# Incubator is full of chicks



## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

I have had the nicest day and have accomplished nothing much. Chores done and spent most of the day watching baby chicks hatch. I love to hatch chicks. It is just fun to watch them chipping away at their shells to enter the world. I have 20 new babies today of all colors since I hatched eggs from my hens but since I have several different breeds of roosters I have 20 mutts but that is fine with me. 

DH doesn't really share my love of chickens but he loves eggs so he tolerates my hatching madness. I have a bucket of eggs to fill up the incubator with as soon as the last few eggs that are pipped hatch out. 

Anyone else hatching eggs??


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## todog (Dec 10, 2011)

i was. now my eggs are going to a hatcher for a special order but wont be hatching any more this spring. they are fun to watch. last year the local school called and got 20 fertile eggs for hatching and then the teachers took the chicks home to raise.


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

I have about 20 Welsummer chicken eggs due to hatch sunday the 7th and duck eggs incubating separately. I made chicken dinner tonight from four roosters from the last batch. They are a little addictive, every time I collect an egg I think that it could be a chick. Whats amazing to me is how they pip a perfectly straight line completely around the shell when they are inside, to get themselves out.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

My first one out zipped a perfect line in record time. Like a little machine and out she popped.
Laverne- today is hatch day for you. , enjoy.


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

They started to hatch last night so I didn't get to bed till 3 pm. They're in there chirping now. More eggs to hatch soon. A fun day.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Fun is right. I have one left in the incubator and I thought he/she wasn't going to make it but she is starting to look a bit better. I will leave her in there until she can get around better than she is right now.


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## tendermeadowsnigerians (Sep 8, 2010)

We will be filling one incubator in about 2 weeks. Going to have quite an assortment 36 giant frizzle cochins, 24 giant cochins(without the frizzle gene), 24 americanas, 18 silkies, 12 blue slate turkeys, & 20 cayuga ducks. Ok that only fills about 1/2 the incubator but we should still have tons of chicks!!


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

tendermeadowsnigerians said:


> We will be filling one incubator in about 2 weeks. Going to have quite an assortment 36 giant frizzle cochins, 24 giant cochins(without the frizzle gene), 24 americanas, 18 silkies, 12 blue slate turkeys, & 20 cayuga ducks. Ok that only fills about 1/2 the incubator but we should still have tons of chicks!!


 WOW!! Now that is a lot of eggs. I have one big old Cochin rooster. He looks lavender to me but he was an odd egg in a batch of fertile eggs I bought last year. Don't know if he is all feathers but he looks really big and fluffy.
We don't have any turkeys but we have ordered some that will be shipped May 15. DH wanted them.


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## tendermeadowsnigerians (Sep 8, 2010)

The giant cochins & frizzles are definitely my favorite. My frizzle rooster is around 12lbs and the cochin is slightly larger. I will let the hens hatch whatever they want. Last year our guineas laid 12 eggs and one of the cochin hens took over the nest and raised 9 guinea chicks. When people asked what happened to her babies I told them the turkey bred her and thats why they looked so funny, ha ha a few non-livestock people actually thought I was serious!


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Ok, I've never hatched eggs and won't because we don't have roosters. But y'all have piqued my curiosity. How do you know if the egg is fertilized or not?


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## todog (Dec 10, 2011)

if you have a rooster then you can candle the egg.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Since my roosters run with the hens and most all eggs I crack open are fertile, I just select the pretty colors and fill the incubator. 
And here is a link to some pictures that show a fertile cracked open egg.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures
And after 7 or 8 days you can candle them and look up a chart as to what you are looking for and throw out the ones that are not fertile or have died or whatever. I usually let my incubator run a few extra days in case there is a slow one in there too. Now it is time to clean the incubator and decide whether to start another batch.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks, LaNell.


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## tendermeadowsnigerians (Sep 8, 2010)

If you want to hatch chicks but dont want to mess with a rooster you can buy fertile eggs and have them shipped to you. I love ebay for hatching eggs. We usually get 75-80% hatch rate on shipped eggs and most people who ship eggs always include a few extras for free. I have had eggs shipped from Texas, California, Washington, ect and have had great hatch rates.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

tendermeadowsnigerians said:


> If you want to hatch chicks but dont want to mess with a rooster you can buy fertile eggs and have them shipped to you. I love ebay for hatching eggs. We usually get 75-80% hatch rate on shipped eggs and most people who ship eggs always include a few extras for free. I have had eggs shipped from Texas, California, Washington, ect and have had great hatch rates.


 This is how I got my purebreds but I ordered them from different sellers on backyardchickens.com
I am thinking about ordering some special colors that I want to hatch next. I have green eggs but want blue and my Ameraucana rooster was a free ranger and got eaten by a rogue dog that came through our place with his friend a feral hog. A hog and his dog but I digress. So I will have to order fullblood Ameraucna eggs to get what I want.

I just trimmed my rooster population down to three roos and the place is so much quieter. I had a few too many for the number of hens I have. Now to get those little fluffy chicks to feather out so I can move them to the chickenyard.


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## hmcintosh (Jan 8, 2013)

What do you do with all the chickens? Can you eat that many


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

hmcintosh said:


> What do you do with all the chickens? Can you eat that many


EGGS. I love eggs and since I love chickens too I sell eggs at work to support my chicken habit. We have butchered the roosters and if cooked a long time are tender. I also unloaded a bunch of roosters on someone that took them to butcher. Hens can be kind of delicate so their lifespan can be limited. Although I had one years ago that lived way past her life expectancy. I have had them fall off the roost dead so you just never know. My last one that died was setting. Guess hatching eggs is dangerous work.
I like to hatch every year so I always have some young laying hens to replace the ones that are past their prime and ready to be stew meat.


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## tendermeadowsnigerians (Sep 8, 2010)

We eat the extras. If my freezer if full I take them to the auction right now hens are averaging $5-8 and roosters are all over the map. $1-10+ so i can pay for my gas to get there, I only go when I need hay or straw so I dont make any extra trips just to sell chickens.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

I broke down and ordered blue eggs for my next hatch. To fill the incubator I also ordered some Swedish Flower eggs. Never have seen a Swedish Flower but thought they looked pretty and they lay a very light brown egg it seems. Now to get the incubator all cleaned and sanitized and left in the sun all day. It is beautiful here today and I am taking the day off from work since I am trying to use up my over 65 leave days I have accumulated.


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

i had 15 chicks hatch out of 21 eggs. I couldn't seem to be able to candle the eggs since they were so dark with thick shells, I guess. I just sold off my Rooster, 4 layers and 4 younger hens not laying yet, all Welsummers. I really like the duck eggs better for eating, I had some Khaki Campbell's at one time and I didn't like their eggs but these Welsh Harlequin ducks I have, I just love the eggs from them.


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2008)

I have 36 eggs in the incubator. Had to buy them from a friend. Well, traded for soap.  We don't have a roo cuz they drive DH nuts with the crowing and he's *in charge* of the chickens. LOL Gonna candle them tonight (14 days). Friend I got them from thinks his roo is only servicing 6 or 7 of his hens, so we'll see how the hatch rate is. Hoping I can sneak a roo out of the batch into the chicken coop so I don't have to *buy* eggs next year.  Friends roo is an Americauna, so the chicks should all lay green(ish) eggs even though they're crosses as green eggs are dominant.


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

I hear ya Denisie on DH not liking roosters. At night I'd put Roopert in a dog house in the chicken shed, so he was very muffled, and let him out late morning so he wasn't crowing outside early. 

It was funny a few weeks ago, there was a commercial on TV that had some hens cackling and DH said, "your chickens are making noise". Like the chickens were in the living room?

My ducks are hatching today.


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2008)

hmcintosh said:


> What do you do with all the chickens? Can you eat that many


We've always butchered out the roos. Being laying type roos you don't get as much meat as meat type. And they get tougher faster, so I butcher and toss them in the freezer and then when we're done for the year, I toss then all in a huge pot and cook the meat off the bone and can it. I think I figured I get about a pint of meat per roo. This year, I think I'm just gonna butcher and freeze and they're gonna be dogfood.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

I have never eaten a duck egg so I have no idea if I would like them. Now I love my homegrown chicken eggs. I would love to find some duck eggs to try just so I would know what they were like.


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2008)

To me, duck eggs are just richer. And bigger.  I like them for *cooking*/baking. They make the BEST egg noodles. I've never had ducks, so only had duck eggs when someone would give me a few. For baking, I think I always figured a duck egg is equal to 1.5 chicken eggs. For regular *eating* (scrambled, poached, omelettes, etc), I still prefer chicken eggs.


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

Having a great hatch rate on the duck eggs. When I see a little pipping on the shell, I open it up so there is an air hole so they get enough oxygen, I'm thinking that helps since they seem to sit there for a long time, 30 days instead of the usual 28 day hatch time. Three went on day 28 but the rest are 30 days or more. Out of 16 eggs three are left with the air hole, and they are breathing in there and one hasn't pipped so I'll see, it may go 31 days. So 12 ducklings have actually hatched so far.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

That is great LaVerne. Never hatched duck eggs either although we had ducks for DS when he was a little boy.


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

LaNell - if you want an Americauna rooster, we have one! He was hatched around the 15th of October 2011, so he's about 18 months old now. We also have several young (hatched last month) Black Copper Marans roosters if anyone is interested. Breeding the Black Coppers to Americaunas is supposed to produce hens that lay olive colored eggs. 

Caroline


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

tlcnubians said:


> LaNell - if you want an Americauna rooster, we have one! He was hatched around the 15th of October 2011, so he's about 18 months old now. We also have several young (hatched last month) Black Copper Marans roosters if anyone is interested. Breeding the Black Coppers to Americaunas is supposed to produce hens that lay olive colored eggs.
> 
> Caroline


Now that rooster might have a home if my 12 blue eggs sitting on the table produce only girls. not likely huh. I was sick when my ONLY Ameraucana rooster was killed by the dog. I had plenty of other roosters he could have had. I am down to three roos, a buff orpington, a black copper marans and a big blue Cochin. He is the prettiest thing and really a sweet boy. He is my free range roo and he has three hens that go with him. The other roos stay in the chicken yard.
I love my gree and blue eggs and all shades of brown.

Maybe I should donate laying hens to the goat show raffle May 25th. My oldest are a year old and that would make room for my new chicks.


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

I guess micro managing works, I have 15 ducklings out of 16 eggs and if I did an air hole on the one that didn't make it, probably would have survivied, but it didn't start pipping. Next time I will make a hole no matter what, it was fully formed. It took some time but the outcome was worth it for my first ever hatching ducklings, learned a lot.


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

They would probably be a big hit at the goat show raffle!


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Congratulations LaVerne on your hatch rate. That is great.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

tlcnubians said:


> They would probably be a big hit at the goat show raffle!


 How many do you think would be appropriate? I will have to bring them in dog crates and I have several sizes.


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

Maybe 2 or 3 pairs? And if you need me to bring some boxes they can go home in, we have plenty of them.

Thanks!


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

tlcnubians said:


> Maybe 2 or 3 pairs? And if you need me to bring some boxes they can go home in, we have plenty of them.
> 
> Thanks!


OK. Bring a couple of boxes and I will bring at least two pairs. I might even bring a few of the ones I hatched that will be six weeks old. I should be able to tell roosters from future hens by then and just have girls in the selection. 
And thanks.


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

Thank you! I'll bring boxes.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

UPDATE!!
Next set of eggs are hatching today. Since I have lots of leave days to use up I stayed home to watch them hatch. I have one Swedish Flower and three Ameraucanas. The flowers better start to pecking so they can catch up. They are all brown chicks so I won't know who is who until they get their real feathers I guess. 

Turned my last chicks that hatched outside today. Hopefully they will have sense enough to go back to their outside house when it gets dark. They are fully feathered so I don't guess it really doesn't matter.


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## informative (Aug 24, 2012)

So I gave up looking for local breeders and just bought some chickens from MyPetChicken
Was a good experience overall - lost half of the first shipment (sat at the post office for hours at 70 degrees air conditioned) and they hadn't put a heating pad in the box (poor babies) so they just reshipped and only lost one of the second shipment.

Anyone have any hatcheries to avoid or that were wonderful or have any amazingly good breeds they have come across in this regard. The list of hatcheries I found and considered I'll paste at bottom.

Thus far I find I am really liking the Red Star (AKA Golden Comet/Cinnamon Queen) type hybrid - growing so fast and such a mild and friendly chicken. The Australorps are a bit "don't touch me-ish" but otherwise also seem OK if not quite as hardy or pretty or friendly to other chickens. The Croad Langshans are a lot like the Australorps just slower growing and furry feet and a bit more hardy so far as I am seeing.

Hatchery	Link
MPC http://www.mypetchicken.com/
mthealthy	http://www.mthealthy.com/page/1026132
efowl http://www.efowl.com/New_Hampshire_Red_Chickens_p/1049.htm
belt http://www.belthatchery.com/
Ideal http://www.idealpoultry.com/
Meyer	http://www.meyerhatchery.com/
McMurray	http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html
privett	http://www.privetthatchery.com/home/default.aspx
rochester	http://www.rochesterhatchery.com/
sand hill	http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/pages/poultry_catalog.html
hoovers	http://hoovershatchery.com/baby-chicks/broiler-chicks/cornish-cross-broilers-1.html
schlecht	http://www.schlechthatchery.com/chickens.htm
moyers	http://www.moyerschicks.com/
Miller http://www.millerhatcheries.com/price_list.htm
Cackle http://www.cacklehatchery.com/default.html
randall b.	http://www.randallburkey.com/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/products/494/
stromberg	http://www.strombergschickens.com/prod_detail_list/Small-Quantity-Chicken-Orders
central	http://www.centralhatchery.com/pricelist.html
townline	http://www.townlinehatchery.com/hatcherychicks.htm
estes	http://www.esteshatchery.com/
purely	http://www.purelypoultry.com/chickens-assortments-c-154_236.html
chickhatch	http://chickhatchery.com/Chicks.html
abendroth	http://abendrothshatchery.com/egg.html
healthyand	http://www.healthychicksandmore.com/
dunlap	https://www.dunlaphatchery.net/Birds/Standards/Standards.aspx
ridgeway	http://www.ridgwayhatchery.com/chickens.htm
decorah	http://www.decorahhatchery.com/chicks/index.html
sunbird	http://sunbirdfarms.com/category/sunbird-farms/
greenfire	http://greenfirefarms.com/store/category/chickens/american-bresse/


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

That is a long list! Thanks for that.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

When I do buy chicks I get them from Ideal since I can drive over to Cameron and pick them up. Although I ordered Rio Grande turkeys from Ideal and they were drop shipped from somewhere else. Byt they arrived just fine.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

I have never had much luck with my incubator but I have several broodies who make it their lifes work to fill the coop with the next generation. I have several Polish chicks and 1 Buff Orp/EE cross pullet from this years broodies.


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

My friend gave me a box of chicks from Efowl.com. three mos. ago. They were abandoned at a place of business by an employee who was buying things and having them delivered there, and charging the company. He was fired, then this box of chicks showed up. Someone I know works there and he asked the boss what he should do with them. The boss told him to throw them in the dumpster. The guy I know called my friend who has chickens and she picked them up and gave them to me. They are so cute, Rhode Island Red bantams. Only 8 were hens, the rest roosters out of 23 chicks.


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## informative (Aug 24, 2012)

Laverne said:


> My friend gave me a box of chicks from Efowl.com. three mos. ago. They were abandoned at a place of business by an employee who was buying things and having them delivered there, and charging the company. He was fired, then this box of chicks showed up. Someone I know works there and he asked the boss what he should do with them. The boss told him to throw them in the dumpster. The guy I know called my friend who has chickens and she picked them up and gave them to me. They are so cute, Rhode Island Red bantams. Only 8 were hens, the rest roosters out of 23 chicks.


RIR and New Hampshires are two of my favorite breeds. So whatever became of those? Still laying eggs?

Many of the hatcheries have deals which are really cheap for roosters like Mt Healthy has a deal for $50 you can get 200 roosters for raise em and roast em. Yup just 25 cents per chick so it doesnt surprise me when someone orders 25 straight run they would get only 8 pullets and the rest 17 all cockerels. I assume the reason there were 23 is because two were DOA from shipping hazard that's not bad - I lost three of my shipment of six pullets from my pet chicken but they reshipped replacements.

Depending on the hatchery you might be (have been) able to get replacements to shipping losses.


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## informative (Aug 24, 2012)

dragonlair said:


> I have never had much luck with my incubator but I have several broodies who make it their lifes work to fill the coop with the next generation. I have several Polish chicks and 1 Buff Orp/EE cross pullet from this years broodies.


I'm a bit of a pragmatist so I have not been able to fully wrap my head around "pet chickens" and keeping small breeds (marans, polish and such) which are pretty but many are for "showing" and looking at rather than meat and eggs.

I get that some "favorite chickens" may be spared the meat stage near the end and as such did stock some Croad Langshans which I read will lay eggs into their seventh year even so this way if someone gets attached to a favorite I'm not just getting up early to feed birds for the fun of it.


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

My RIR bantams should be laying in a couple months or so. My friend lost several (there were 26-27 total with the order of 25 chicks) under her care before she asked me to take them. I didn't lose any till a couple weeks ago a hawk got a couple, since they were free ranging, so that motivated me to put the roosters in the freezer except one and him and the hens are in an enclosed pen for safety. 
Ray, that sounds like a great deal for roosters. More work and less feed conversion but the quality of the chicken is way higher than the Cornish cross in my opinion.


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