Who's Incubating in Nov. 2011 ?

[EM Squared Farms]

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I think you can only expect about 75% to hatch. That's what our hatch rate was like, just about 3/4.

 

[cmom]

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Goodness Woman!!

Thats a bunch of peeping!

I do some hatching for some friends too. I have a cabinet incubator.

 

[Ma Noob]

I will add my name to this list! Put in our first hatch a few days ago. after a rocky start with getting the eggs (a rooster incident) I now have 11 eggs in the incubator placed from the 3rd-5th of nov. Which would make them due around the 25th, Which is just perfect as its when i start my holidays from work!

I have a foam esky type incubator that i was given from my daughters teacher. She has already hatched some of my eggs for me. The kids are very excited and have been turning the eggs for me. Bought a torch yesterday, and i have candled already, had a look tonight and it looks like i have at least 5 out of 11 so happy so far, and it is only early days.

But its summer time hear so the little chicks will be nice and warm. Infact it was warmer outside today than in the incubator!

 

[EM Squared Farms]

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Very cool ! You sound like live in the southern hemisphere ? You sound like you're on the other side of the world or something, with opposite seasons than us.

We researched hatching eggs when we first got our incubator and keep it at a temp of 102 degrees fahrenheit, instead of 99.5 because with turning eggs by hand 3x a day, it tends to cause temperature fluctuations, and leaving the lid open so long to turn all those eggs, and remove chicks, add water to the bottom, etc. a higher temp compensates. Also, it's a pretty chinsy thermometer that just lays on top of the eggs (how accurate is it really for a thermometer?). So, with all of that being said, we had pretty good success, due to the recommendation of teachers that hatch out eggs with their students in class for projects.

Sometimes they do hatch a day early.

Glad to hear your kids are involved. I think they enjoy it more than us adults do. They are so gentle with them. It's great to see them care for other living things.

Look forward to talking to you some more.

For some reason, we had trouble candling with colored eggs. It only seems to work on white eggs !

 

[EM Squared Farms]

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Goodness Woman!!

Thats a bunch of peeping!

I do some hatching for some friends too. I have a cabinet incubator.

You're so nice !

Do you charge them ?

Sounds like you could hatch a boatload of eggs !

 

[jeslewmazer]

I have two hatch dates so far (11-20 and 11-25). I will have three hatch dates soon, because I am getting some eggs shipped. The ones in the incubator so far are 27 sex-links, 4 Buff Cochin X Light Brahma, 1 Silver Duckwing OEGB, 2 SS, 9 EE, and 1 Sid Taylor X Ancona. Total of 44 eggs.

 

[StevenW.]

I finally got my 7 Guinea eggs in the mail today! I have 6 Call Duck eggs from my call ducks that I will also be putting in the bator. I will not be putting in any Swedish Crested though..

Cracked open a couple eggs and saw absolutely nothing that would be a bulleyes! Someone tell those drakes to get busy!

I want... (Scratch that) I "NEED" more females!

Will be putting in eggs tomorrow!

 

[Ma Noob]

My daughters class recently hatched some eggs so she is quite keen on it, They were turning the eggs through the day and thigns as well in the class.

She helped me tonight when we were turning and candling, must admit i was getting a little panicky when she was picking up two at a time, They arent just eggs anymore they are babies!!

Yes i am in the south, South Australia in fact. In the northern regional areas, gets quite hot here in the summer time, usually well over 40 degrees. We have the incubator in the bathroom so im hoping the temp will stay a bit more stable in there. Was just and hot and humid outside the incubator again today with the storm and sun that we had today far out! I think the little guys will be spending alot of time in the bath room!

I have an old cockatoo cage that i have my silkies in at the moment and that will be my nursery for them until they are big enough to merge in with the other chickens.

 

[EM Squared Farms]

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I was hoping you were in Australia ! I was going to guess but didn't want to offend anyone else in the southern hemisphere.

Always wanted to visit there (the Great Barrier Reef) and knew you guys have opposite seasons !

Your daughter is brave holding a couple eggs at a time. I only handle one at a time and on very rare occasion, one or two have slipped out of my hand turning them.

I wanted to point out that direct sun (if the window curtains are open) sometimes makes the temp. spike. We forgot to close the curtain in the room we have the incubator in.

Also, I usually use 2 bins for chickie rearing (just plastic bins). We let the one day old chickies have a bin to themselves because they sleep so much. A one day old chickie is so active compared to the first day chickie and sometimes the littler ones do get "run over" have their necks broken (this happened to one little golden sebright).

Then we tend to "move them" according to feather growth. When they have their tail feathers in and wing tip feathers (about after a week), we move them to a small cage with a wire bottom and low perch. After about 2 weeks (back shoulder feathers growing in well) then we move them to a larger cage outside in the workshop (when it's warm in the summer). Not sure we are going to move them out so early if it's cold and winter out in Florida.

Sounds fun to be raising chickies with you ! We're hoping for more eggs soon, right now there is still just one egg. We're counting down the days until Nov. 21st to start adding in the Ameraucana eggs. My son is breeding some new colors for Ameraucanas.

We waiting on the Marans, and the Silkies to start laying. The weather is still surprisingly warm, so we hope they will start laying right at 6 months.

Isn't it crazy how willing we are to give up room in the house for the chickies ?

I'm still trying to figure out how we are going to accommodate holiday visitors that want to stay with us. I don't think it's a good idea to mix people and chickies ! They need a room of their own to grow up in peace, not be scared to death by slamming doors or too much activity.

Well, I guess that's what they make hotels for.

 

[silkymom1986]

I am getting 6 speckled sussex and 6 delewares this week to incubate!! YAY!! I have silkie eggs in the bator right now due to hatch Thursday!!!