Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Incubating Some Eggs.........39 chickens and 1 duck

 

I love everything about God's creation........He did it so well and He lets me enjoy!!!! 

Hello Sweet Ladies, 

One of my favorite blogs to go to for lots of homesteading helps is Homestead Revival. Amy has lots and lots of information on each of her posts helping all who want to learn about everything you can imagine!  She is hosting a Barn Hop #1 at her blog. I thought I would link up and join in. You will enjoy all the other blogs that are available at the link ups so go and visit. 


Oh, my...........mothering has just hit this farm girl's heart. I am going to be incubating some baby chicks and one duck in the next three weeks! Can't wait.........it is one of my most favorite things to do.......besides being a real Momma and Grammie to my grandchildren! I love everything about Babies!  Wish I could still be having them........but the Lord hasn't called me to be a Sarah. Sooooo I will just incubate little chicks and ducks

For the last couple of years I have not had to use an incubator. My girls did everything for me. Even my momma duck sat on baby ducks and chicken eggs last year. Remember when the bobcat came through the farm and killed all the ducks and some of my chickens? Well,  Little Miss Fluff and Little Red who were my best Momma's both were killed. This year I am not sure if any of my girls will sit, so I wanted to get some babies going soon. I will have to use the incubator this time and then I will see if any of my girls will sit this spring. Oh how I hope so. 

Gather eggs within a 7 day period. Make sure that your hands are clean.  Set the eggs in an egg carton with the small end down. Keep eggs at 60-70 degrees. DO NOT PUT IN FRIDGE! After you have gathered the amount of eggs you want, set them inside the incubator. If you don't use an egg turner.......make a small pencil x on one side of the egg. This will help keep track when you turn the eggs.  

You can find incubators at any farm store. Easy to use and they have worked great for me.


I like to use a egg turner. It is easier....... if you have a lot of eggs. Other wise you have to turn the egg two to three times a day. It really work great. Each box has wonderful instructions for you to follow. Very simple to use.


Fill water wells on the bottom of the incubator with warm water. Let sit about 5-6 hours.



Now it is time to set the eggs with the small end down into each slot. Lay the thermometer on top. It should go back to 99.5 degrees after it sets awhile.  I can't wait until the 5th day so I can candle the eggs. (That means I will use a flashlight under the egg and shine the light through the bottom of the egg. You can see the little chick starting to form. It is amazing!!!!!!! I will try to show you when I do it.  It is so precious to see the veins and the tiny big eye forming. 





Set the lid back on the top. I like to have a small flashlight by the incubator so I can keep check on the heat. Now we wait. I will show you the candling or try to in 5 days. Be sure to check back with me. It really is very precious to see. 



I will also be ordering some baby chicks with my farm friend Gail. I will get another male for my white Cochin (the daddy was killed this winter by the bobcat).  I also want to try some Blue Cochins. They are beautiful.  Gail and I have ordered for many years. Her favorite part is to go to the Post Office and pick them up. 


 When I was a young girl living in Alaska my Daddy had a big incubator maybe it wasn't that big now that I think of it.....maybe it was because I was little? We incubated geese, ducks and chickens. When you homesteaded you had to have your own livestock. Kind of like families are doing now. I guess that is why I love living on a farm and seeing things born. It is truly a miracle!  God has been very good to my family to let us live like on a farm..........we are truly grateful. Please if you have a farm or anything you think we would be interested in...........send us all over. We would love to see!


Blessings from our farm to your HOME!

Linda

16 comments:

  1. Hi Linda
    Firstly - I love your new header picture!!! Very feminine & farmgirly!!
    I have never incubated chicks before - I should probably give it a go, but our hens are proving to be great mothers this year & so far we have 15 chicks!
    Hope you have a wonderful day
    Renata:)

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  2. How fun to see you!!!!!! We had three last year that set for us.......they all were killed by the bobcat that came through. 12 ducks and lots of my chickens. Very sad for me, but I will get some girls again that will sit for me. Some of the girls in the big coop might this spring. I always depended on the little banties and the duck for sitting. They wouldn't budge off the nests.

    Loved your pictures. Very beautiful. Wish I could come and have a cup of tea with you.........for sure in HEAVEN!
    Hugs, Linda

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  3. I love that your incubating!!! I have about 60 eggs in two incubators as we speak, and 20 egg hatching now, cheeping at me. I love hatching so much that I've even begun selling hatching eggs. Great time of year! Enjoy your chicks!

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  4. I have a chicken setting on eggs right now. She is wanting to be a Momma so bad. I also ordered my chicks from Mc Murray last week. I love spring and all the new babies God gives us to enjoy.

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  5. Since I am a new chicken owner this is something I have not tried. I ordered my day old chicks through the mail last year. Fifteen and only lost one and gave two to my middle daughter that also has chickens. Hubs said he built the hen house for 12 and that is how many I can keep. He is such a numbers man. I would love some banties but all my chickens are full sized and I do not know how they would fair. I received my seeds from Camille my swap friend today and added it into my post. Hubs and I are going to the city tomorrow after work and I am planning on picking up the seed to send to my new friend.

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  6. Linda, thank you for joining up on the Barn Hop and adding the Button on your sidebar! I was thrilled to see your post on incubating chicks - I just got an incubator in the mail yesterday - same one. My daughters and I will be hatching eggs for the 4H group and it's my first time. So I loved reading your instructions. I'm so afraid I'll kill them before they hatch! Guess I'll have to read again carefully and trust the Lord! I'll be back to see the candling, for sure!

    Love, Love, Love, your new picture in the header - so sweet!

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  7. Thanks for stopping by and the nice comment....hope you feel better soon....love chicks too..what kind of ducks do you have? we love our Pekin duck..she's a real personality....

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  8. This reminds me of an incident years ago, when I was a kid, that I incubated four turkey eggs in a box of straw on top of a TV set (which was slightly warm all the time)...and it worked! four little happy and bewildered turkeys poked forth.

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  9. Oh I love it, I did 35 eggs back a few years ago, and loved watching each one hatch, it was such a marvellous thing the life aproaching the air, thanks for this, I loved reading your interests, I am with you too, anything baby I do love, going to buy a couple ducks in a few weeks too, hope your success in raising these chicks will be 100% mine was, and I loved it.
    Lots of hugs, and love your new header too.
    Barbara from http://bakinnbitsbarbara.blogspot.com/

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  10. Oh Linda how I love all your tutorials...this reminds me of when my family use to raise chickens... Great memories...thanks for sharing!

    Blessings...
    xoxo Gert

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  11. Thank you Linda for another great informative
    and God lifting post!
    I love to visit you regularly!
    We are looking forward to finally starting chickens (and more duckies and geesies) this
    Spring!
    Many many HUGS,Linnie

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  12. I love playing mama hen also!! We will be getting baby chicks from Tractor Supply soon. I am going to get a rooster this year so we can have some fertilized eggs. I am a little too excited that spring is so near :)

    Hope you are having a nice week.

    Vicki

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  13. No chickens here but my mom breeds Macaws (the large colorful parrots) so I'm familiar with the incubation process. When the chicks hatch do you have to feed them or do they eat on their own? My mom has to feed her babies with a small syringe every couple hours at the start. It's quite an undertaking but well worth the effort.

    Thank you for posting about the Barn Hop. I'll be sure to check it out!

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  14. Oh my gosh every time I stop by i am so glad I did! What an amazing fun thing to do! You always have something fun going on!

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  15. Hi Linda!

    I am a big fan of Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. I saw the last one on your blog (the dessert book) and ordered it right away. You were right - it was great and one of my favorite recipes was the carrot cookies... Yummy!

    Please enter me in your give-a-way:

    Entry 1: I would love to see a tutorial on how you handle your fresh eggs (storage).

    Entry 2: I am a new follower! Yippee!

    Entry 3: I signed up for your email feed.

    Thanks Linda for the give-a-way. They are so fun (even when I don't win!)...

    Farmer

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  16. Sweet Linda, you are one patience and loving lady! I am always tickled to see new farm life! It is getting to be the season isn't it? Hugs Anne

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Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving me a comment. It is so appreciated and it makes me feel like I am making a new friend.

God Bless your day!