5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[JLaw]

I wish to join this hatch along. I've never done one before and my wife may kill me for hatching this time of year but this seems fun.

 

[ronott1]

ONE MORE NEWBIE!
Well, I am going to join! 9 of my bantam Cochins hatched in the past 2 days and 3 more have pipped this am. 19 days for the hatch. Have another hatch ready in a few days. However, while I was away visiting my daughter, my dear hubby told me he found one of my cherry-egger hens dead for no apparent reason. I told him what to look for and just no apparent problems. He performed a necropsy but nothing of note there, either... except some testes!!! I had already begun to wonder about that one and 1 other I have and why I had yet to be getting the number of eggs I should be getting. I expect that other one will also be freezer bait as soon as there is room!
Sooooo.....I need a few more hens and decided if I want any to be laying by next summer, I should put some of those in my incubator. They will be mixes. My roo is a Salmon Faverolles and I have the following hens: 2 cherry-eggers, 3 gold sex-link, 1 Salmon Faverolles, 1 Australorp, 1 white Leghorn, 1 buff Wyandotte, and 1 silver-laced Wyandotte. I keep these for eggs only, well usually except when this happened!
I would only like to set maybe 6 eggs...is there a minimum number???

There is a minimum number for one contest--Best hatch rate. You make it though with 6!

Have a great hatch!

 

[ronott1]

How do you calibrate a thermometer that has a digital sensor?

I would very much like to know the answer to this as well.

One trick is to use body temperature. Compare the temperature reading on the one for the incubator and the one you use for fevers.

 

[ronott1]

I wish to join this hatch along. I've never done one before and my wife may kill me for hatching this time of year but this seems fun.

Welcome to the Hatch a long!

Better tell the wife. She will find out 21 days after the eggs are set....

 

[CackleJoy]

U da bomb!!

Anyone else here a bit disturbed that CackleJoy claims to be living with elephants?

Laughing

My oldest children are 12 & 13. 5'4" & 5'8". Both completely lacking finesse & their brains are not developed enough to include forethought as an actual thought process.

Absolute elephants when playing.

 

[roostercluck]

OK I need some help with making sure that my eggs will be okay to hatch.

This egg seemed very porous and I don't want it to affect my soon, hopefully babies. The egg is from my SLW.

Here is a better picture of one.

My question is is this bad and if so what do I do about it because I don't want to have to order any eggs?

 

[ronott1]

OK I need some help with making sure that my eggs will be okay to hatch.

This egg seemed very porous and I don't want it to affect my soon, hopefully babies. The egg is from my SLW.

Here is a better picture of one.

My question is is this bad and if so what do I do about it because I don't want to have to order any eggs?

Porous will still hatch. I do not see cracks and I think I see an air cell at the top that looks good.

I would incubate that egg--It might need a bit more humidity though.

 

[FeyRaine]

So, after no eggs from the layer flock for 2 months, & in the middle of an ice storm today,
I got AN EGG !!
Really, good sized, brown egg...
CL Roo, & the likely suspects w/ reddening combs: Ruby the Del hen, Flo the SFH pullet, "that one" the still unnamed 2yr old Blk SexLink, or any one of 4 large overdue to lay EE/OE pullets from which this would be a very disapointing color egg...

So there is ice all over everything, but the water in this coop is _not_ iced at all (passive solar heating setup etc give it about 2 degrees over outdoors & other coops) so the egg is _not_ cracked type frozen but waaaaay cold...

I decided to wrap it in my HAT to give it some warmth & hid it from cats & dog and spare it the bumpy tractor ride out to the pig pen,
then the tractor w/ 90# of feed for pig won't start, so I have to lug feed around by hand/foot, then walk the 800ft decent down the hill to the house w/ this egg being hand carried wrapped in my hat!

You can bet whatever__..._ this egg is going into the NYDH!

I'm still waiting to hear if my egg order is gonna ship today, I heard CA valley had freezing temps the past couple days, soo I'm really concerned if there are going to be any eggs besides the one I found myself today.... :/

 

[ronott1]

So, after no eggs from the layer flock for 2 months, & in the middle of an ice storm today,
I got AN EGG !!
Really, good sized, brown egg...
CL Roo, & the likely suspects w/ reddening combs: Ruby the Del hen, Flo the SFH pullet, "that one" the still unnamed 2yr old Blk SexLink, or any one of 4 large overdue to lay EE/OE pullets from which this would be a very disapointing color egg...

So there is ice all over everything, but the water in this coop is _not_ iced at all (passive solar heating setup etc give it about 2 degrees over outdoors & other coops) so the egg is _not_ cracked type frozen but waaaaay cold...

I decided to wrap it in my HAT to give it some warmth & hid it from cats & dog and spare it the bumpy tractor ride out to the pig pen,
then the tractor w/ 90# of feed for pig won't start, so I have to lug feed around by hand/foot, then walk the 800ft decent down the hill to the house w/ this egg being hand carried wrapped in my hat!

You can bet whatever__..._ this egg is going into the NYDH!

I'm still waiting to hear if my egg order is gonna ship today, I heard CA valley had freezing temps the past couple days, soo I'm really concerned if there are going to be any eggs besides the one I found myself today.... :/

Some parts were cold. There is snow to the north of us. It did get down wo 24 yesterday morning but the high was 45.

I doubt your eggs froze.

Great job getting that egg home for incubating!

 

[fosterson]

Getting an incubator a little too late to do this but I will definitely do it next year. This is a great idea and the prizes look great!

If you have an incubator NOW, I'm sure we can find you some eggs