Be careful what you wish for....
I was talking to someone about my chickens, and bemoaning the transition of three of my EE "pullets" into roos. She mentioned that her Mom got eggs from a neighbor, and there were very small blue eggs in the mix. Idiot here, said "in the spring, if I have broody hens (I have silkies and cochins), do you think that he would sell me a couple to try to hatch?"
Got a call that she would be bringing the eggs on Friday. Well, I didn't want to cut off the possible supply, and a friend had once said I could borrow his incubator, so I borrowed, replaced missing parts, added a fan, and now have the forced air incubator up and running (overnight remained stable temp wise), and the eggs are about to go in.
Oh yeah, poor Dot (person) was very upset. The tiny blue aggs are not tiny or "blue". They _seem_ to be EE eggs (shades of green, green/blue and olive), and there are 12 of them. Not only that, but the incubator came with eggs, as well. 5 of them are duck eggs, so that will take some juggling, but we'll see.
So, I'm looking for advice from those who have done this. I'd hate to be the reason they don't hatch, or hatch with issues...
Thanks,
Margo
Incubator advice
Well Margo, I'm sitting here having a good laugh. You'll do just fine, and yes experience is the best teacher. Enjoy yourself and just remember, even when you do everything right that is no guarantee that the hatch will go as you hoped. Good luck and relax, enjoy the adventure. Haystack.
{g}. Grumble. I'm so glad you are enjoying this. Someone should. Grumble.
Well, they're all settled in their little turner-beds, and hopefully will do okay. If nothing else, I'll be getting more exercise. The incubator is next to my computer, upstairs from the main part of the house. If I know me, I'll be obsessive about checking them, at least for a while.....
That was a fun story and I enjoyed it too. Congrats!
You can check on them the 40 to 70 times a day that we all do the first go round.. nothing wrong with that as long as you don't open it to do so.
How is your humidity? Did you put the water in the wells? Can't forget that!
You will do just fine.. :)
Don't forget to stretch the muscles in your legs before and after all those trips up and down the stairs! LOL
{G} Well, I can tell you understand. Yes, I put the water in, how often should I check that, as it involves opening the box, and maybe moving the eggs? I will be getting a "good" thermometer with humidity gauge (well, I'm in it this far) ASAP.
Thank you for the stretching reminder....:)
Cat, well, can't say I'm experienced in this. But Years and years ago when I was in highschool, my Dad made 2 homemade incubators. Together we hatched quite a few chickens and a few ducks and geese. The ducks and geese eggs went into one incubator, the chickens into another.
WE put a' + 'sign on one side of an egg and a ' - ' sign on the other. And turned them twice a day. Kept the water bowl full at all times.
The chickens had no trouble. I don't want to go into the ducks and geese, but I think they need more moisture than the chickens. We had about 50% survive, but it was pretty horendous for me.
You had me searching the web to find out what EE eggs were ... 'easter eggs' ... lol.
Good Luck
Sorry, I should have eggsplained the EE :). Your "name" gave me a giggle, my email address is "toomanykitties".
Yeah, I'm not quite sure the duck eggs are agood idea, but I'm still learning.
Thanks for all the help!
Margo
I was reading this and a thought came to me,if eggs were hatched in a incubator and the chicks were put in with a silke hen that had no chicks at that time but was a good mother to her other chicks would this work or would she just peck at them or ignor them?I have to much time to think...lol
No Green, I wondered as well. Of course, none of mine are even laying eggs yet, much less hatching any :). I had NO intention of ever using an incubator, hence my plethora of hens that go broody, Silkies and Cochins abound. This was not a planned, um, eggnancy?
"Eggnancy"! - I love it!