The 8th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!!!!

[KYTinpusher]

I've got eggs in the incubator set to hatch tomorrow. I live in the northeast and we're going to be having a blizzard tomorrow! What can I do if the power goes out while they're hatching? Any advice will be appreciated now, because if the power goes out I won't have access to the forum!

I second putting in heat sinks now. I use small glass canning jars filled with water and capped. Use the largest glass bottles that will fit in your incubator.

Do you have a vehicle with a power outlet? A couple of weeks ago when we lost power, I put the incubator in the van while I drove around doing errands.

If you have a gas stove, you can heat water for some hot water bottles - use double ziplock freezer bags if you don't have a hot water bottle. You can place these around the base of the incubator and wrap the whole thing with a blanket, making sure not to block the fresh air flow. If you don't have a gas stove, do you have a gas grill? You could heat water on that if need be.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

I am about to start collecting all the bantam eggs I can get! I have blue and birchen smooth cochin, black frizzles, partridge silkies, and a white frizzle rooster over a partridge smooth hen (my color project). My blues have been laying an egg a day lately from 4 hens! Just for fun, here are my 2 baby partridge frizzles. They were from the previous hatch. All that is hatching this week will be sold, but I do have some more silkie chicks coming in on Thursday!

Must what this one is lol I was wondering because I dont have any frizzies

 

[Razadia]

I just caught myself looking at eggs again.

I guess that's what we would call hatching fever.

I don't need to order more. I don't want to get overwhelmed again.

 

[BantyChooks]

I just caught myself looking at eggs again.

I guess that's what we would call hatching fever.

I don't need to order more. I don't want to get overwhelmed again.

I haven't even opened ebay in at least a month... I am being very good...

Not gonna set until after this coop is up, so I'm out for the HAL, sadly.

 

[Cynthia12]

I just caught myself looking at eggs again.

I guess that's what we would call hatching fever.

I don't need to order more. I don't want to get overwhelmed again.

Then don't do it! Don't, ya hear..don't! Wait, what kind of eggs?

 

[Cynthia12]

I haven't even opened ebay in at least a month... I am being very good...

Not gonna set until after this coop is up, so I'm out for the HAL, sadly.

Banty?

 

[lilwildrabbit]

  Then don't do it!  Don't, ya hear..don't!  Wait, what kind of eggs?  

If you see some Dutch bantams msg me!!

 

[BantyChooks]

Banty?

Shameful, eh?

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Quote: Okay. I had a mixed situation of EEs, Silkies and Old English Game Bantams going on before I found BYC...lol. I can't speak for purebred hens but any of the Silkie crosses in my flock hold their own with any hen. It's always amusing because they're only a fraction of the size...lol.



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I can't add anything to the above advice as far as preparing...but I can add that even all fails and your incubator gets cold for a period of time....don't throw the eggs out if the embryos aren't moving.

I had broodies that made an oops and one got on the wrong nest when I was away. I estimate that the nest was left unattended for about 11 hours and it was 9C in the coop by the time I got home and checked on them. There was no movement in the eggs. After approx. 2 hours after setting the hen on the correct nest...they had warmed up and there was movement in the eggs. Those eggs hatched into chicks. Amazing stuff! The embryos are considerably more resilient than we give them credit.

 

[Razadia]

Quote: I was looking at BLRWs... and Isbars, Legbars, Ice Cream Bars, any other blue layer that looks pretty.

Blu won't let me get any, so that helps.