Hello all! I am certainly new to chickens, but now have the following ranginin in ages of 6-8 weeks old: 2 Rhode Island Red pullets 4 Ameracauna pullets (1 white) 2 Mille Fleur Old English Bantams (one is a rooster) 3 Buff Sebrights (possibly 2 roosters, not sure yet) 2 Gold Sex Link pullets 1 broad breasted turkey 8 Bobwhite Quail 3 Cuckoo Maran pullets My son and I have had such fun watching the little ones grow an change. I have some roosters and not allowed to keep them due to noise restrictions, despite the litle bantam mille fleur being one of my favs! I ahve learn ed so much form reading all of your posts and pictures. You actually helped me identify a few of my flock! Thank you! My son and I would like to try our hand at incubating some fertile eggs and raising the chicks to complete our little flock. I think it woul dbe a great experience for him to see the cycle of life from the beginning! Well, I 'll admit - I would love to do this as well. I think I have the chicken addition too! If anyone has a used incubator they would be willing to sell, I would love to get one. Please let me knwo if you do and how much you are asking. Thank you, Marva (Colorado)
I don't have an incubator for sale, but just realize that out of the eggs you hatch at least 50% will be male. I thought that was important for you to know, since you can't keep any.
I certainly understand the odds and woudl still like to incubate the eggs anyway. I have a lady I know who lives in a nearby city on some acerage who will take the roosters that hatch. Thank you for the info though. I found that out when I ordered st. run chicks. I have one rooster from the 2 mille fleur bantams and possibly 2 more sebright bantam roos (2 have combs developing and 1 does not). I am willing to part with some of the chicks if they are roosters. It's all part of the process. Thanks, Marva
Also from Colorado (40 miles NE of Colorado Springs) and wanted welcome you. Where in Colorado do you live? Sorry, I don't have an incubator for sale either.
I am in the south Denver metro area - Englewood. Glad to find others nearby! This has been a wonderful adventure. I am so hooked on chickens now! Marva
Hi Marva, I'm In Elizabeth. I don't have an incubator but if you really want one just order one off the internet. E-bay sells them all the time. Welcome to BYC!
You have loads of time, maybe think about building one. You can get the wood cut to size and you would just have to add a few screws, a fan, a heat/light source and a thermostat, some water trays and your there. There is so much information on this forum you could build a jet engine with styrofoam and duct tape. Not only that, it also adds to the cycle of life, physics, maths, electrics, and DIY skills you never knew you had. I love the idea of using a mini fridge usually broken and free from craigslist/freecycle to clean and keep humidity and heat in. You don't have to build anything either. Find some glass (also free) and attach it to each side of a hole you cut in the door. Cover a shelf with fine mesh to set either the eggs or the turner on and your almost there. A lot of people here seem to use old incubators as hatchers as there disease for hatching usually means they have mixed schedule for hatching times I'm not infected yet but I'm getting there.