November 2016 Hatch-a-long!!

[PattyAnnie]

My sole survivor Temp fluctuations got the best of the others.

She is a cutie!

DD did the last candling last night.

Chicken Eggs:
6/6 backyard eggs look good
5/6 of farmer market eggs look good, one was clear
+1 extra egg that was thrown in - but not part of the experiment.

Quail eggs
8/10 backyard eggs look good, 1 is a ?, 1 was clear
7/10 farmer market eggs look good, 1 is ?, 2 were clear
0/10 store eggs developed Only 1 is a ? because the shell is too thick & dark to see anything.
+ about 4-5 backyard eggs that were added just because we had them.


It's time to make some brooders! The quail should hatch Tues & the chickens on Thanksgiving. Today we removed the turner & increased the humidity of the quail incubator. I'm so glad we were able to get the eggs started when we did. DD has off from school all week, so I know what she'll be doing. (We call it "incubator TV.")

Looks like some of us are going to have fun Thanksgivings with hopefully a bunch hatching. I have kind of given up on the candling. I think I have some that will hatch, but with the different colored eggs it really it is tough. Here's hoping.... Oh.... don't forget to defrost your turkeys I forgot I have a potluck

DD did the last candling last night.

Chicken Eggs:
6/6 backyard eggs look good
5/6 of farmer market eggs look good, one was clear
+1 extra egg that was thrown in - but not part of the experiment.

Quail eggs
8/10 backyard eggs look good, 1 is a ?, 1 was clear
7/10 farmer market eggs look good, 1 is ?, 2 were clear
0/10 store eggs developed Only 1 is a ? because the shell is too thick & dark to see anything.
+ about 4-5 backyard eggs that were added just because we had them.


It's time to make some brooders! The quail should hatch Tues & the chickens on Thanksgiving. Today we removed the turner & increased the humidity of the quail incubator. I'm so glad we were able to get the eggs started when we did. DD has off from school all week, so I know what she'll be doing. (We call it "incubator TV.")

Looks like we have a quite few hatching on Thanksgiving Going to be an interesting day! Don't forget to defrost your turkeys. I forgot I have a church potluck tomorrow and I am supposed to bring a turkey which until 1 hour ago was in the freezer. Here's hoping......

 

[Faraday40]

Looks like we have a quite few hatching on Thanksgiving Going to be an interesting day! Don't forget to defrost your turkeys. I forgot I have a church potluck tomorrow and I am supposed to bring a turkey which until 1 hour ago was in the freezer. Here's hoping......

There's a way to defrost faster if you put it into a sink full of cold water.
You could also use one of those "magic" defrosting trays.

*read my spoiled below if you want a free one.

It's not magic...It's thermodynamics!
Basically all you need is a good conductor. That's what the special, scientific material is. Turn a large fry pan you already own upside down & set it on your stove or counter. The metal will help conduct the warmth of the air to your frozen food & the cold of the frozen food out via the metal conductor to the air. Larger surface area in contact with the meat will thaw it faster. Notice how the other ice cube was placed on an insulator (like wood) to make the effect look more dramatic?
I have a 2-sided griddle that actually works better. (I had my students design a lab to test the English teacher's Magic Thaw against all my cookware.) Copper & aluminum also work great, but the large surface area of my griddle gave it the classroom win.
Well, that was my science lesson for the day.
PS- I wouldn't recommend thawing an entire turkey using this method. It works best on foods that are only a few inches thick.
.... but how many of you, after reading this, will go to the freezer and try it out with a couple of ice cubes?

 

[PattyAnnie]

There's a way to defrost faster if you put it into a sink full of cold water.
You could also use one of those "magic" defrosting trays.

*read my spoiled below if you want a free one.

Great idea! I did get that bird cooked by about 1 a.m., LOL!

It's not magic...It's thermodynamics!


Basically all you need is a good conductor. That's what the special, scientific material is. Turn a large fry pan you already own upside down & set it on your stove or counter. The metal will help conduct the warmth of the air to your frozen food & the cold of the frozen food out via the metal conductor to the air. Larger surface area in contact with the meat will thaw it faster. Notice how the other ice cube was placed on an insulator (like wood) to make the effect look more dramatic?


I have a 2-sided griddle that actually works better. (I had my students design a lab to test the English teacher's Magic Thaw against all my cookware.) Copper & aluminum also work great, but the large surface area of my griddle gave it the classroom win.


Well, that was my science lesson for the day.
PS- I wouldn't recommend thawing an entire turkey using this method. It works best on foods that are only a few inches thick.
.... but how many of you, after reading this, will go to the freezer and try it out with a couple of ice cubes?

 

[fscvics]

Bird bird is in the fridge awaiting his big day but much, much more importantly...

 

[FridayYet]

Bird bird is in the fridge awaiting his big day but much, much more importantly...

 

[nothingbutbirds]

I have d'Uccles hatching every three days this month and into next month. I said I wouldn't have any chicks at this time of the year, but when your pullets start laying in winter, what else can you do but hatch them?

I also have a few turkey eggs in the incubator, half due in a week, and the others still have three weeks to go. Might add a few more as they lay, since they are confused about what season they are supposed to lay in.

 

[Faraday40]

Bird bird is in the fridge awaiting his big day but much, much more importantly...

CONGRATS! Guess we know what you'll be doing tomorrow!

I have d'Uccles hatching every three days this month and into next month. I said I wouldn't have any chicks at this time of the year, but when your pullets start laying in winter, what else can you do but hatch them?

I also have a few turkey eggs in the incubator, half due in a week, and the others still have three weeks to go. Might add a few more as they lay, since they are confused about what season they are supposed to lay in.

Just wondering, where do you keep your chicks this time of year? We don't have snow yet, but the water hoses are off for the season. Setting up a brooder outside isn't going to work for us. We're hatching for a sci fair & hope to rehome the chicks ASAP. DD may talk us into keeping a couple, so IF that happens, we'll have 2-3 pet quail or house chickens for a bit. (Unless a hen decides to adopt them....)

 

[nothingbutbirds]

[COLOR=0000CD]Just wondering, where do you keep your chicks this time of year? We don't have snow yet, but the water hoses are off for the season. Setting up a brooder outside isn't going to work for us. We're hatching for a sci fair & hope to rehome the chicks ASAP. DD may talk us into keeping a couple, so IF that happens, we'll have 2-3 pet quail or house chickens for a bit. (Unless a hen decides to adopt them....)[/COLOR]

[/quote] I have an outside, heated chick room for older chicks, and the young ones are in the brooder room in my house(basically half of my basement lol).

 

[Mylied]

[COLOR=0000CD]CONGRATS! Guess we know what you'll be doing tomorrow![/COLOR]

I keep them inside until they are feathered. I'm getting ready to move my two October chicks outside. I live in GA so it hasn't gotten below freezing yet.
[COLOR=0000CD]Just wondering, where do you keep your chicks this time of year? We don't have snow yet, but the water hoses are off for the season. Setting up a brooder outside isn't going to work for us. We're hatching for a sci fair & hope to rehome the chicks ASAP. DD may talk us into keeping a couple, so IF that happens, we'll have 2-3 pet quail or house chickens for a bit. (Unless a hen decides to adopt them....)[/COLOR]

 

[Faraday40]

Has anyone here hatched coturnix quail? Do they need a higher humidity than chickens at hatch?
We've been doing everything the same as hatching chickens. Yesterday (day 14) was lockdown, but I read anytime between 15-19 days is normal. Such a big diff. No pips, peeps, or rocking eggs. I'm not worried, just wanted to know if there are those typical signs prior to quail hatching. I also read that quail are more active, so I decided to hatch them upright to limit the soccer practice inside the incubator. I cut the bottoms out of the little quail egg cartons. The big middle egg is actually a thermometer. Left is the breeder eggs, right is farmer market eggs, no store eggs made it, & the 5 in the back were extra eggs that are not part of the experiment. (sorry pic loaded in sideways)