~*Third Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatch-Athon*~ all poultry welcome!

[ChooksChick]

Ok, I'm back, 3 day migraine done. I'm going to go down & see what's in the incubator. I have 4 broodies and if I'd been functioning normally, I'd have pulled all the eggs Sunday and stuffed then under hens, but I was out of sorts, so now I'll have to manipulate them.

It usually works though.

 

[Arielle]

Mid April and I just woke up to SNOW EVERYWHERE...

I heard the frozen rain peltering the house last night and groaned-- THAT was NOT forecasted!! I hate it-- I'm DONE with winter. Hope the icelayer is gone in a few hours.

I am so excited! Most of my eggs are just a wiggling ! Can't wait for the hatch+ an occasional peep. This was set the 29th

Good luck!!

Ok, I'm back, 3 day migraine done. I'm going to go down & see what's in the incubator. I have 4 broodies and if I'd been functioning normally, I'd have pulled all the eggs Sunday and stuffed then under hens, but I was out of sorts, so now I'll have to manipulate them.

It usually works though.

Geez, that is an incredible migraine. GLad you are better.

 

[Arielle]

For anyone interested in blue eggers.

I have a project pen consisting of a blue Ameraucana (GF I was told) over his flock of red and gold EE girls, and several black /blue daughters. I have set so many of these blue eggs that DH is starting to grumble. Would love to share these eggs with others.

All chicks will be blue, black or splash. Some will have red leakage due to the red mothers. I am working on moving the flock to all BBS, and improving the blue shade of the eggs. The shading varies from a pale blue to a med blue, some with a green tint.

THese are my favorite eggs, along with the dark olives of course.

If anyone is interested, just send a pm. THey are laying 6-8 eggs a day

 

[Alaskan]

Mid April and I just woke up to SNOW EVERYWHERE...

I feel your pain..... I do. Note my avatar and signature line. Nope, they are NOT out of date.

 

[Alaskan]

For the owners of fancy incubators......

I splurged this year, and got a Brinsea 40, LOVE it! It holds temps as steady as a rock! I am so happy! (Had spikes and crashes last year with my vintage incubator)

Anyway, I was super close to getting a Rcon, but went with Brinsea instead. Anyone have both? Thoughts? Mostly because, awesome as the Brinsea 40 is..... I am addicted, and maybe need a second incubator next spring.

My Brinsea is able to keep steady temps even though the room it is in goes down to 40.

 

[HEChicken]

I've never had a Brinsea so I can't compare but I love my Rcoms (2).

I am always all about doing everything as "naturally" as possible so I think the thing I like about them second-best is they incubate in the same position Mother Hen does - on their side. They lay on a platform that rotates side-to-side by way of turning. It goes far enough to rotate them a full 180 each time it turns them. This appealed to me more than sitting them big end up and having the turner turn them back and forth.

But of course, the thing I like most about them is they keep perfect temp/humidity each and every time.

My first Rcom hatch…..I had flown to AZ and while there visited a BYC friend who insisted I take an 18-count home with me. I packed them oh so carefully into my suitcase, with clothes all around, then wheeled it very gently down to the hotel lobby on departure day. Then, to my dismay, the shuttle bus pulled up and the driver picked up my suitcase and THREW it into the van. I figured they were done for already so after that didn't take that much care with the bag. It went on the x-ray machine, and onto the first flight, then for the second flight had to be gate checked. And, when I arrived home, instead of meeting us at the gate with our bags, they announced they'd be going down the carousel. So I went and waited and I saw my bag come off the carousel and careen down to hit the bumper. I picked it up, wheeled it to my car, brought it home and left it in the living room. Next morning I questioned whether it would be a waste of time to even set them after all that. But, I fired up the Rcom (that had arrived while I was gone) and put the eggs in.

Two weeks later we took a family vacation and were gone for 5 days. I left the Rcom in charge of the eggs and arrived home on day 18, just in time to up the humidity and turn off the turner. Three days later 17 of the 18 hatched. And the one that didn't was a clear.

I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have been the result in my trusty old home-built (from which I'd had some good hatches, but not THAT good).

 

[uphilljill]

I just stuck my CdM Hatchathon eggs (7 chicken and 4 turkey) under a broody hen to finish up.

 

[Alaskan]

I've never had a Brinsea so I can't compare but I love my Rcoms (2).

I am always all about doing everything as "naturally" as possible so I think the thing I like about them second-best is they incubate in the same position Mother Hen does - on their side.  They lay on a platform that rotates side-to-side by way of turning. It goes far enough to rotate them a full 180 each time it turns them.  This appealed to me more than sitting them big end up and having the turner turn them back and forth.

But of course, the thing I like most about them is they keep perfect temp/humidity each and every time.  

My first Rcom hatch…..I had flown to AZ and while there visited a BYC friend who insisted I take an 18-count home with me.  I packed them oh so carefully into my suitcase, with clothes all around, then wheeled it very gently down to the hotel lobby on departure day.  Then, to my dismay, the shuttle bus pulled up and the driver picked up my suitcase and THREW it into the van.  I figured they were done for already so after that didn't take that much care with the bag.  It went on the x-ray machine, and onto the first flight, then for the second flight had to be gate checked.  And, when I arrived home, instead of meeting us at the gate with our bags, they announced they'd be going down the carousel.  So I went and waited and I saw my bag come off the carousel and careen down to hit the bumper.  I picked it up, wheeled it to my car, brought it home and left it in the living room.  Next morning I questioned whether it would be a waste of time to even set them after all that.  But, I fired up the Rcom (that had arrived while I was gone) and put the eggs in.  

Two weeks later we took a family vacation and were gone for 5 days.  I left the Rcom in charge of the eggs and arrived home on day 18, just in time to up the humidity and turn off the turner.  Three days later 17 of the 18 hatched.  And the one that didn't was a clear.

I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have been the result in my trusty old home-built (from which I'd had some good hatches, but not THAT good).

Wow! Impressive success story!

In the Brinsea you can incubate sideways or upright, whatever. I have mine upright since 1. They are shipped, and 2. I uh, need to cram as many in there as possible.

 

[Arielle]

 

[HEChicken]

In the Brinsea you can incubate sideways or upright, whatever. I have mine upright since 1. They are shipped, and 2. I uh,

need to cram as many in there as possible.

I hear that…..right now I'm doing something I haven't done before with the Rcom and that is….stacking.

I have the first layer in their lanes just like they should be. And I have a second layer sitting on top of them. 18 on bottom, 20 on top.

I didn't want to risk any of them with the turner running, so right now the turner is off. Instead, twice a day I take the lid off, lift out the top layer of 20, turn the turner on for one cycle, then replace the second layer of eggs, turning them 180 as I put them back in. Its not ideal but its just for a few more days so that I could get these eggs started incubating before they got too old.

On Saturday the bottom layer goes into hatch so at that point the top layer will become the top layer in my OTHER Rcom, which is currently incubating muscovy duck eggs. As soon as the hatch is done, the top layer will get their very own incubator with turner and all.

Unless my RP hen commits to being broody. I think she is - she spent all day yesterday on her nest, slept on it last night, was off when I went down there first thing, but back on for my mid-day check on them. If she sleeps on the nest the next couple of nights, I might just move that top layer under her and let her brood them for me.