I had 36 going into lockdown and hatched out 33. (And I use an older model little giant.) I can't tell you how many times I opened that bator. To take chicks out, to turn an egg over because it got rolled and I couldn't see the pip, (I really am a meddler.) To re-wet my sponge and remove the hatched eggs..... Not ONE of my pipped/zipped eggs were effected. I only had one after hatch loss and that was a silkie that (100% by himself) decided to hatch after only about 4-5 hours after pip and hadn't absorbed the yolk and it ruptured and had bloody membranes still attatched. All of my chicks are healthy (not even a single leg/foot problem). And loud and happy and ohhhh so fluffy...oh and guess what else I do...I candle...every night. Not all the eggs every night. but from about day 3-4 I spot check different eggs through out the bator every night. I love seeing the miracle of development.
I always say that people that do the opposite of me aren't wrong, just different and as long as it's working for you and your chicks, keep doing what you're doing. (I bet I get more enjoyment though with my meddling...lol)
I am going to take the guest bathroom (which is just off my office, which used to be the guest bedroom) and move the incubator into there before the next hatch. One, so I stop dashing over there every hour starting at lockdown to go look at the eggs, but also so that I can close the door, turn on the shower in the clawfoot tub, and bring the entire room to 80%. I won't have to worry about drying anybody out then! And I may make a half door for the incubator that covers the turner trays, but leave the hatcher drawers accessible. Oh, the options...
And I want to move the hatcher drawers to the top, as it's cooler there. I put them at the bottom, right over the water pan, because the hatching mess would be easier to clean if it was all on the bottom. But I will take that cooler temp up top and put it to good use.
And I will build a low restriction air filter for the air inlet to catch chick fuzz.
Sounds like some good plans. Now, here's a pipe dream for your bator: Remember those old time incubators in the neonatal units, the ones with the holes in the front, with gloves attached to the holes, so you could slip your hands into the gloves, and reach into the incubator to tend the baby without letting any air out, or bacteria in? You need to work that design into your bator. Could even have a portable candler built right into the bator... Amy would really love that. When I had to do an assisted hatch, I did it in the steamy bathroom.
Always! I only go "crazy" when I can set a relatively small number of eggs, and I document daily internal temp and humidity, and mark when I pull eggs and why and what lot they were from.
Last year I weighed eggs, but marking the air cell is better. I have an egg in the incubator right now that weighs more than it did fresh. I'm still trying to figure that one out. It's dark with chick at 18 days, has a relatively small air cell compared to the others, and sinks in a water candle. I've marked it for special handling, 12 hours after I see a pip I will be ready to assist because this one won't make it out on its own.
I won't help any who don't need help, those I will watch and enjoy. But I can't identify gluey chicks or malpositions until it's too late if they don't pip. I wish I could...
Please keep us posted about that heavy egg. Any chance that it's twins? My eggs, in spite of having low humidity aren't loosing a lot of weight. The air cells are not as small as I'd like to see them be. But, I'm gonna just keep an eye on things, and not get too worked up over it. The only thing I could do different is to run completely dry, around 10%. And, that just doesn't make much sense to me.
Amy, I'm the same... have to candle every night. Good hatch percentage.
Sounds like some good plans. Now, here's a pipe dream for your bator: Remember those old time incubators in the neonatal units, the ones with the holes in the front, with gloves attached to the holes, so you could slip your hands into the gloves, and reach into the incubator to tend the baby without letting any air out, or bacteria in? You need to work that design into your bator. Could even have a portable candler built right into the bator... Amy would really love that. When I had to do an assisted hatch, I did it in the steamy bathroom.
Please keep us posted about that heavy egg. Any chance that it's twins? My eggs, in spite of having low humidity aren't loosing a lot of weight. The air cells are not as small as I'd like to see them be. But, I'm gonna just keep an eye on things, and not get too worked up over it. The only thing I could do different is to run completely dry, around 10%. And, that just doesn't make much sense to me.
I'm a major meddler. And I'm a Republican. I do have a liberal welfare plan for chicks needing assistance.
I candled a few tonight on day 3 just because I couldn't stand it any longer. Definite meddler here. And also agree I'll hatch my eggs "my" way. I will ask for assistance at times... and I'll take it or not lol. I like reading others opinions though. And I can be swayed if someone's opinion makes more sense than my own.
That is what keeps me from actively pursuing this as something profitable. I have a large backyard flock, but it's still a backyard flock. I work full time, and this is a hobby. I still buy my supplies retail, but this year I have sold enough to break even. Now, understand, this is breaking even from this point forward. I'm thousands of dollars in the hole if you go back to 2009. I do this for fun, and would still do it if I weren't selling anything. Still, this is the only hobby I have ever had that has a decent shot of breaking even.
Sorry about hijacking the thread. Incubating is hard
Ok, then, here is where I am this year. This is my first year bringing in any more money than just selling a few eggs at work. We started with 4 pullets 6 years ago. Only had a layer flock for the first 2 years, with BO, RIR, EE (bought as ameraucanas of course), BR, and SS. When I finally needed a bigger coop, my wife wanted to turn the old one into a silkie coop. That was when my fascination with the different breeds began. Over the next few years I built a few more coops and pens, and added d'Uccle, cuckoo marans, and white crested black polish. Last year I was raising the chicks. This year I decided to buy an incubator and see if the chicks would sell. I've had great luck selling started pullets on the Marans. I like selling the cuckoos this way, because the sex is obvious at 4 weeks and I can sell the pullets for more, without having a ton of money tied up in food. I have also found a few customers that will buy roosters in bulk, so that really makes raising them for a few weeks worth it. My last batch was all Polish, and just to see I put them on CL at $10 each straight run. Sold out in 4 days! I couldn't believe it. Now I have a bator full of Marans, and wish I had another full of Polish, but I'm waiting to see if the Polish sold that quickly because of Easter, or if there are actually that many people that want them. I'm not making any money at all, but I have paid for all feed and scratch since January with chicken money, and the last Polish I sold finished paying for the cost of the incubator, so I call that a win
My goal is to make enough to pay for feed and some improvements (coops, larger runs etc...). I only have Black Australorps now but have been thinking of getting some other breeds. The BA's don't seem to get much interest (at least around here) as of yet. Maybe I'll try the Marans as well.
Ok, then, here is where I am this year. This is my first year bringing in any more money than just selling a few eggs at work. We started with 4 pullets 6 years ago. Only had a layer flock for the first 2 years, with BO, RIR, EE (bought as ameraucanas of course), BR, and SS. When I finally needed a bigger coop, my wife wanted to turn the old one into a silkie coop. That was when my fascination with the different breeds began. Over the next few years I built a few more coops and pens, and added d'Uccle, cuckoo marans, and white crested black polish. Last year I was raising the chicks. This year I decided to buy an incubator and see if the chicks would sell. I've had great luck selling started pullets on the Marans. I like selling the cuckoos this way, because the sex is obvious at 4 weeks and I can sell the pullets for more, without having a ton of money tied up in food. I have also found a few customers that will buy roosters in bulk, so that really makes raising them for a few weeks worth it. My last batch was all Polish, and just to see I put them on CL at $10 each straight run. Sold out in 4 days! I couldn't believe it. Now I have a bator full of Marans, and wish I had another full of Polish, but I'm waiting to see if the Polish sold that quickly because of Easter, or if there are actually that many people that want them. I'm not making any money at all, but I have paid for all feed and scratch since January with chicken money, and the last Polish I sold finished paying for the cost of the incubator, so I call that a win
You can come build me my coop for my Easter hatch babes since you've had so much practice....lol That's great though. That's all I want is to off set the price of the monthly food bill so that my new "hobby" is justified and it makes it more worth it to keep them so I have my own eggs as well. It'll be next year before I expect to see any kind of giveback though as I just started my flock last fall and the first (3) of my 5 hens started laying this past week. I also wouldn't mind selling chicks now that I will have some pure silver spangled appenzeller spitzhaubens. I also have two "black" japanese bantams that hatched and if by any miracle that I get a male/female I would consider those as well. Mostly mine are mixes. I still want some showgirls too though.
That's great $10 for straight run. I have one polish/silkie hen that I just adore. I have NN too, but not sure how well those will go over around here...lol
My goal is to make enough to pay for feed and some improvements (coops, larger runs etc...). I only have Black Australorps now but have been thinking of getting some other breeds. The BA's don't seem to get much interest (at least around here) as of yet. Maybe I'll try the Marans as well.
I get tons of requests for black copper Marans, so I started a flock of those with locally bought straight run chicks in January. Study before you buy those. After posting pics of mine on the black copper thread, I found out that they are obviously mixed with something else. The new thing I am doing now is adding a rooster to my EE pen. I think those will be big sellers as well
I get tons of requests for black copper Marans, so I started a flock of those with locally bought straight run chicks in January. Study before you buy those. After posting pics of mine on the black copper thread, I found out that they are obviously mixed with something else. The new thing I am doing now is adding a rooster to my EE pen. I think those will be big sellers as well
That's the problem with buying from the "local" sellers and not breeders....half the time they aren't as pure as they say. I've heard that about hatcheries with certain breeds as well.
That's the problem with buying from the "local" sellers and not breeders....half the time they aren't as pure as they say. I've heard that about hatcheries with certain breeds as well.
I was blinded by the eggs. The eggs were beautiful, and these will lay dark eggs as well, but I will never sell them as FBCM. I'm trying to build a good reputation in my area, and wouldn't want anyone to say I wasn't selling what I advertised. I will sell them as "dark egg layers" and take another stab at it with eggs from a reputable breeder. The funny thing is, I got my polish from Murray McMurray, and they are gorgeous
