First Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon- Join us! Set Day: Easter - Page 187

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wisher1000 

A couple of weeks ago, one of my (favorite) hens came up missing. I knew that she could be on a nest but after not seeing her for a while, figured she was taken by a hawk (she was the smallest in my flock.) Early this morning, I found where a stray dog had killed her. I took off work and hunted and hunted till I found the nest. It was under a building and I had to dig a huge hole to get the eggs. I have them in the incubator and have candled a couple and saw movement! Here's the problem, I have no idea what day they are on. The air cells look like they are not far along (day 9?) but some of the ones I candled looked dark and full. How long do I turn them? Do I turn them till they pip? Should I wait for internal pips (peeps?) Or do I just guess when to stop and hope for the best? I am going to try to get those air cells bigger by keeping the humidity low until I see a pip. They were being incubated by the hen on bare dirt. How do you determine day 18 and lockdown when you don't know when they started?  Anyone?

I figure a hen doesn't stop turning eggs. Maybe someone has some solid info on this. But I think a little turning is not a problem and as you get close less turning is ok too.  I had a similar situation, and I turned just 2 times a day. WHen I had  pip I upped the humidity with wet sponges. I wasn't experience at looking for an internal pip, so this is how I handled it. It was a crazy 10 days of sporatic hatching.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arielle 

I figure a hen doesn't stop turning eggs. Maybe someone has some solid info on this. But I think a little turning is not a problem and as you get close less turning is ok too.  I had a similar situation, and I turned just 2 times a day. WHen I had  pip I upped the humidity with wet sponges. I wasn't experience at looking for an internal pip, so this is how I handled it. It was a crazy 10 days of sporatic hatching.  

some people have chicks hatching out while still in the turners (and with the turners still running)

granted it's not ideal.. but it does happen

if it were me I would just candle each egg every day (once a day) and check for internal pips.. once the first one has internally pipped I would stop turning

I have a pip!! A BR turkey. I've sold more eggs than set. So I hope to get more BR set soon. 

Originally Posted by Wisher1000 

A couple of weeks ago, one of my (favorite) hens came up missing. I knew that she could be on a nest but after not seeing her for a while, figured she was taken by a hawk (she was the smallest in my flock.) Early this morning, I found where a stray dog had killed her. I took off work and hunted and hunted till I found the nest. It was under a building and I had to dig a huge hole to get the eggs. I have them in the incubator and have candled a couple and saw movement! Here's the problem, I have no idea what day they are on. The air cells look like they are not far along (day 9?) but some of the ones I candled looked dark and full. How long do I turn them? Do I turn them till they pip? Should I wait for internal pips (peeps?) Or do I just guess when to stop and hope for the best? I am going to try to get those air cells bigger by keeping the humidity low until I see a pip. They were being incubated by the hen on bare dirt. How do you determine day 18 and lockdown when you don't know when they started?  Anyone?

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arielle 

I figure a hen doesn't stop turning eggs. Maybe someone has some solid info on this. But I think a little turning is not a problem and as you get close less turning is ok too.  I had a similar situation, and I turned just 2 times a day. WHen I had  pip I upped the humidity with wet sponges. I wasn't experience at looking for an internal pip, so this is how I handled it. It was a crazy 10 days of sporatic hatching.  

 

After our turkey hen got attacked there were 4 eggs that the coon didn't destroy, they were ice cold but I put them in the incubator regardless just in case, I had no idea how long she had been sitting on them. I was moving my last batch to the hatcher yesterday when I noticed a pip in one of them so I moved them into the hatcher too, they were turned until then. I was worried about the one with the pip bc I let the humidity drop to the high 20s after reading on here (I think I had it too high for my last couple rounds, not very good results plus they were purchased eggs). I woke up this morning to find the one with the pip completely out of the shell and another one mostly out and now there is a pip in a third one, I am completely shocked I really didn't expect anything to happen with them. Of course there's no activity yet from the purchased eggs I moved... I think it has to be the diet of the parents, ours get non-GMO feed with fish meal plus they free range.

The turkey hen is doing amazingly well, again I am completely shocked by her recovery, I thought for sure she would need to be culled. I moved her outside in her cage Thursday (1 day shy of a week after her attack) so she could socialize with the others and get some fresh air. The other hen hung out next to her all day, it was really sweet, when she left to eat one of the guinea males stayed by her side, she was never by herself. When we went to put her in for the night she jumped and popped the top off of the dog crate, leaped out, hopped into the barn with the others so I let her be since it was time to roost anyhow. She has been loose ever since, we've tried to catch her but she is surprisingly fast and seems to be much happier with the rest of the flock. We will catch her today to change her dressing and turn her loose again. Thank you all for the advice, I can't believe the recovery she has made 

Those of you wondering how the home made plucker worked... it was pretty darned good.  I couldn't figure out how to do the butt and wings very well, but it sped the whole thing up significantly. I was a bit scared of it at first... gloves are essential. It also flings some feathers into your face and some beyond the trashcan, I need a backsplash. The side of the truck acted like a backsplash, though... can't wait for Chris to go to work tomorrow with the truck looking like he hit a flock of geese.

Those of you that want to see how it worked... go to youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-wF4szhl-c&feature=share&list=UUdQeIVJVB5z4LLq3qWoMBmg

Hopefully that link works.

Soooo cute!  I miss my little turkey poults.........

Well yesterday was moving day.  The Easter "chicks" moved to the pen where the big chickens are.  I got a few kennel panels to separate them from the grown chickens.  At first they just sat on the ground looking around like they couldn't believe that the world is such a big place.  I figured it was time since one of the cockerels decided he was going to try out his crower on Sunday.  The poults and the tutors got moved to the big brooder in the barn.  I think they are enjoying the extra room.  The BR poult and one of the chicks started running around playing tag, I swear!   The little brooder in the house is all cleaned up and waiting for the last batch to hatch.  I have four turkey eggs still going after the candling and some tutors in with them.  I set the tutors a day or so early so I am hoping that they will hatch along with or before the turkeys this time.

While none of my eggs hatched for the hatchathon (only 2 dev of 5 shipped eggs) I have had 2 batches of BR hatch since. 4+8=12 !!

I love the color of the BR as they start as a pinkish tan, and continue to darken with each molt. 

SCG--nice job on the plucker, that has always been the messiest part and far messier than I thought it would be. LOL

I've finally gotten around to taking an updated photo of my turkey.  I set 11 eggs and 4 developed.  Three of those made it to lockdown and hatched, but 2 of them had issues and died within a couple of days.  So I ended up with one Royal Palm, but boy is it growing!!!

Here is the support staff (they think their student is on a basketball scholarship).

Today they made the move from the workshop brooder to the indoor pen.  They were joined by the rival school.............the Araucanas.

Deb