The 7th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long!

[StarMeKritten]

Our first hatch in the new incubator was a success! Lots of adorable fluffy chicks. Some surprises- like more chicks with feathered feet than I was expecting from my EE hens. They are with a black copper marans rooster (with feathered feet) and an EE rooster. I assumed that there would be yellow EE chicks with clean legs and black OE chicks with feathered feet. The yellow chicks with feathered feet were a surprise. Either my BCM rooster carries wheaten or my EE rooster (who does have a stray stubby feather on each leg) throws feather footed chicks. What's strange to me is that the mystery yellow chicks have feathers down every toe, unlike the BCM with the feathers on only the outside toes. They are cute either way. I'm anxious to see how they turn out!

More chicks hatching Saturday night for the EHAL!!

Our old kitty, Princess, discovered the incubator last night when I was taking chicks out. She has been sitting in front of it ever since, staring at it and drooling a little like its a chick dispensing snack machine. I tried to tell her that there won't be any more hatching until Saturday... But she's still waiting for more to appear.

 

[Kluk-Kluk]

All eight eggs I put under my broody hen were duds.

I put 4 new eggs from another hen/rooster under the broody just this weekend, but it's no longer going to be part of this hatch-along.

 

[ronott1]

Our first hatch in the new incubator was a success! Lots of adorable fluffy chicks. Some surprises- like more chicks with feathered feet than I was expecting from my EE hens. They are with a black copper marans rooster (with feathered feet) and an EE rooster. I assumed that there would be yellow EE chicks with clean legs and black OE chicks with feathered feet. The yellow chicks with feathered feet were a surprise. Either my BCM rooster carries wheaten or my EE rooster (who does have a stray stubby feather on each leg) throws feather footed chicks. What's strange to me is that the mystery yellow chicks have feathers down every toe, unlike the BCM with the feathers on only the outside toes. They are cute either way. I'm anxious to see how they turn out!


More chicks hatching Saturday night for the EHAL!!

Our old kitty, Princess, discovered the incubator last night when I was taking chicks out. She has been sitting in front of it ever since, staring at it and drooling a little like its a chick dispensing snack machine. I tried to tell her that there won't be any more hatching until Saturday... But she's still waiting for more to appear.

What incubator do you have now?

 

[StarMeKritten]

What incubator do you have now?

Thanks! We have a homemade wine refridgerbator

 

[chickendreams24]

Okay did I hallucinate it a while back or was there a name that chick contest started that I forgot to enter??

 

[JoyfulPromise]

For those who were interested in what the Wheaten Ameraucana x White Leghorn (SBEL) chicks looked like - @pjnbill22 here are a few pictures of the 5 chicks that hatched out last Thursday/Friday. They seem to be all white with a few random grey/black spots, Pea Combs, some poofy cheeks(?). I will take updated pictures each week as they get older.

 

[ronott1]

Okay did I hallucinate it a while back or was there a name that chick contest started that I forgot to enter??

Not on the EHAL. There have been announcement for contests on the April hatchalong on this thread. The contest that you are looking for may be there.

 

[UGLYFOOT]

Thanks! We have a homemade wine refridgerbator

I am in the process of getting the stuff to make one! What did you use for heat, thermostat etc.??? I purchased the IncuKit XL

Mine will be used as a hatcher only though. Pics please!!

 

[StarMeKritten]

I am in the process of getting the stuff to make one! What did you use for heat, thermostat etc.??? I purchased the IncuKit XL 

Mine will be used as a hatcher only though.  Pics please!!

I was originally planning to get the incukit but my husband decided that he could order stuff on eBay and do it cheaper. We put two 40w heating elements in it that appear to be the same type that are in my LG styrofoam incubators. I'll have to look for the booklet that came with the thermostat to see what kind it is. We used the fans that were already in the fridge. It already had a 100w heater in it too. We probably would have tried to use that had we known it was in there before we ordered the others. I had 2 LG turners already and bought a third and just put them on the shelves. We made a basket out of hardware cloth to use for hatching. We cut out a hole in the grate on the bottom and installed the thermostat there so that it could be adjusted without opening the incubator. I have wine bottles filled with water at the very bottom to help keep the temp a little more stable.

Good luck with yours! Can't wait to see how it turns out. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll try to answer them or take more photos.

I wanted to be able to tell which chicks hatched from marans eggs and which hatched from olive eggs so I put those eggs into separate strawberry containers. I remember someone (Ron perhaps?) mentioning that during a hatch along last year and thought it was a great idea! This was the first time I tried it and it worked perfectly.

 

[TheChickenQueen]

For those who were interested in what the Wheaten Ameraucana x White Leghorn (SBEL) chicks looked like - @pjnbill22 here are a few pictures of the 5 chicks that hatched out last Thursday/Friday. They seem to be all white with a few random grey/black spots, Pea Combs, some poofy cheeks(?). I will take updated pictures each week as they get older.

Cuties!

I had a couple SBEL a few years ago.