Chooks

[dggoatlover]

I have some eggs on the go! I purchased a new incubator which arrived yesterday so I have set everything up according to the instructions and put my first eggs in this morning. 7 x Plymouth Rocks and 13 x silkie - now I just have to remember to turn them and cross my fingers in 21 days!

[minnie]

Good luck.

Vicki

[Hayhay]

Yay! Good luck!

[Shadowgirlau]

Great, what type of incubator did you end up going for?

Kathleen

[dggoatlover]

Its a Janoel brand. Plastic outer - Fan - maunal turn. Just go the basic model. See how it all goes. If I do okay selling some chooks I might consider getting something a bit more upmarket. But this is just a bit of fun for me and the kids and the moment

[dggoatlover]

Five days to go and I have no idea if any of the eggs have taken - we'll have to wait and see!

[Shadowgirlau]

Waiting with bated breath, hoping it all goes well for you.

Kathleen

[Mojojo]

You can 'candle' the eggs at a couple of stages through the incubation process to see if they are all good. Wouldn't do it now though with only a couple of days to go as (hopefully) the egg would look like a solid mass of all chick.
I'm also hanging out to see how they went

You probably already know this but anyway...

To candle eggs... a desk lamp or small lamp, or a torch will do.
Get a cardboard box big enough to go over the lamp or torch, cut a hole about the size of a 20c piece in it. Small enough so the eggs can't slip through.
Sit box over the light (in a darkish room, and warm, so they do not get a shock of temp change) and put the eggs one at a time over the light.
after about day 7 - 10 they really start to show - dark spot in centre with veins all about.
Look for any that show no signs of developing at all ie are clear right through. Check again at 14 days.
That way you can throw them out (before they explode) if they are no good...


Make sure its nice and humid to make it easier for the chicks to get out. You've probably already got a small dish of water in there with them... extra important as they are about to hatch.
Once the chicks hatch be very very careful with temperature changes etc, don't keep opening the incubator. Leave them in there for at least 24 hours after hatching.

If a chick has cracked the shell but after half a day is not coming out, but is still chirping, you can help it out. Sometimes they get stuck to the shell, esp if humidity was too low.
We used to use tweezers to gently pick off bits of shell, the top bit where the air bubble used to be will come away easily.

[dggoatlover]

Success!!!!! The eggs started hatching yesterday afternoon YEAY!!!!! By late last night we had four that I moved to a broody box - I made sure they were all dry first though. Probably a bit soon but they were flopping all over the place upsetting all the other eggs in there. They are all silkie or silkie x's so far - all have cute little feathered feet. There was naother one hatched this morning and two more pipping so I have left that little one alone for the day while I am at work. I will check them again when I get home. So excited!!!!

One of the eggs pipping this morning was one of my Plymouth Rock ones so I am happy to have some success with those as they were the main ones I was aiming for!

Thanks Jo! That's handy info. This is my first time hatching eggs using an incubator so I appreciate the advice - and I didn't know how to cnadle the eggs so very handy for next time around!

[minnie]

Congratulations, hope you get mainly hens!!

Vicki

[Shadowgirlau]

Congratulations on the successful hatch. Echo the thoughts - hope you get many more hens than you do roosters.
Now the fun begins

Kathleen

[dggoatlover]

Seven eggs hatched all up. 1 x PR and 6 x silkie. They are all going great guns Yes hoping mostly for hens becuase I have several people already asking to buy!