got eggs in the incubator

I agree, if you can keep the jealous wanna be momma's from having custody battles off the nest and away from the broody.
I love doing things natural too. But I have to admit that I let momma do most of the work and then right before lockdown I turn on the hatcher and kidnap all her babies for safety.
I have to unless I set up a safer hatching system for my girls. Solitary confinment would have to be the ticket in my coop.
If you guys are doing something better, I wish you'd tell me about it, cuz it would be cute to have Momma take care of her own clutch.
 
The two broodies I have had (duck and chicken) did well with protection. The Duck was by far the worst mother, but the best hatcher. The Buff was a GREAT mother, she whipped the drake, ducks, and anyone else.

I let the chicken brood them separately, the duck has been separate once. This time she is with everyone else, and it works fine. I'm taking her ducklings though, easier to sell, and she wasn't the best protector. Plus we had a heck of a time getting them to go in at night. Imagine chasing 16 ducklings around the barnyard :rolleyes: :lol:

I put my sign up today, that says "Poultry For Sale". All my eggs seem to be developing, and I will definitely be more on guard for humidity and temp troubles this round :D
 
I'm still waiting for goose eggs from my crazy Chinese. I made my mistake last year of allowing her to brood. Never again. She can bite me, or her mate can bite me, but I'm NOT leaving eggs for her in their pen.
I have reports that I have 5 babies in the hatcher. But just went check. I have 18 so far...all from my sex-link project. I can see 2 of them are pretty much going to be white, so I think they are roos. 2 of them are barred, so they roos. Many are black with a yellow color on the chest, so they pullets. A handful are like RIR babies....I think pullets. I will consult with the book to make sure. I have done sex-links, but only with the BR/RIR combo....never used some of the other hens I've used. So I'm only positive about what I know from the past. I can maybe hang onto these for a while and separate according to what I believe and see later if I was correct. The longer I hold them, the more I can charge for them when I sell. It seems too good to be true that I have so many more pullets than roos, thus far, but I had been feeding my flock lots of sorgum....I read somewhere that 80% can be female if feed lots of that. But it was an unofficial study.
 
I put 60 quail eggs in the hatching tray yesterday- they are due tomarow. And just had one hatch- he has a tiny bit off yolk sticking out though. Having a heck of a time with humidity now, I think the kids are opening the bator when I'm not around.
 
26 chicks hatched from the first lot. 2nd lot is due Sunday. Set another 60. Had 8 goose eggs that may be fertile but no room in the bators, so they are wrapped in a towel under the brooder lamp with the chicks. Temp. seems about right so its just wait and see. I have not hatched goose eggs before, I am not expecting much from this attempt.
 
Back
Top