I just bought a 48 egg incubator and two heat lamps (100w and 150w). I think it’s a good incubator, temperature control and alarm, humidity control and alarm and it can turn the eggs.
I have never used an incubator before; I have always let the hens hatch them naturally. I have decided to start using an incubator because every year one of the hens sits on the eggs and as soon as half of the eggs hatch she stops sitting on the rest, so I normally have 5-6 chicks a year, 3 of the chicks die from getting squashed(even when they are seperated with just mum), and I am left with 2 boys and 1 girl, so after I get rid of the roosters I am left with 1 new hen per year if i am lucky, this has happened the same way for the last 4 years.
So I got a new rooster and put him in with my five hens, and I put my original rooster in with my ducks until I can put him with the offspring of my new rooster and my hens, I am doing this to promote genetic diversity as my original rooster is closely related to my current hens, i.e son/brother/uncle.
Once my chicks are 6 weeks old they will be moved out of my garage and into there own hen house with an enclosed yard until they are fully grown.
because I have a rooster in with my hens full time my question is can I gather eggs for the incubator anytime time of the year or do I have to weight until the hens start to sit before I can gather them?
I have never used an incubator before; I have always let the hens hatch them naturally. I have decided to start using an incubator because every year one of the hens sits on the eggs and as soon as half of the eggs hatch she stops sitting on the rest, so I normally have 5-6 chicks a year, 3 of the chicks die from getting squashed(even when they are seperated with just mum), and I am left with 2 boys and 1 girl, so after I get rid of the roosters I am left with 1 new hen per year if i am lucky, this has happened the same way for the last 4 years.
So I got a new rooster and put him in with my five hens, and I put my original rooster in with my ducks until I can put him with the offspring of my new rooster and my hens, I am doing this to promote genetic diversity as my original rooster is closely related to my current hens, i.e son/brother/uncle.
Once my chicks are 6 weeks old they will be moved out of my garage and into there own hen house with an enclosed yard until they are fully grown.
because I have a rooster in with my hens full time my question is can I gather eggs for the incubator anytime time of the year or do I have to weight until the hens start to sit before I can gather them?
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