) Often I have two running, one as an incubator and one as a hatcher, and they're usually both running a lot of the time, ever since someone was silly enough to lend me one to add to the one I have from someone who wanted me to troubleshoot his Tractor Supply special (nothing wrong with it, it was operator error). This time of year I incubate all types of eggs together and do staggered hatches since chickens, ducks, turkeys, muscovies (still waiting to find eggs from those girls) and geese won't co-ordinate their laying schedules and I never know when the well will run dry or someone will go broody. But for right now, I just have ONE running. So it's not a problem, right? Never mind that the ONE is packed solid with eggs I don't need...18 Bronze turkey eggs total I got in trade for hatching out some Sebastopol geese for a friend, due to hatch next week and the week after; 10 Buff Orpington duck eggs that were calling my name at the Lombardy sale (WHY? WHY? I don't want ducks except for the Magpies!!!), due at the same time as the second batch of turkey eggs; 5 Magpie eggs, and three Embden eggs.
I really didn't need to put the goose eggs in, because the geese went very broody on the same day and I had to give them back some of their eggs anyway, but decided to do some myself "just in case"...and the Magpies were probably silly to put in too, since my (lone) Mama duck is a laying machine, and is now showing signs of going broody on the clutch I've allowed her to build up.
I say it was silly to put those eggs in, because they're taking up space I should be using for layers, Giants and project birds. But not really. I have a couple dozen cull hens I have to freezer first to make room. But I REALLY should be hatching chickens. But not really.
I've got two broodies out with chicks in tow, one sitting eggs and 3 more showing signs of going down, but I've got a bunch of eggs I ABSOLUTELY NEED to set myself for some reason, and the pile is growing daily while I rob the hens of their treasures and chance to hatch out 10 chicks all by themselves with no help from me.But, I'm not an addict, because I've only got one incubator full
I am mightily withstanding the urge to fill the manky old incubator (the first "loaner", now very well seasoned) that I use as a hatcher, as a second incubator. I am also sticking firm to my resolve to wash and return the fabulous still-air one that a kind member lent me last year. It's unplugged and on top of the box just in case my resolve weakens, I can look at it and go NOPE, it's gotta go back to the owner. I refuse to do staggered hatches all in the same unit anymore, because it can make a huge mess all over eggs that sometimes haven't been in there very long. I use the word, "refuse", lightly. Those chicken eggs are calling my name. That is, if I don't find a muscovy nest first.
I find myself counting days, hours, seconds, knowing I have to wait until the 23rd-ish for the first batch of turkeys to hatch out, before I start more eggs.
I blame my parents, for handing down to me a genetic predisposition to addiction
