Mahonri's 3rd Annual, BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[JulieNKC]

Awww, so cute!

I am coming up flat footed for April Fool's Day. I normally come up with some great pranks. Last year, I sent my kids out to collect eggs on AFD (this should've been a flag, as I always collect eggs myself), and this is what they found:

(keep in mind we only had 4 or 5 laying hens at the time)


Then, the year before, I told the kids we were having cake for dinner.

It was a meatloaf cake. I used instant mashed potatoes for the frosting.

Then we had "meatloaf" for dessert- it was brownies made in a loaf pan.

Love it! So stealing your idea!

 

[Sphinx]

Go for it! I thought my ideas were pretty hilarious.

 

[tinychicky]

here is my egg art i'd like to enter in the contest. I'm not entirly sure where to put them so i'll post them here. enjoy!

 

[Pinx]

Ok, so today is hatch day for me. I don't have 1 single pip. Is that normal? I did however hear one of the chicks screaming at me from the egg when I walked in the door from chores. I thought it had hatched it was so loud, but I was wrong. So I pulled up my chair by the incubator and I heard a very quiet peep, and I haven't heard anything else.

Any calming words for a first time hatcher?? lol

 

[newduckie]

how long is to long for a goose to be in the air sack and no pips? I a getting nervous. I have heard it and it is getting weaker. been about 36 hours since it first started cheeping.

 

[debs_flock]

Can someone remind me when our Easter Hatch chicks should be going on lockdown? It's been a couple of years since I used my bator.

If you set on the set day that most of us used (St. Patrick's Day, 3/17) and they are chicken eggs (not serama), then lockdown is day 18, this coming Wednesday.

Good luck,
Deb

 

[Spangled]

Then, the year before, I told the kids we were having cake for dinner.

It was a meatloaf cake. I used instant mashed potatoes for the frosting.

Then we had "meatloaf" for dessert- it was brownies made in a loaf pan.

Yeah, I think you'd have to have an actual dessert as a back up (like your brownies) or there could be a riot ... at least at my house.

I may try this one of these days. Why wait until next year? This is a good practical joke at any time. Of course, I'd make a little gravy to go over the "cake." So the menu would read: Frosted Layer Cake with Brown Gravy.

Quote:
You survived all these years with only a C- for Charity in algebra? I rarely use my algebra, but it does help in formulating chicken feed recipes. Seriously, I think there needs to be a whole lot more practical math studied.

What am I going to do with these chicks

This is my most recent hatch- 7 FBC Marans:

Ok, so today is hatch day for me. I don't have 1 single pip. Is that normal? I did however hear one of the chicks screaming at me from the egg when I walked in the door from chores. I thought it had hatched it was so loud, but I was wrong. So I pulled up my chair by the incubator and I heard a very quiet peep, and I haven't heard anything else.

Any calming words for a first time hatcher?? lol

I wish I could give you calming words, but I don't like it when that happens because mine usually pip on day 20. I had only two pips early on day 21 in a recent hatch and I figured out that my new and perfect $40 thermometer was reading about 1/2 a degree low even though it had been perfect for the last hatch. I turned up the temp the tiniest little bit and within 8 -12 hours things started going. But I was able to sit right there for those 12 hours and make sure that I didn't get the temp turned up too high by accident and monitored it straight thru the whole day.

I am not recommending this. Not at all. I haven't a clue what is going on at your end.

Hopefully, someone else has already supplied you with calming words of experience.

 

[HortonFarms]

Well, I have known that I hatch early but this is the earliest. Some my early set eggs went into lockdown yesterday at midnight, so day 19 1/2 is pretty early but no one has unabsorbed yolks so far. I have ten half way hatched (still connected to the bottom of the shell) and 6 pipping. I will post pics as soon as i can.

For those of you that are wondering, my temp averages at 100 ( I let it regularly fluctuate from 98 to 102), I have had better hatches doing this than keeping a steady 99.5. However, this seems to change my incubation time (does not seem to affect the chicks development) to Bantams 18 1/2- 19 days and standard to 20 days.

 

[dsqard]

Just a quick note before I go and finish up my homework. Here was my April Fool's "prank"

Yesterday


Today

What a difference a day makes.

 

[Arielle]

Awww, so cute!

I am coming up flat footed for April Fool's Day. I normally come up with some great pranks. Last year, I sent my kids out to collect eggs on AFD (this should've been a flag, as I always collect eggs myself), and this is what they found:

(keep in mind we only had 4 or 5 laying hens at the time)


Then, the year before, I told the kids we were having cake for dinner.

It was a meatloaf cake. I used instant mashed potatoes for the frosting.

Then we had "meatloaf" for dessert- it was brownies made in a loaf pan.

THis is hysterically funny---my boys have been bugging me for Easter candy this year--now I know what they will get!!

Sounds good. Right now we are on a Friendship bread kick (I make a sweet white/whole wheat sandwich bread out of the starter)

Ingredients

1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
6 cups bread flour​

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly.
2. Oil bottom and sides of a large bowl.
3. Put dough into bowl and cover lightly.
4. Let dough stand overnight at room temperature.
5. In the morning, punch dough down four or five times.
6. Divide dough into three equal balls.
7. Kneed each ball eight to ten times.
8. Grease and dust three loaf pans with flour.
9. Put dough into pans.
10. Brush tops with oil and cover with oiled foil.
11. Let stand 4-5 hours or all day.
12. Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C).
13. Bake 30-40 minutes and cover with foil after lightly browned.

How could I get some of the starter?? Mail order??

Can someone remind me when our Easter Hatch chicks should be going on lockdown? It's been a couple of years since I used my bator.

I read it earlier this morning and I've already forgotten!! I'm counting on a reminder closer to the day. Wednesday I think. Set day + 21 days - 3days. THat part I do remember!!