Who is hatching early for next season?

[Russ Blair]

Looks like I may have to try and hatch earlier than expected. Seems I have a predator that has acquired a taste for chicken. Mainly Silver Ameraucana, both in bantam and large fowl. Looked like a massacre tonight when I got home. Noticed five carcasses in two separate grow out coops. This makes almost 20 birds confirmed MIA or DOA in the last two weeks. I will be setting traps tomorrow after work, not to mention the trusty 10/22 will be readied 

[Dennis Heltzel]

I set 23 Ameraucana eggs last night. The first for 2017, I promised my wife a few months back that I was done for 2016 (these are due to hatch on 1/1).
All these are from John:
9 Silvers
5 Blacks
5 Black/Lav splits (Lav roos over split pullets)
4 bantam Lavenders

[John W Blehm]

I started setting up my breeding pens Sunday and finished today.  The lights are on timers for 10 hours (7am - 5pm) and I'll keep increasing it until I get to 16 per day (4am - 8pm) in three weeks.  That is when I'll start collecting eggs to hatch.  I always collect for two weeks for the 1st hatch, so they'll go in the incubators on the 23rd of January.  The first two hatches will be just for me and then I'll try to start filling orders for chicks in March.  I put the eggs in the setters Monday evenings, move them to the hatchers on the 19th day (Saturday evenings) and move the chicks from the hatchers to the brooders on Tuesday mornings to give them all plenty of time to finish hatching.  Even after all these years I get exited about hatching and seeing the chicks and progress made in breeding. 

[Schroeder]

John, I'm sure you've told us before but can you describe your breeding pens and routine? Size of pens, number of hens in each and frequency/duration of cock visits.  Thanks.

[John W Blehm]

John, I'm sure you've told us before but can you describe your breeding pens and routine? Size of pens, number of hens in each and frequency/duration of cock visits.  Thanks.

My breeding coops/pens vary from small ones for breeding pairs to the large ones for flocks.  Often I use two males over females, but there are exceptions to every rule.  I had three bantam silver cockerels, but two died a couple months ago so the lone male all I have for several pullets.  Generally I put one male over a flock of up to about a dozen females for a days and then take him out and put in another for a few days.  This method gives each male a rest, makes sure one isn't interfering with the other doing his job and has other benefits.  With bigger groupings of females having one male for every 7 to 10 females works also.  I girls in the individual coops have a cock/cockerel overnight visit once or twice a week.
 

[Harry Shaffer]

Not hatching here for awhile.  Culled down to 21 Lavender pullets/hens and still have to cull when they start laying  some silvers and silver spangled project pullets.  Still waiting for a member to pick up their two lavender pullets and another for a silver spangled trio.

[Suki]

 This method gives each male a rest, makes sure one isn't interfering with the other doing his job and has other benefits.  With bigger groupings of females having one male for every 7 to 10 females works also.  I girls in the individual coops have a cock/cockerel overnight visit once or twice a week.
 

That would be double mating wouldn't it JB?

[Suki]

I set 23 Ameraucana eggs last night. The first for 2017, I promised my wife a few months back that I was done for 2016 (these are due to hatch on 1/1).

hi Dennis, What incubator do you use?  I got a new hovabator last year, and have had lousy results with it.  I read somewhere that hovabators really only last 3-4 hatches before they expire.  maybe that's it.

Merry Christmas Sue

[Suki]

Looks like I may have to try and hatch earlier than expected. Seems I have a predator that has acquired a taste for chicken. Mainly Silver Ameraucana, both in bantam and large fowl. Looked like a massacre tonight when I got home. Noticed five carcasses in two separate grow out coops. This makes almost 20 birds confirmed MIA or DOA in the last two weeks. I will be setting traps tomorrow after work, not to mention the trusty 10/22 will be readied 

  Did you get the varmint russ?

[John W Blehm]

 This method gives each male a rest, makes sure one isn't interfering with the other doing his job and has other benefits.  With bigger groupings of females having one male for every 7 to 10 females works also.  I girls in the individual coops have a cock/cockerel overnight visit once or twice a week.
 

That would be double mating wouldn't it JB?

I guess that could be one way of looking at it, but what is generally referred to as double mating is breeding for a cock line and a separate hen line of the same variety using breeders in each mating to produce show quality males and females.  This is done by some with varieties that don't generally produce show quality offspring when mating show quality birds.  One example would be using a partridge male with some red in his breast, which wouldn't be good for exhibition, to produce well penciled show quality pullets.     

[Jensen Pierson]

I am turning into a hatchaholic. Bottom image is my Dec hatch.

[Dennis Heltzel]

hi Dennis, What incubator do you use?  I got a new hovabator last year, and have had lousy results with it.  I read somewhere that hovabators really only last 3-4 hatches before they expire.  maybe that's it.

Merry Christmas Sue

I have a Dicky incubator, the "standard" one with a hatching tray (though I usually hatch in a different incubator). I really like the Dicky's, much better than the GQF cabinets, IMO. Better made and less expensive.

[Russ Blair]

Not sure if I got "the" varmit for sure. Traps didn't catch nothing but my 10/22 gave a case of lead poisoning to a pair of "birds". Haven't lost any more livestock since  . I hatched a lot out of hovabators the first few years. The key thing I found is to use a good hygrometer and thermostat. Once I bought an electronic one my hatch rates significantly improved. Don't get me wrong, even my best hatches don't compare with the Dickey I currently use. That thing will make you down right chicken poor lol

[Mike Gilbert]

I had been using a Dickey with good results, but toward the end of last season both the electronic thermostat and the heating element went out.    Rather than repair it I sold it to a friend for parts or restoration and purchased a 96 egg incubator advertised by Walmart on Facebook.   It has electronics, alarms, turners, digital readouts, etc and came with two egg candlers, a chick waterer, and a chick feeder - all for a little under $120.     I also have a reptile incubator for hatching only.  My total investment in the two incubators is less than $230, and I sold the Dickey for $200.    I will set my first eggs in the new one next week.    Thought I would test it out early in the season "just in case."    I also have a friend hatching a few eggs for me in his incubator, and the first ones are due to hatch January 5th.   

[Schroeder]

Mike, that is a surprising price.  I found the unit on their website but it doesn't explain how humidity is controlled.  Does it use the typical water pan in the bottom of the unit?