YO GEORGIANS! :)

Question -- I know lots of folks on this thread have experience hatching out eggs....

So I ordered 6+ BB Red OEG Bantam eggs off of ebay. Seller sent me 11 eggs well packed, only 1 appeared to have a detached air cell.

I put 5 eggs under a very broody bantam girl and put 6 eggs into a Brinsea incubator. Candled for the first time last night on the 7th day, 5 of the 6 incubator eggs have live embryos (the one with the detached air cell had nothing). Plus 3 of the eggs under the hen have live embryos (1 egg broke, 1 seemed to be an early quitter).

So I now have 8 developing eggs, any advice on what the expected hatch rate will be? 8 embryos on the 7th day? I hope to be able to keep all of the babies (I hear bantam roosters can co-exist well if raised together in a flock, well most of the time).

I couldn't even guess! I have had 100% hatch rates before and 0% (lost power!). Too many variables. I think that is why they say we shouldn't count our chickens till they hatch!
 
We hatched every spring the last 4 years as homeschool projects, it was so sad to have to give the chicks back to the farm we got the eggs from. This year though, as we moved, we get to keep the chicks! (not that we have any more room! LOL)
 
We hatched every spring the last 4 years as homeschool projects, it was so sad to have to give the chicks back to the farm we got the eggs from. This year though, as we moved, we get to keep the chicks! (not that we have any more room! LOL)

For me this is the first time I have bred anything (never had kids, a littler of puppies, kittens, etc...).

I have done a lot of rescue so would rather not have to sell/rehome any, if I can keep the ones that are born and provide for them I feel better about that. I know there isn't a huge problem with bantam overpopulation (the way their is with dogs/cats) but still I just would just prefer to NOT have to find homes.
 
For me this is the first time I have bred anything (never had kids, a littler of puppies, kittens, etc...).

I have done a lot of rescue so would rather not have to sell/rehome any, if I can keep the ones that are born and provide for them I feel better about that. I know there isn't a huge problem with bantam overpopulation (the way their is with dogs/cats) but still I just would just prefer to NOT have to find homes.

It is actually not easy to find chickens/chicks/hatching eggs on the local craigs list, unlike cats and dogs. It think the biggest difference is that people don't tend to eat dogs and cats so people who have too many tend to have a use for them.... not me, we are not planning on eating the pets, just eggs. But I think that is what makes having too many easy, chances are someone will want them!
 
I have found that I can't equate keeping livestock (chickens in this instance) with keeping pets like dogs or cats. First of all, they die. Chickens have all sorts of hindrances to survival; for example, today a red tailed hawk killed a couple of my free ranging birds. Keep your birds as you see fit and love them for what they are, a very important form of livestock.

A lot of my poultry friends want to make pets out of these birds, but they are not pets, they are livestock.
 
I have found that I can't equate keeping livestock (chickens in this instance) with keeping pets like dogs or cats. First of all, they die. Chickens have all sorts of hindrances to survival; for example, today a red tailed hawk killed a couple of my free ranging birds. Keep your birds as you see fit and love them for what they are, a very important form of livestock.

A lot of my poultry friends want to make pets out of these birds, but they are not pets, they are livestock.

While I can respect that is how you feel I don't think we can categorically state as a fact that they are not pets, to some, they clearly are. No matter their fragility or life expectancy or how some use them. After all some people eat cats, alligators, and zebra. While Chickens are livestock, they doesn't mean they can't be pets. Just because some horses are race horses doesn't mean they can't be pets. My chickens ARE pets, no matter if you can see or accept it or wrap your head around it, it is what they are.
 

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