The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: langdon on January 27, 2010, 08:21:58 pm

Title: setting eggs
Post by: langdon on January 27, 2010, 08:21:58 pm
hi all  :chook: lovers!
me and my wife beth are talking about trying to hatch our first eggs soon,
but i noticed one or two people said another 2-3wks maybe.
we were saying to each other, isnt there a thermometer on the incu.
surely that will keep the eggs at the right temp and stop the cold effecting the procedure? :chook:
Title: Re: setting eggs
Post by: CameronS on January 27, 2010, 08:51:22 pm
Mine has a thermometer, and has an inbuilt alarm system telling you if it is to warm or cold, this is my first time using an incubator, but i have just set 7 eggs this morning.
Title: Re: setting eggs
Post by: doganjo on January 27, 2010, 11:04:21 pm
I think I was applying Mother nature when I said that - I feel they would be more likely to survive after hatching if in the Spring or getting close to it.  We once reared 700 day olds to 13 weeks starting early January, and lost an awful lot of them in the early weeks even though we had the gas brooders going full blast most of the time.  Just the wrong time of year.
Title: Re: setting eggs
Post by: langdon on January 28, 2010, 08:12:40 pm
ahh i see, but can you not keep them inside, like house?
as said lots of time before just at the start of all this animal husbandry!!!!
so i will be questioning everything! but i said sometime ago im learning from
the experts!!! ta for reply ;)
Title: Re: setting eggs
Post by: SuzyJ on January 28, 2010, 10:50:23 pm
We've had chicks and turkey poults in the house as it was too cold outside for them but to be honest they make a hell of a mess and are quite noisy too, after the second lot I couldn't wait to get them out in the barn!

Title: Re: setting eggs
Post by: doganjo on January 29, 2010, 10:44:13 am
and we CERTAINLY weren't going to have 700 of the little blighters in the house! ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: setting eggs
Post by: apple and sauce on January 30, 2010, 01:16:01 pm
My partner brought me an incubator for christmas and i hatched 3 chicks a week ago.We have them under a heat lamp in the house.They are great entertainment.
Title: Re: setting eggs
Post by: whitby_sam on January 30, 2010, 01:39:03 pm
We set 15 of our Maran eggs, due on the 13th Feb. Can't wait!
Title: Re: setting eggs
Post by: jameslindsay on January 30, 2010, 01:42:58 pm
My partner brought me an incubator for christmas and i hatched 3 chicks a week ago.We have them under a heat lamp in the house.They are great entertainment.

You won't be so keen to keep them indoors for much longer - the smell always gets too much  ::)
Title: Re: setting eggs
Post by: ballingall on January 30, 2010, 09:16:19 pm
I find ducklings worse- they are sooooooo messy!


Beth
Title: Re: setting eggs
Post by: shetlandpaul on January 30, 2010, 09:22:08 pm
if you hatch in winter it costs more to keep them warm. they are on heat for longer and could get chilled  quickly.
Title: Re: setting eggs
Post by: SuzyJ on January 31, 2010, 10:39:54 pm
and we CERTAINLY weren't going to have 700 of the little blighters in the house! ;D ;D ;D

Oh my - that sounds like hell!  :chook: Was bad enough with 20 of them