Hatching hens

I'm up to my neck in hatching hens -  one sitting on duck eggs, three sitting on hen eggs, two sitting on nothing!  So as not to swamp myself  with birds, I've limited each hatcher to four eggs.  I find the chicks grow faster that way as the hen only needs to find food for four instead of ten or twelve. Does anyone know of anyone selling crocodile eggs?  Anything for a bit of variety - but I will only take the freshwater variety as I believe saltwater crocodiles' eggs are very big and my hens are on the small size...

Have you any left to actually lay eggs Sean? We have 3 sitting on turkey eggs, hopefully they will stay on them as I had to move them to a new shed today as they were in the way. Sorry no crocodile eggs here of either variety lol

Yes Deryn, plenty still laying - there's over thirty of 'em there altogether.

Hen hatched first turkey last night

Congratulations!

Two hens put hatching - one sitting on Welsummer eggs and the other on Cream Legbar x Welsummer. These hatchers are Welsummers crossed with a bantam Partridge Wyandotte. They're almost as big as full-sized Welsummers and have that motherly bantam gene. I just have them in small individual coops, closed up at night but open all day so the hen can come and go as she pleases. It's a very simple hatching method - the hen does all the work!

First clutch of eggs due to hatch tomorrow. These are from a Cream Legbar crossed with a Welsummer Cock. Fingers crossed for pullets!

Well Sean, How did they do? I am collecting Quail eggs at the moment. I have 32 just now and in a few days I will have 40 and time to incubate. These birds only live for about 2/3 years so the breeding stock need replacing every year. I did a freezer count and still have 8 from last year so a success me thinks.

First clutch were a day late coming out, but she hatched eight out of ten - all good strong chicks. They are running loose around the yard with their mother now, scoffing half a tin of sardines per day, plus mixed corn and whatever else they come across! Second clutch (Welsummers) due out tomorrow, but I already hear cheeping this evening! They should be running free on Wednesday. I must say I am very impressed with the Cream Legbar as a layer : she lays every day without fail - a large green egg. Good luck with the Quails. I'd chance them myself if I could work out a free-range system for them.

Second clutch - eight out of ten again. First clutch are roaming far añd wide. I think they might be seven pullets and one cockerel. Just so long as they steer clear of the Sparrowhawks!

Second round of chicks for this hen - she brought out eight last time; this time I just three five under her and she hatched the five!

First clutch of chickens, hatched out first week of May, now laying. I love it when a plan comes together! Just as well, since the older hens are on strike, all barring a White Leghorn who dutifully produces an egg nearly every day. Only trouble is: her egg is a bit pale in the yolk for some reason.

Nice Pic Sean. I have a fresh batch of RR POL, and for the first time ever I have lights in the coops. We are now one of the principal suppliers of chook and duck eggs at the mart, so we need to keep them laying through the winter. Congrats on the hatchings. I would like to breed them myself but I would have to cage them permanently because of predictors. I got a fresh batch of Quail in to get some fresh blood. Unless I put lights in their cage I will have no eggs to breed with.