THE MOTHER'S DAY HATCH-A-LONG!!!! The last day to join in and set eggs with us is April 28th.

[yinepu]

Bet I'm older than you!

But, bet I haven't hatched as long as you!! 50 yrs.!!

We'll just say you are an old timer at hatching, not old.

lol.. old is in the eye of the beholder?...

 

[HEChicken]

thanks guys... I've been around poultry, incubating and hatching all my life (over 50 years now.. even though I hate to admit I'm getting that old!

).. so for me it's just another day

i actually envy a lot of you since you guys still get the thrill of candling an egg for the first time and finding veins.. or looking into a bator and seeing your first zip.. I was just a little squid when it happened for me (my mother had eggs in the bator when I was born.. and all the time after that too) .. and well.. even though I do love hatching out these little guys I don't have that awe and excitement that many of you are experiencing.. don't get me wrong.. i still get happy when I see an egg progressing nicely.. and am still disappointed by a clear egg... but I don't have the frantic excitement that so many of you get at hatch time.. I suppose you could say I'm just a wee bit jealous!

The funny thing is, I've been around poultry for more than 4 decades - my parents always kept both chickens and ducks and for us kids feeding and caring for them were just part of the daily chores. As an adult I've always had a coop in the yard and enough chooks to keep me in eggs. But I never got into hatching and, probably because we mostly kept leghorns and other less broody breeds, until last year I had never even had a broody hen. So although I'm not new to poultry, I am relatively new to incubating (1 1/2-2 years since I built my incubator). I do still find it exciting to view the whole process and just a little bit miraculous too. And of course I still have lots to learn so appreciate all of you who take the time to answer my questions!

 

[what did I do]

I candled my eggs once again to day. This time I removed 2. It looks like 3 more may have quit but I didn't remove them yet. So, out of 44 eggs I still have 42 in the bator.

I think it was rvchick who has the homemade bator beside his bed. I shouldn't read your posts. I have two unused ice chests that would make good bators. I can't do it until next year....maybe. My husband would kill me. As it is he says I need to get rid of these chicks. He complains about black chicks. I have 20 hens from my last hatch sold. My ds will try to sell some in the 4h sale so right now is the only time we will be overrun with chicks and 50 of those are his - the dirty meat birds.

I read a post today on grocery store eggs - I hope our stores only carry non -fertilized eggs.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
I've had other livestock for 25 years, but didn't have much interest in chickens. We now wish we had acquired them sooner! I never would have attempted incubating without the information on BYC and the people so willing to answer the basic questions. Now I'm obsessed looking at chickens, their eggs and hatching. Hence, I'm often on the IA thread acknowledging the power hatching has over me!

 

[Arielle]

I candled my eggs once again to day. This time I removed 2. It looks like 3 more may have quit but I didn't remove them yet. So, out of 44 eggs I still have 42 in the bator.

I think it was rvchick who has the homemade bator beside his bed. I shouldn't read your posts. I have two unused ice chests that would make good bators. I can't do it until next year....maybe. My husband would kill me. As it is he says I need to get rid of these chicks. He complains about black chicks. I have 20 hens from my last hatch sold. My ds will try to sell some in the 4h sale so right now is the only time we will be overrun with chicks and 50 of those are his - the dirty meat birds.

I read a post today on grocery store eggs - I hope our stores only carry non -fertilized eggs.

I've been looking for these eggs. Seems like CA is the place to be . . . . I'm in MA and I would have thought here would be another place; no luck so far.

 

[yinepu]

The funny thing is, I've been around poultry for more than 4 decades - my parents always kept both chickens and ducks and for us kids feeding and caring for them were just part of the daily chores. As an adult I've always had a coop in the yard and enough chooks to keep me in eggs. But I never got into hatching and, probably because we mostly kept leghorns and other less broody breeds, until last year I had never even had a broody hen. So although I'm not new to poultry, I am relatively new to incubating (1 1/2-2 years since I built my incubator). I do still find it exciting to view the whole process and just a little bit miraculous too. And of course I still have lots to learn so appreciate all of you who take the time to answer my questions!

I've had other livestock for 25 years, but didn't have much interest in chickens. We now wish we had acquired them sooner! I never would have attempted incubating without the information on BYC and the people so willing to answer the basic questions. Now I'm obsessed looking at chickens, their eggs and hatching. Hence, I'm often on the IA thread acknowledging the power hatching has over me!

like you guys I was always around the critters.. we had a little of everything and I had my chores to do every day before and after school. Weekends were spent building hutches and pens, mucking out stalls and coops .. and butchering. There was no going out with friends or to school dances or hanging out at the local spots (lol.. no malls when I was a kid)!
I finally got a "social life" when I joined the FFA and ended up going to the national convention 3 years and regionals the other year that I was in High School... (some "social life" huh?)

In retrospect I wouldn't have changed much.. I learned a heck of a lot even if I did miss out on the usual teenager stuff. Lol.. good thing I like animals!

 

[yinepu]

emu baby is working on hatching..

 

[what did I do]

emu baby is working on hatching..

What a beautiful egg.

 

[yinepu]

What a beautiful egg.

they are.. I have several that were bad eggs.. blew out the contents so I can carve them.. the egg has several layers to the shell.. so as you carve them you can go deeper or more shallow to change the color

 

[crazypetlady]

Hi all!  So about 2 hours after I submitted my video for americas most desperate landscape, I got an email back saying they like us and need more photos and for us to sign a video and photo release!  I'm sooo excited and hopeful.  I think the better ratings I get on my submission the better my chances are.  Soooo....if you don't mind.  Its not a forum or really a contest.  But here's the link.  5 stars is better, meaning its more desperate.  If you don't mind just giving me a 5 star that would be awesome.  If not..thats cool too.  You don't have to register or anything.

http://my.diynetwork.com/amdl-2012/...tely-seeking-makeover/detail.esi?oid=28508098

On another note.  I had two ameracaunas hatch out from the easter hatch.  I was told they're pure, which if they aren't that is fine, I'm simply curious.  But its suddenly sprouting black feathers that stick up on its head.  Looks similar to my polish.  What do you guys think.  He's the gray one in front and the polish is behind.

Those wouldn't happen to be fron the eggs I sent you.