incubator and eggs ... daily update

[BrideXIII]

mind you i've not got to that stage yet lol ....... i did think i may get one of these Poultry Dispatcher Hens Bantams Ducks Turkey on eBay, also, Poultry Hatching Incubation, Pet Supplies, Home Garden (end time 14-Oct-08 13:28:40 BST) for when my butcher isn't about ..... but i always think if you're going to keep animals if they are easy to kill, you should at least know how, in case you need to do it without any tools ....... i used to breed mice, and have no problem killing them if i needed to....... i'm soft really, but in this case there really is no choice if i'm hatching eggs.

at least with the metal thing, i'm certain to kill them first time ...... the thing that worries me most is half killing them..... i really don't want them to suffer.

apparently they start crowing around 3-4 months of age, but that isn't an exact science

well if you have the money........... seriously though there are free ways that are just as quick and humane.

[lynda66]

i think i'm more worried about not doing it properly ..... at least that way, i know its instant, and they aren't gonna suffer.

[lynda66]

Still twiddling????

yup, am bored, though i did sit with them for an hour before having a gossip ...... they didn't say much though

[Nicos]

yup, am bored, though i did sit with them for an hour before having a gossip ...... they didn't say much though

Have you tried Maureen's chook speech with them???
Bok chuck bok bok......

[lynda66]

oh they've had my life story for the last 6 days lol ..... these chooks are gonna come out talking proper ........ wonder if i can get them to swear at the vicar

[kirsty b]

Probably, but if he isn't fluent in chook he may not understand what they are calling him!!

[lynda66]

yeah, but they might think they are human and start speaking people, like parrots do

[lynda66]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!! oops sos, fell asleep.

[lynda66]

candled the eggs again last night ....... theres definitely 3 babies ..... 1 i'm not sure about, and the other 2 are a bit too dark shelled to tell yet ..... only 2 weeks to go now

[MaureenHall]

2 weeks = 14 days = 336 hours = 20160 minutes - and a few of them have already been used up typing this!!

Not that I'm counting or anything of course

[lynda66]

lmao .... thats as long as they carry on growing, and i don't trip over the wire like i did before and nearly lost the incubator across the room

i'm very excited now i know theres something growing

[Snadger]

l................mao .... thats as long as they carry on growing, and i don't trip over the wire like i did before and nearly lost the incubator across the room

...............................

They do a CORDLESS version it's called a BATTERY hen!

[shirlthegirl43]

...............................

They do a CORDLESS version it's called a BATTERY hen!

DOH!!! Beautiful Snadger!

[Hashette]

I couldn't do the deed either, but thankfully if it ever comes to the point where one of ours is obviously ill and suffering, there's a bloke in the village who'll come along and despatch them quickly. Whether he'll be able to cope with all the flapping (from me) is another matter.....

Another novice over here - once they've hatched, how and when do you get them from a warm incubator environment to an outside coop? And where do you put them once they've hatched? Sorry about all the numpty questions, but I'm completely new to this and it's fascinating, I'd love to have a go when I've got a bit more experience under my belt

[chicken slave]

Another novice over here - once they've hatched, how and when do you get them from a warm incubator environment to an outside coop? And where do you put them once they've hatched? Sorry about all the numpty questions, but I'm completely new to this and it's fascinating, I'd love to have a go when I've got a bit more experience under my belt

It's is best to let them fluff up in the incubator (so a few hours) and then move them to a brooder that has already been warmed with the lamp on. My L.Sussex were about 7 weeks when they went out, they were flully feathered and the weather was still mild. I had taken the heat away from them in the brooder about 2/3 weeks earlier and the chicken shed is in a sheltered piece of the veg patch and is warm and waterproof, so I have had no trouble with them at all. The new chicks may be different as the weather is much cooler now, so the temporary brooder for the first 2 weeks will be kept in the house and then they will be transfered to the big brooder in the outhouse to grow and feather.