11th Annual Easter Hatch a Long 2020

[Cynthia12]

This is my favorite. .

 

[AgnesGray]

Hatching in winter is awful. I don't like chicks in the house for more than 4-5 days. After that I want them outside in the shed brooder with their brooder plate. In the winter I can't do that because it gets way too cold.

Mine went out at 1 week this time with the brooder plate and were fine. This all thanks to a couple articles I saw here about brooding outdoors. They have been in the coop which is unheated with the brooder plate on one end which they usually aren't to be found under, but have the option to duck under as needed. It was 25F last weekend and every time it gets cold I worry and up the checks on them, but they truly seem happy with the setup and they can watch the big chickens be chickens. Winter hatching is definitely not as bad as it was!

Edited for a typo

 

[Cynthia12]

Well, got my second order of eggs. None broke this time. The ones for this hatch a long had three that were broken..and messy on the other eggs. But..they are developing..now watch...these beautiful blue and green eggs, packed so niclely, not broke, ...well, I don't want to type a possibility out loud. .

 

[ronott1]

I have 5 external pips I'm glad it's warmer out. I'll never hatch in the winter again!

We have such mild winters here that hatching then is fine for temps. Daylight hours can mess up fertility and number of egg laid though

 

[FortCluck]

We have such mild winters here that hatching then is fine for temps. Daylight hours can mess up fertility and number of egg laid though

I'm on the East coast and usually it gets a bit colder than it did this year, I don't think Virginia really got below 40. We didn't get any snow either.

 

[ronott1]

This may sound strange, but I have found things in the fridge. They went to get something out of the fridge and set down whatever they had in their hand, and forgot to pick it back up.

This is so true! My rule to to look in the likely places first and then the unlikely.

The last missing thing here that was in an odd place was the tv remote. I finally found it under a lamp stand base. The lamp base fit perfectly over the remote. That was a hard one to find!

 

[ronott1]

I'm on the East coast and usually it gets a bit colder than it did this year, I don't think Virginia really got below 40. We didn't get any snow either.

We get lows to just about freezing. I only had to remove frost from the windshield once or twice this year.

I keep them in the Garage until they can go outside.

 

[Peep_Show]

*IF* you decide to try hatching Trader Joe eggs, make sure you check the Julian calendar date (a 3-digit number which indicates packing date) for freshness, NOT the "Use By" date. You'll want to have the Julian date for the date of purchase (you there in the store) and the packing date to be as close as possible. I lucked out finding eggs one time that were a mere 3 days old! I set 3 dozen of them thinking I'd get maybe one or two per dozen as had been the result of past TJ hatches. Much to my surprise 27 chicks hatched. You should have a modicum of success if the date is 10 days or less.

 

[ronott1]

What did you end up getting?

The more orange chick is from Whole foods

 

[ronott1]

*IF* you decide to try hatching Trader Joe eggs, make sure you check the Julian calendar date (a 3-digit number which indicates packing date) for freshness, NOT the "Use By" date. You'll want to have the Julian date for the date of purchase (you there in the store) and the packing date to be as close as possible. I lucked out finding eggs one time that were a mere 3 days old! I set 3 dozen of them thinking I'd get maybe one or two per dozen as had been the result of past TJ hatches. Much to my surprise 27 chicks hatched. You should have a modicum of success if the date is 10 days or less.
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My experience was similar. The Julian date was less than a week. I bought the eggs in Davis CA, which is a short trip from Santa Rosa where the egg farm is for TJs fertile eggs