when are you all planning to incubate

[NSB]

Hi when is the right time to start hatching, I see some eggs are on ebay even this time of year!

when is the right time?

[Scottishnewbie]

i wouldnt recommend ebay as none of mine hatched when i bought them from there...as to when, not sure, so will be following this thread...

[NSB]

Ive got itchy feet and cant wait, we only started last year and am bursting and busting to dust the incubator

[its hilly]

When a 'fox' took my first chooks I bought an inci and shoved some of theirs and some of ebays in. No regrets. Have fun.
I'm going to test some of my own laid as soon as poss, they'll be POL in july ish if they hatch end feb, which gives me young layers for winter, and them the back of summer to gain weight and free range to get them in top nick before winter hits.
Big Hint..you may not get the best results from your first couple of hatches till you get used to yuor inci so try some less expensive eggs first. I didnt and was really dissappointed..I did get hatches, but very few the last one I did was treble it. And eggs through the post seem to hatch around 50% (for me anyway). Ebay varies..sometimes post (ask for special delivery costs more but they dont get knocked around the same) sometimes seller. I've had 6 totally infertile, but the others have all been ok..hatching from 1 to 5 out of 6. But some odd results, Orps that were feathery legged so obviously had something else in (oddly I they were advertised as from x's bloodlines and I saw last week that he was selling Cochins..hmm) And a batch of wyandottes a friend bought had one very distinct Light Sussex in.
And dont forget to decide what you'll do with the 50% of what you do hatch which will be cockerals, cos they will be!

[Polly Fouracre]

Any time is right as long as you have somewhere to keep chicks warm and dry. A heat-lamp in a dry draught-free shed will do.

[petal]

You can incubate at any time of the year but its best in the early spring when the days lengthen and fertility goes up. We have more success from our own eggs, light sussex and light sussex cross. There are some honest ebay sellers but some not so, its trial and error, blacklisting the dud sellers. I actually had someone send me their own already incubated duds once - they had blood rings in on arrival!! Sometimes you make friends with a seller and start communicating outside ebay, I have a lady who is genuinely interested in how our frizzle pekins are and has given us loads of advice. Also buy some incubator disinfectant(brinsea) its great.

[MaureenHall]

I'm planning on incubating from the end of February. Possibly some Croad Langshans and definitely some "home grown" crosses

[RichmondHens]

As soon as I have a broody. The snow has put them off, as usually there is one or other broody pretty much year round. Will be setting my own eggs - first ones will be some Welsummers hopefully to be POL come September, and then some heavier birds for meat, a mixture of Light Sussex, Light Sussex crosses and Indian Game crosses. Will endeavour NOT to hatch any more bantams but I expect there will be an escapee somewhere along the line who will get away with it!

[Bramble-Poultry]

Already have 18 in the incubator. Aiming to build up stock for this year. Hopefully come April when the first specialist sale is on, i will have been able to weed out the ones i am keeping back for breedings and be able to offer some pairs for sale from the youngsters.

we incubate in the house at this time of year, and then brood under a lamp in the conservatory as it doesnt get hot this time of year. We will have them hardened off by 6 weeks old - ready to go into the grower shed, where they are protected from wind and rain and can grow on naturally. The shed has the ability to put a heat lamp up if it turns cold again.

we will be doing plenty of hatching this year as we have commissioned a purpose built breeding shed for the bantams - 18' x 8' fully powered and lit, with heating as well so that we can carry on throughout the seasons.

As Polly says, as long as you keep them warm and dry you can hatch chicks at any time of year, depeding on fertility and thats partly dependant on length of daylight, hence the lights in the breeding shed

For good quality hatching eggs, either go to someone you know, or, go to Bid4poultry.co.uk - Poultry suppplies, garden poultry, houses, feed, drinkers, incubators, and hatching eggs etc. as they are proper breeders on there who have a reputation to uphold. If the site admin believe that the seller is conning you they will be banned! and its not as easy as eBay to become a seller. its quite a close community on there so they all know about each other.

If they havent got the eggs you want, post a wanted on their forum and they will try and find them for you.

Hope that helps. Also - buy the March issue of Homefarmer Magazine, out Feb 5th, its got a section by Janice Haughton Wallace (major player in the poultry world) on gearing up for hatching which may help you.

Mike

[NSB]

can anyone recommend pekin egg suppliers both smooth and frizzle.

[Bramble-Poultry]

What colours? I know many breeders but depends on your colours

[walldanzig]

I currently have a broody and I am hatching some Belgian d'Uccle Bantams and one of my own warrens im on day 12

[Bramble-Poultry]

Dan - SNAP! only ours are Porcelain D'Uccles not Milles like yours, also got some Lavender Sablepoots in too!!!

[walldanzig]

We will have to swap pictures if I can get close enough. At the moment going close is not a popular move

[MaureenHall]

Well I'd planned to wait until the end of February to dust off the incubator but ............................................... I've just had 6 Jersey Giant eggs delivered and I've got 6 Croad Langshan eggs on the way