4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Lewis]

We've been planning for a few months to hatch some chicks in Biology at school, but have waited until after exams to hatch them . Thats this week and its all finally coming together .

The incubator - a Covatutto 24 auto - and other equipment arrived this week, but the company forgot to send the motor so that should arrive on Monday, if not we'll manually turn the eggs for the first few days.

 

We're going to be setting 6 Cream Crested Legbars and 6 Brilley Blues - they're a new breed that lay blue eggs .

They've been ordered provisionally for ages but I've just confirmed the order and we should have them next Monday/Tuesday ready to go in the incubator .

 

 

If all goes to plan we'll get some chicks and then have them for another week in school then they'll come home with me and go into the .

We have planned everything properly, I'll be keeping the girls and the cockerels will be going to local farms to live their lives.

Edited July 14, 2009 by Guest

[tidygirlsuk]

Good luck where did you get the eggs from in the end ?

[Lewis]

Good luck where did you get the eggs from in the end ?

The Brilley Blues are coming from Castle Farm Poultry and the Cream Crested Legbars are coming from Notton2005 on P.P. who was recommended by another breeder.

[tidygirlsuk]

cool. lets hope yours are easy to sex legbars What do the brilley blues look like ?

[mostin]

We never did anything that exciting in A level biology . We just went to Boggle bay and threw quadrats about and counted the different types of seaweed .

 

How to be allowed to hatch chicks, and even better that you get to take them home .

[Lewis]

We never did anything that exciting in A level biology . We just went to Boggle bay and threw quadrats about and counted the different types of seaweed .

 

How to be allowed to hatch chicks, and even better that you get to take them home .

You got to go the beach + were stuck in a classroom!

 

It should be really good + everyones getting excited already.

[mostin]

We never did anything that exciting in A level biology . We just went to Boggle bay and threw quadrats about and counted the different types of seaweed .

 

How to be allowed to hatch chicks, and even better that you get to take them home .

You got to go the beach + were stuck in a classroom!

 

It should be really good + everyones getting excited already.

 

True, we did get outside. And we even found that if we threw our quadrats hard enough they made their way into the nearest pub, and we just had to follow them in there . Didn't count much seaweed in there though .

[Lewis]

The incubator is set up and running, holding its temperature well and 6 eggs arrived today!

 

The Cream Crested Legbar eggs! They're sitting resting next to the incubator ready to go in tomorrow afternoon.

 

The Brilley Blues should be here in the morning and should really be rested for 24 hours, but if we set them in the afternoon it shouldn't be too bad

 

 

The auto turner still isn't here, but as long as its here by Friday it should be ok , otherwise someone will have to come in at the weekend

Theres also talk of a Chick Cam , will need to get the 's in to sort something out.

[mostin]

Ooooh exciting , well planned too, as if they hatch early or late it will still happen within the school week.

[tidygirlsuk]

Oh it's so exciting.

[Lewis]

Ooooh exciting , well planned too, as if they hatch early or late it will still happen within the school week.

I know

That was the plan, but if they come 2 days early its a Bank Holiday so we'll all be watching the Chick Cam for any news

[Lewis]

Well the eggs are set in the incubator

- well 6 of them, the Cream Crested Legbars !egggreen! !egggreen! !egggreen!

Hopefully the other 6 will be going in tomorrow

The eggs look greener in real life than they do in photos

.......now we just have a waiting game for 21 days!

[mostin]

Oooooooooh the countdown begins.

 

It's always disappointing with coloured eggs isn't it, how they never look as good in photos , I've never got a good photo of my girls green eggs yet.

 

Are you manually turning them or has the motor arrived?

[Lewis]

The motor arrived this morning, which is a relief! We had to drill some holes in the side which I thought was a bit odd and I thought they'd be pre-drilled.

 

The Brilley Blues are late, but they are in the post so are arriving tomorrow, I know you shouldn't have 2 staggered hatch dates so ...

 

I have the incubator I made, which we could use as a hatcher for the first eggs for the last 3 days.

[mostin]

Sounds like a good plan.

[tidygirlsuk]

How exciting lewis. It feels like such a long wait doesn't it.

Edited July 1, 2009 by Guest

[Lewis]

It does feel like a massive wait!

 

The went in on Friday and we're trying to sort out a hatcher for the first 6 .

 

I really quickly candled the 's earlier and could see veins in 2 of them, but they were hard to candle, and couldn't get in the dark. We'll have a better go in a few days time

[Lewis]

Another Update

We candled the eggs and I think 2 of each breed are infertile, but the other we can see veins in. One egg has a funny air sac, but you can see the chick developing inside.

 

We've managed to borrow a hatchmaster/polyhatch from another local school, which was running over the weekend to check it was working, which it was, so we but the first batch in to up their humidity and to stop turning them, at 9am, and at 1pm when I went to check them somone had turned the incubator off!

We think it was a mistake, but its back on now, the eggs left a bit cold, but it was a maximum of 4 hours and we're hoping they will be ok The temperature went down to 25ish degrees

 

Hopefully they'll hatch on Wednesday and then the others are due on Friday, and if they hatch, they'll all be at home with me next Wednesday

[Lewis]

Talking to myself but I don't care

3 of the eggs pipped during Biology (1 day early) and everyone was really excited,

And the first one hatched properly at 4pm

 

(Sorry about the rubbish photo - camera phone)

[Chickvic]

How sweet

[Griffin]

Excellent news

[Valkyrie]

Ooh, can't wait to see when they are all fluffy bundles. Poor little thing - so exhausting breaking out.

[Space Chick]

Wonderful news Lewis - sweet little babies

[Scramble]

Gorgeous little babies

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Great news, Lewis . Keep us posted .