in! Not sure yet on what all I'll be hatching. So far I have about a dozen Heinz 57 chicken eggs and 1 duck egg. I'm also getting some serama and mini NN eggs.

 

[ozexpat]

i would like to join in. i just got a Still Air Incubator and im really excited to use it. this is my first time attempting to hatch eggs so if anyone has suggestions or tips, that would be AWESOME. i have the Little Giant incubator with an automatic egg turner. ive got a bunch of different chickens so they will probably be mixed breeed since they arent separated but i think thats ok to start. I want to breed purebreds later but i want some practice in first. after i am comfortable with hatching chickens, ill move onto ducks and other fowl (we are considering turkeys).

if you can afford it, buy a fan kit for you incubator

or you can add a pc fan and run it off a 12v or even 9v phone type charger

it will make life easier

 

[ozexpat]

I'm in! Not sure yet on what all I'll be hatching. So far I have about a dozen Heinz 57 chicken eggs and 1 duck egg. I'm also getting some serama and mini NN eggs.

heinz 57 are a great breed

 

[ocap]

So I am skipping over my orpingtons and rocks and all my pure bred lovelies so I can take a whack at hatching my RSLs new eggs.
I have been getting 2 eggs a day on average.
I asked my husband how many eggs I should collect each day for setting for the hatch a long.
He said "all of them from now until then."
Perhaps he doesn't understand how this works. I have around 150 chicks coming on Friday. We do not live on a farm. I don't think I want to set that many.

How many should I set and when should I collect? Any opinions appreciated. I'm terrible at estimating these things. I always end up hatching wayyy too many and while I love babies, I hate having to feed everyone

I think you should set 41, that would be just enough for me to win the contest of guessing total eggs set.

Quote:
your question is the hardest one for me to answer, in fact impossible, I can give you what I am thinking for my own flock and you can see if it helps:
My wife and I have no children at home so the quantity of meat for our table is very easy to achieve.
Eggs far exceed our personal demand (2 people).
I purchased an incubator that can hold 288 chicken eggs and another Styrofoam incubator to hatch with that hold 48.
We have a tick problem and free range chickens is my preferred method of elimination of the pest.
I have four breeds but want to only have one, Buff Brahma large fowl. I only have one pullet worthy of using for my plan and she, if successful, will me the mother of my entire future flock.
That pullet is laying at the rate of five eggs every six days.
I am going to start collecting for the hatch-a-long on March 20 so my minimum number for the incubator using my favorite pullet is nine.
If I use the other breeds that are in my flock including the mutts I could probably get 80+ eggs.
Hatching more than nine (9) won't make me any happier, so that is my personal answer.