Incubating Joy-- pt 1.

I am in week two of my incubation journey.

Two weeks ago I started with setting, what is now a staggered hatch.

Set on 04/16 Silkies @ 12 + eggs from Kentucky Silkies - Non standard colors

Set on 04/18 Cochins @ 12 + eggs from Ozark Bantams- black and white

Set on 04/20 Silkie Cochins @ 6+ eggs from the
T he Bantam Barn - Barred & Black silkie

After candling.. I think too much.. I'm down to

11 - Silkies, 6- Cochins and 4- Silkie Cochins.

The last two days were a frustration of fluctuating low temperatures (ideal is supposed to be 99.5) and my temps varied from 88-94. Humidity stayed pretty steady at 40-50 percent.

Luckily I have many good chicken keeping friends who are sending me lots of good juju.

It helps to have as much knowledge, even if it is hindsight. Here is a great Incubation Troubleshooting Guide I found on the Back Yard Chickens forum

I'll keep you updated.

Winnie the spoiled silkie.

      
I am posting this for those of you who have been asking. I hope you get a chuckle and a smile.
Okay I am the first to admit that I have wholly spoiled my banty silkie Winnie.
Instead of going-over to the coop at night she sits by the back patio door. She is. Very clean, quiet, calm and snuggly.  I have posted a pic of her in her diaper on my bed on my blog boisebackyardchickens.blogspot.com  We were watching the office. ....commence laughter. 

Hatching Eggs?! Sweet Fancy Moses!

Taking care of older chickens (even pullets) is easy.
Clean water daily- Check
Clean food daily- Check
Open door for chickens to free range in yard- Check

Then.. then the unspeakable happened.
On a lark- I entered the "Egg Auction" section at the BYC forum.
It went something like this.
Oh hey- this auction is ending soon, and there are bids. Wonder how this works.. hmm.. oh I loved ebay, and am fully recovered from my ebay addiction days. And this isn't ebay- so lets make a super low bid for these dozen plus gorgeous silkie eggs.. there is no way I'm going to win.. so lets say hmm.. $8.00
Minutes wind down-- seven minutes the bid was entered. By minute 1 I was panicking-- with excitement and disbelief.
And loving every moment.
On their way with in the post are a dozen plus silkie eggs from Kentucky Silkies Breeders.


There you have it.

Ok. Ok. So I went the one place I had vowed was just entirely too much trouble and worry.

After pricing out Incubators and finding the cheapest place on the internet I did the math to find out it was cheaper to buy it locally from Dunlap Hatchery in Caldwell. The Hova-bator 1620N prices for about $57 and seems to fit my needs. I'm opting out of getting an auto egg turner, since I'm at home most of the time.

I purchased a Timex digital thermometer/hygrometer from Amazon.com (by far cheaper than buying it retail in store).

Then I realized the incubator has room for more.. and well the dozen or so eggs might be lonely... two auctions later. I called it good.

Silkies @ 12 + eggs from KentuckySilkies.com - Non standard colors

Cochins @ 12 + eggs from OzarkBantams.com- black and white

Silkie Cochins @ 6+ eggs from the BantamBarn.com- Barred and; Black silkie

I'm warming up the Hova-Bator today.

Already I am getting that chicken-high... ahh ..

Ohh-- and to top it off.. Ruby our new Easter Egger laid a gorgeous blue egg today.

Ahh-- I can feel the seratonin and endorphins just having a love-fest in my head...

New Chicks on the Block.

I couldn't resist. On Easter Sunday we happened to be in Parma, and I just had to stop by and see Jim and Martha and pick up something for me.
I had fully intended to pick up a red silkie.. nothing more.
Until I saw the sweetest partridge silkie with the biggest darkest eyes. I made her mine and named her Wilhelmina.
My son had to have one of his own as well. So we picked up 9 month old Amerauacana/Easter Egger and named her Ruby.

Ruby and Wilhelmina (Mina) are settled in nicely at home. Pictures to come.