➡I accidentally bought Balut eggs: 2 live ducks! Now a Chat Thread!

[Morrigan]

I check the hen and her living conditions everyday. She knows what she is doing, and I don't want to disturb her for fear she will decide if I am that interested then I can just hatch them.

I had a rotten egg explode under a broody hen once. Lost several eggs at day 17 because of that. Miraculously 3 still hatched (disproving the "everything must be sterile at all times" advice). After that I tried to smell the eggs carefully when the broody was off the nest. The other chickens must have wondered what on earth I was doing!

 

[Kiki]

Off to bed for me.
Not really but I have to shut down the computer or you nuts will keep me up all night.


Til tomorrow!
Sleep well everyone!

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Off to bed for me.
Not really but I have to shut down the computer or you nuts will keep me up all night.


Til tomorrow!
Sleep well everyone!

Good night @KikisGirls, sleep tight, I am going to try to wind down myself.

 

[NanaKat]

Here's my two cents on a few of these.

That's what I am thinking but I thought I remember someone saying something about letting the eggs heat up with the bator once...
I don't think it takes very long for the bator to heat up.
I am plugging it in right now to time it!

I made that suggestion. The eggs were refrigerated, then set out on the counter before they went into the ghetto incubator. By allowing the Balut eggs to warm up along with the incubator was to hopefully not shock the embryo.

View attachment 1335011

Great info.

So not quite 5 minutes and the bator is already up 10 degrees.
I'm betting it only takes 10 mins to get to 99/100.
That might be too fast to warm the eggs up from the cold huh?

Correct. You are dealing with Baluts that are already incubating. Using fresh eggs, adding even a dozen room temperature eggs will create a "mass" that drops the temperature in the incubator. This allows the eggs and incubator to rise to set temperature over a period of time.
Your room temperature Baluts, few in number, will not create a significant drop in temperature. Therefore, the 70 degree temp embryos and say 90 degree temp in the open incubator will be a small shock.
On the other hand, a hen gets off her nest to drink, eat and eliminate for perhaps 10 - 15 minutes. Her eggs withstand the "shock" and hatch okay.

A lot of literature really frowns on excessive handling and candling of eggs. Although, I think as long as your hands are clean and you are careful, you can candle once a day until lockdown.

I mix gold Listerine with the water at 5%. I use it in the incubator and spritz eggs before incubating. You could spritz your hands too. Gold Listerine is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. It was originally used to sterilize surgical equipment.

I know.
I am pretty good at not following rules.
I will try to remember to use my green alcohol on my hands every time...this time.

I can guarantee I will candle at least 3x a day.

Every time you open the incubator, the temperature is affected. Candling with a padded flashlight while the eggs are in the turner or a paper egg carton will reduce the contamination on the shell.

 

[Nyla]

I can't wait till Friday. Pay day is taking forever! I'll be buying the wood to build my turning rack for my eggs! I'm going insane! I keep finding my self looking around the house for lose money!

 

[RUNuts]

Speaking of nuts.
@RUNuts How's CL and the pups?

Sleeping well. Momma dog eating, drinking, cleaning pups and being a good mother. Pups are pups. Whine, eat, poop and repeat. Puppy breath is rampant. Unfortunately, these are gassy little fur balls. Ripe! So don't squeeze too hard.

Thankfully, nothing exciting happening here.

I do have a question for the eggsperts here. Our layers started laying last November as pullets and are about to turn to hens (1 year olds). The eggs have shrunk. Getting 16 a day from 17 girls, but they are smalls with a few mediums. I thought the leghorns would just keep getting bigger. Nope, they all got together and decided small. At what point do the large eggs come? I understand, I may just have small egged chickens. Just pondering the wonder that is an egg. The incredible, edible egg.

 

[RUNuts]

I thought you went to bed, Kiki! Say goodnight Gracie.

 

[Kiki]

I thought you went to bed, Kiki! Say goodnight Gracie.

I did.
I'm in bed.
I'm not here.

I was waiting for this:
#49

 

[Morrigan]

Sleeping well. Momma dog eating, drinking, cleaning pups and being a good mother. Pups are pups. Whine, eat, poop and repeat. Puppy breath is rampant. Unfortunately, these are gassy little fur balls. Ripe! So don't squeeze too hard.

Thankfully, nothing exciting happening here.

I do have a question for the eggsperts here. Our layers started laying last November as pullets and are about to turn to hens (1 year olds). The eggs have shrunk. Getting 16 a day from 17 girls, but they are smalls with a few mediums. I thought the leghorns would just keep getting bigger. Nope, they all got together and decided small. At what point do the large eggs come? I understand, I may just have small egged chickens. Just pondering the wonder that is an egg. The incredible, edible egg.

Some hens lay smallish eggs their whole lives. Some, it takes a good year+molt before bigger eggs arrive. And, for others, the eggs get up to size within the first 3-6 months. I'm always just glad to have eggs.

 

[Morrigan]

Also, very glad to hear the pups and Mom and doing well.