Itching to Hatch Chicks--Want Your Own Olive Eggers or French Coppered Black Marans??

I can't wait any longer...it is time to get things organized for our first Spring hatch.  I saw the University of Nebraska hatch cam today, and knew I had to get in gear.

My first hatch will be a "Colorful Egg Basket" mix.  By having a Dark Brown-Egg (French Coppered Black Marans) Roo in the breeding pen with blue-egg (Easter Egger) and dark brown-egg (FCBM) hens, eggs will produce babies who carry genes for either dark brown or olive egg color:  pure FCBMs, and Olive Eggers.

Soon to be Daddy, Jules, an FCBM roo

This weekend we'll get our materials together and build our first breeding pen, meant to temporarily keep desired love matches together (and away from opportunity-seeking roosters who are no respecter of genetics programs).  This will be a secure pen attached to a coop, inside their normal extremely large pen.

It will take about one week for hens system's to "clear" previously mated Roos' genetic material and to be fertilized by the desired roo.  After one week, I will begin collecting eggs, labeling them with regard to date laid, and storing them for hatching.  Ideally, eggs that you are holding to hatch will be stored in an egg carton at a temperature of about 55-60 degrees.  Unheated rooms or back porches are great for this.  Refrigeration is NOT a good idea (though to be honest, I can point out three birds in my current flock born from eggs that were put in the fridge for a few days before I "scrambled" for a clutch to put under a suddenly broody hen).  Eggs should be hatched in an incubator, or put under a broody, within 10 days maximum, though I usually try for no more than 7 when possible.

An FCBM hen--they are notable for broodiness

When I am collecting eggs in preparation for a hatch (or to ship to someone else who will be hatching them), I keep them as close to 60 degrees as possible, and I turn them a couple times each day, so that the yolk doesn't settle or get malformed.  I put the eggs in a carton, and I put a brick under one end, so that the carton's left end is on the countertop and the right end is higher, atop the brick.  Then I move the carton around accordingly: left to right ends on the brick, then I flip the (closed) carton over and do likewise, one move in the am, one in the pm, each day.  If I start this on day 1, the carton is rightside up (with right end higher) in the am, then rightside up (with left end higher) in the pm.  On day 2, I flip the carton upsidedown (a rubber band gives security here) and do the same on this day.  Day 3 sees a return to position one (rightside up, with the right end higher).

I'll be hatching FCBMs (will lay eggs like the dark brown ones here)

And Olive Eggers (will lay eggs similar to the greens here)

I should be ready to set eggs on Feb 18th, which will give us a hatch date of  March 9th-10th.  Holler if you'd like to put dibs on some chicks from this hatch, and let me know when you'd like to take them--cost begins on day of hatch at $4 each, and goes up $1 for each two weeks that I raise them.  Chicks are fully feathered and can live without a heat lamp (or warm mama) by about 8 weeks.

Interested?  Comment and let me know what you want...I'll hatch based on the interest of folks here.