incubating again

[BUDDYSGIRL]

Way to go Tlrohr! I bet your happy!! I thought about incubating but decided I did not want to take the time. Mine usually last a long time (haven't lost any in years now) so I only buy chicks when I need them, if I need them. After adding up the electric and the cost of the equipment, it's cheaper for me to buy a few when I need them. Right now I get 24 eggs a day and there are still hens to start laying. I make enough on the egg sales to buy all the chicken feed, and then some...
Your coop sounds cool, can't wait to see pics. With a sunroof and all, you'll be having to add little umbrellas to their water bowls. LOL

[tlrohr]

Yeah -- I kind of messed up there --- I meant a sky light --- sunroof --- sky light I guess they are pretty much the same thing. The coyotes are pretty much wiping out everyones chickens around here. The coyotes get one --- you lock your chickens back up for awhile --- then they --- they coyotes --- go to someone elses house. I sold all but 5 chicks out of my 1st batch and will sell 13 of the 18 that are getting ready to hatch now --- $2.50 a chick is not bad --- the store has them for $3. Come April I will keep some eggs and hatch some --- can't wait for my duck eggs. The store has them for $4+ --- I will sell mine for $3. You seem to be doing better with your chicks --- in 2006 between the road and the wild --- you were pretty well getting wiped out. Once hubby gets the woods behind my coop cleared --- there will be no place for anyone to hide and it will help me alot. Little by little it is coming together. If I find my Guinea nest this year --- I will hatch and sell some of them also. So I do better selling day old chicks than eggs.

24 eggs a day --- you must have alot of hens now.

[tlrohr]

Mik --- I have a question --- this will help you to understand why I told you to wait with your eggs as long as they are not spoiled.

I placed 20 eggs in the incubator --- 2 were not good --- where as now I wish I would have left them in there longer.

Monday I checked my eggs --- which are now close to 21 days --- my last batch hatched at 19 and 20 days. I had a few eggs that I felt had become to cold before I brought them in from outside --- but just figured if they hatch they hatch. Well when I candled my eggs --- 3 of the 18 where way behind --- they looked like they were only a week along --- where as the others are over 2 weeks along.
Have you ever had this happen?
Could it be the ones that were to cold are behind --- but forming?
There are live embryo's in the eggs I do know that for certain. I know they are the ones I checked a week ago (marked them with a X) --- but since they were not rotting I left them in the incubator.

By the way --- the 3 chicks that were about to die from my 1st batch --- I helped some what --- get out of the eggs and they are doing great. I kept those 3 --- they just seemed kind of special. "smiles" I knew they were not going to make it otherwise --- they were slowing down inside the eggs and not peeping as much. I figure I would give them a fighting chance and try to help them --- they are also the biggest of them all --- probably roosters on top of it all --- just what I need 3 more roosters.

[BUDDYSGIRL]

Originally Posted by tlrohr

Yeah -- I kind of messed up there --- I meant a sky light --- sunroof --- sky light I guess they are pretty much the same thing. The coyotes are pretty much wiping out everyones chickens around here. The coyotes get one --- you lock your chickens back up for awhile --- then they --- they coyotes --- go to someone elses house. I sold all but 5 chicks out of my 1st batch and will sell 13 of the 18 that are getting ready to hatch now --- $2.50 a chick is not bad --- the store has them for $3. Come April I will keep some eggs and hatch some --- can't wait for my duck eggs. The store has them for $4+ --- I will sell mine for $3. You seem to be doing better with your chicks --- in 2006 between the road and the wild --- you were pretty well getting wiped out. Once hubby gets the woods behind my coop cleared --- there will be no place for anyone to hide and it will help me alot. Little by little it is coming together. If I find my Guinea nest this year --- I will hatch and sell some of them also. So I do better selling day old chicks than eggs.

24 eggs a day --- you must have alot of hens now.

I only lost a few of the Guineas to the road and 1 RIR. Not many from the wild though. I have always had at least 15 chicks at a time. Never been wiped out. I still have the RIR's from the original batch. I only have 2 roosters though, one is going to go to the crock pot soon. I think one rooster is enough for my 28 hens.
Yeah it sounds like your doing alright with the chicks this time. Finally... You need a paintball gun to shoot the coyotes away.

[mikarod]

First question, the "cold" eggs, did you let them warm up to room temperature before putting them into the incubator?

Second: Were these eggs shipped?

Third comment: Helping babies out is JUST fine. I do it all the time and those babies are usually the ones that make it! lol

[tlrohr]

Originally Posted by mikarod

First question, the "cold" eggs, did you let them warm up to room temperature before putting them into the incubator?

Second: Were these eggs shipped?

Third comment: Helping babies out is JUST fine. I do it all the time and those babies are usually the ones that make it! lol

Yes, I collected the eggs and then they would sit in an egg carton for a few days --- the cold ones were collected on the last day and I think they only sat around for a few hours before going into the incubator.

As for being shipped --- those did not work out well for me so these are from my own chickens.

Well, I am glad to hear someone else helps them when they are in distress --- I just knew unless I tried they would die --- but at least they would do so with having a chance. My 3 are doing great --- although I would have regretted helping them if they would not have made it.

[tlrohr]

Okay Mik I have baby chicks out the butt --- never thought I would hatch any in Jan -- now here we are at the end of Mar and I have hatched 6 batches --- 7th will be Sat and then Sun I will add another batch of eggs. Have a lady coming tomorrow to purchase some and I will be putting my sign out for chicks and eggs (8 dozen from this week --- excluding what I have kept for my incubator) --- hope to get rid of the roosters first. I have already picked out the hens I am keeping --- so what ever roosters I end up with are going in the deep freeze.

Have a question --- the cornish cross are good for meat and so are the indian game birds, or dark cornish --- what is the difference besides color? I know they are both really meaty birds --- the dark cornish also looks like a tough bird and I do not mean eating wise.