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Countdown To The December Hatch-A-Long

A few days ago, a story appeared in my email inbox about the BackYard Chicken site announcing the 7th Annual BYC New Year's Day Hatch-A-Long.



Curious about what this was, I checked out the website and found they have an entire forum dedicated to people who want to have their chicken eggs hatch on the same day as other people on the forum. The allure is that you have someone to help you if you have questions or concerns. You won't feel like you are in it alone, especially if you don't have a local community of people who are hatching chickens themselves.



Here's How It Works



It takes chicks 21 days to hatch, so the big day to put your fertilized chicken eggs in the incubator is December 11, at noon. Then on January 1, 2016, the entire group should have newly hatched chicks by the end of the day. Some will come a little earlier, some will come a little later, depending on the incubator conditions and the breed.



If you are hatching other types of birds, the hatching time is somewhat different. The BYC folks have provided a list of what day to start your eggs to meet that New Year's Day deadline:



  • Goose (31 days) - 12/1/15
  • Duck, Turkey, Pheasant (28 days) - 12/4/15
  • Guinea Fowl (26 days) - 12/6/15
  • Chicken (21 days) - 12/11/15
  • Coturnix Quail (18 days) - 12/14/15


What To Expect When You're Expecting Chicks



A poultry friend of mine and I used to do our own small hatch-a-long so that we could share the vaccine for something called Marek's Disease. The vaccine is intended for large poultry operations, so it comes in huge doses; the chicks must be vaccinated on the first day of life.

She would mix up the vaccine and vaccinate her chicks and then come to my house and vaccinate mine.  It was fun to send each other emails asking if the first chicks had hatched or if we were seeing pips (small cracks), indicating the chicks had begun their journeys out of the egg.

This time of year can be difficult to find fertile hatching eggs, unless you use extra light to ensure your hens will continue laying eggs. That, and roosters can be affected by extremely cold temperatures and older males may not be as fertile in the winter. You can buy fertilized eggs from a local breeder or from a hatchery if you don't have any of your own.

But remember, the law of averages deems that 50 percent of the eggs you hatch will be male and 50 percent will be female. You will need a plan for the eventual issues that come with having roosters.



But if you are prepared, why not go for it? There are few things more fun than watching a batch of new chicks as they hatch out of their egg, peeping loudly, and taking those first wobbly steps.



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