Author Topic: Incubation (Read 3282 times)

CameronS · « **on:** December 26, 2009, 03:22:11 pm »

What is the best time of year to hatch eggs using an incubator?

doganjo · « **Reply #1 on:** December 26, 2009, 03:47:30 pm »

Spring? Most natural time of the year?

Rosemary · « **Reply #2 on:** December 26, 2009, 07:03:00 pm »

I'd agree with Annie - Mother Nature knows best! My cockerel doesn't seem very actve at the moment, for sure.

ellisr · « **Reply #3 on:** December 26, 2009, 08:35:59 pm »

I agree also, my cockeral is not active I know as I still have skin on my legs

When he is in full breeding season he attacks anything that moves including foxes and always wins.

marigold · « **Reply #4 on:** December 26, 2009, 08:51:55 pm »

My two young cockerels are definitely limbering up for their first breeding season. The Croad is getting quite proficient. The snow doesn't even seem to put him off - unless its a male way of keeping warm............. wouldn't surprise me. I am needing a new dutch bantam cockerel otherwise my maran will squash the two bantam hens before the spring. I think i'll stick to annie's good advice though and wait till spring to try to hatch anything. This cold would kill chicks in hours

Daisys Mum · « **Reply #5 on:** December 26, 2009, 09:08:55 pm »

I have 9 kahki Campbell ducklings at the moment and it was definately a mistake as they are now 5 weeks old and with this weather I can't see me being able to turn the heat lamp off for ages yet.There is still little sign of adult feathers
They are quite happy but I am going to have a huge electricity bill, so I would say wait till late spring especially as you are using an incubator as there will be no mother to keep them warm.

doganjo · « **Reply #6 on:** December 26, 2009, 09:38:05 pm »

We once tried to raise 700 day old chicks to 13 week free range from January to March, but we had to put so much heat and food into them, and we lost so many of them to the weather, that it was a total loss. I think it cost us about £100 altogether not including our labour. They were a happy little bunch though and 4 of them hid when the catchers came! I'm not kidding you! Seriously - after the lorry had gone, we went in to clean up and found them - one was behind a length of corrugated iron, another was squashed against a stone wall and it was dim so no-one saw her, all we could see was eyes blinking every so often - she was absolutely stock still; the other two had got themselves into an old dog cage that was lying at the back of the shed. So they all stayed and laid lovely eggs for us for years. Here's John with them. They had a huge barn that John renovated for them and an acre of rough grass fenced off.