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

[chickenteacher2]

I set mine on the 29th, but I am celebrating and counting along with you all. This is only my second hatch EVER. I'm hoping to have some silkies, Aracauna mix with New England, and Cochin mixes. ALso, I am trying to be a little "dryer" this time in humidity to up my hatch rate from 2/12.

I'm learning a lot from this website and appreciate all the wisdom.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: So true!! My first time using it was when our summer weather hit 103. 2-3 days in the 90's is blazing hot. 100 is unheard of. Fortunately the nervous nellie newbie in me kept me parked by that LG. I used the AC air from my kids bedroom by closing some doors and opening others to force the air into the hatching room!! I had turned the upstairs into an obstacle course. Annoying but necessary. THe instructions do say a stable environment of 65-75 or something close to that.

 

[Arielle]

Here is a little farm story for you all. I'm not the best writer (dyslexic) but living out on the farm gives you lost to write about or you never remember what all happens. This was a blog post from a few years ago.

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I can’t believe it we got skunked once again. This time it was bad you could actually see where the skunk sprayed. The cats and dog seem to be ok so that’s good. Diane, 5 at the time, went out side first thing in the morning with her blankets and promptly sat down in the skunk spray. And now, I just can’t seem to get it through her head that she should stay off the porch and out of the skunk spray. I treated the spots with all the baking soda and peroxide first thing this morning – I think it’s kind of ruined my day.

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Well over the last 2 days we’ve been on a skunk hunt and skunk cleaning. It’s hard to believe how much work one little skunk can cause!

After my last post the kids destroyed the room their toys are in then Judy broke eggs on the carpet while I took a shower.

MIL came over walking through the white stuff I put on the skunk spray then commented, “I don’t smell anything” while she was walking through the egg on the floor. I didn’t say anything to her.

I quick loaded up the kids and took them to their Dad, 60 miles away, then went to town to get more supplies and an Ace bandage for my foot that I seem to be turning often.

After I got home, I continued to clean. Then Dad came home after leaving the kids with MIL while we hunted skunk. We tried to flush a skunk out of the culvert with water while I stood with a gun, a 33 (it turned out the gun didn’t have any bullets in it). Nothing came out so we checked other culverts and holes and found nothing. We came back for a quick bite for dinner then more cleaning. As Dad was taking out the garbage, he noticed the tail of a skunk. He quickly went and got the gophanator (anhydrous sp?) while I stood guard with the gun (the one that didn’t have any shells in it). He turned on the gas and we waited to see if the skunk would show himself. Nothing happened but I did get a whiff of the gophanator gas and had to make a quick run for clean air. After a few minutes, Dad gave the skunk a big shot of the gas. We then went looking to see if we could find more skunks or holes. The skunk sprayed while it was dieing and the smell of the gas along with skunk does a little more than stink, I’ll just say it was a very bad smell!!!!!! The wind was blowing the smell right past our front door and into the house and into our cars!!!! Dad hulled the skunk away with a tractor only to have the tractor quit after he buried the skunk (the skunk did make it out of the hole but didn’t get very far before he died).
It’s hard to believe the skunk was living only a few feet from us all summer and we didn’t even know about it. Just think the kids were playing close to him most days!! We figure the reason we could never find the skunk was because he was so close and could escape so easy. What a life for a skunk food everyday fresh water – must have been an easy life for him. I think one reason her sprayed is because there wasn’t any food out for him that night and he was mad about it.

I spent the whole day cleaning the front deck. I think the skunk sprayed 3 or more times just on the deck, then once off the deck, once on the pickup and once on the trailer. I noticed Lady got sprayed too, the first time she has been skunk sprayed (and only time), when the kids brought her into the house because of some heavy clouds.

I’ve seen all the cats except the shop cat that was here the night all this happened. I wonder if he was sprayed too.

I'm dying of laughter. You have to undrstand I am from Maine, and dry humor is very appreciated!!

 

[Arielle]

See the one under her?

Super pics. Momma hen looks serene.

Quote:

it's better than a lot of other hobbies... at least the hens can give ya eggs and if you butcher there's always the meat!

some people even manage to make money back by selling eggs or chicks...

plus look at all the money you save by talking to the birds instead of a therapist!

I thought I was the only one

lol
no I talk to them too!!!!!!!!!!!
Caught DH throwing corn to the girls tonight--he missed out on it last night because he stayed at work. Maybe he should have some chickens at work!!

I set mine on the 29th, but I am celebrating and counting along with you all. This is only my second hatch EVER. I'm hoping to have some silkies, Aracauna mix with New England, and Cochin mixes. ALso, I am trying to be a little "dryer" this time in humidity to up my hatch rate from 2/12.

I'm learning a lot from this website and appreciate all the wisdom.

Good luck with the dryer method--it works for me.

 

[1hotmoma]

It's great to hear I'm not the only one who talks to my chickens. Who cares if they don't answer back. I look forward to spending time with them. I have a lot of things going on right now and it does help me a bit.

 

[rarely bored]

...

plus look at all the money you save by talking to the birds instead of a therapist!

That's why I love the goose, she talks back! We have the best conversations.

My eggs haven't hatched yet.

but I guess that is ok, I still have the easter hatch camping in the brooder box at night, which reminds me, I best go bring them in.

 

[jandrusrn]

Well I'm out of the hatch.... my BBS English Orps have all been pitched. Very sad night last night and I'm getting over it slowly. It's yukky and I'm trying to find out where I went wrong. Got some new thermometers and hoping that it's the temp that was wrong. So far it appears that was a possible. I'm going to try the dry method this time around...... We'll see, maybe it's a need to change everything. It was my first time after all. Did I have to start with my very very favorites? Couldn't start with Trader Joe's could I? aarrrrgh.... will hang around to see you all hatch!!

 

[The Chickeneer]

I candled my eggs incubating in the toaster oven, and they look really good. I'm pretty surprised at this thing....didn't think it would work.....I wonder what else I could turn into an incubator

 

[1hotmoma]

I candled my eggs incubating in the toaster oven, and they look really good. I'm pretty surprised at this thing....didn't think it would work.....I wonder what else I could turn into an incubator

I was thinking the same thing.. You have inspired me.

 

[karimw]

My hatch is toast too, I think, a broken egg wiped out one nest and the girls haven't been consistently on the right nest. When I get home the eggs are usually unattended.

I need to candle I guess to see if anything is going on.