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

[FeyRaine]

Ron ..How are those U of A blue ? They doing well..?

I've been wanting those since last fall. Please put me on your list to contact when available and we shall hope that it timing works out...

Nope, no exotic mantids (plural for mantis) here. I find oothecas (praying mantis egg sacs) on shrubs in my yard and hatch them inside. Then I keep a few and let the rest go. Once they've molted a few times, I let the rest go except for the one I'm going to keep. We have European Mantis, Chinese Mantis, and Carolina Mantis here in Virginia. They all look pretty much the same...nothing like the orchids...those are gorgeous!

Now that I have chickens, not sure I'll be able to find any around...I'm sure the chickies will gobble them up as soon as they see them!!

I've found a good number of mature mantis around even in the area I have active daily free rangering chickens who have eliminated just about every other sort of bug including massive numbers of ticks and grasshopers to the point of the Ag Agent telling is 5miles away in the next county it was officially a plague (=state mandated spraying which we luckily did not get!!). So you might find some mantids who avoid your chickens. I sometimes get fruitfly issues w/ slop bucket & compost bucket in the summer kitchen, I might have to find myself a house mantis if that happens again, although I'm not sure I could convince the house cats it falls under the "no kill birds" only kill rodents rule ...


GOOD LUCK EVERYONE !!!!
All the early action is great if a bit nerve wracking for those of use (ie me) rushing about at 10pm to clean the hatcher and get it hot for lockdown. I set Dec 11 but not til 6pm so w/ no peeping so far I intend to lockdown in the early am tomorrow...although I will listen in before I go to bed just to be sure...don't want an early bird in the turner.

 

[Gardeningmama]

Just put my eggs in lockdown! Some of my cells were bigger than I'd like, some were smaller than I'd like..Can't they all just be perfect?? Now the waiting begins...

 

[ronott1]

I've been wanting those since last fall. Please put me on your list to contact when available and we shall hope that it timing works out...

Your are on my list!

 

[JDchicks]

Okay, I'm going into lock down with:
8 SFH x RSL
6 Marans
3 Cochin x Silkie
1 Silkie
1 SFH
5 blue - unknown cross
3 greenish blue - unknown cross
6 Silkie- size eggs - unknown cross

33 total!!

Its so fun when its a surprise what you are getting!

 

[SoManyHats]

Its so fun when its a surprise what you are getting!

Yes! I've been told there could be a show girl or frizzle in one or more of my unknown small eggs.

 

[bantambury]

aaahhhhh!!!!!

I CANNOT WAIT ANYMORE! ONE DAY OF LOCKDOWN AND THIS IS WHAT I GET?!?!??! LOL

just a few funnies to end the night....

 

[bantambury]

Yes! I've been told there could be a show girl or frizzle in one or more of my unknown small eggs.

yay! frizzle! I hope I get one out of my 12!!! good luck!

 

[Nonyah Biz]

ok first couple of hours on lock down and had to hide in my room because bator is in living room ...dont touch dont touch

going to be longest 3 days ever

 

[coopsbyty]

Again, hatching duck eggs and noticed a problem with one tonight. I had issues with the Brinsea mini turning the eggs and thoughy I had it figured out. Looks like I figured it out forall but one egg?

Candled tonight and found an egg that has an air sack almost the entire length of the egg.. believe I can stil looking detect movement in the egg (10 days to go) but this does not look good.

My mini is not very good at turning ducks either. If you mark the eggs with say a circle, triangle,star,square on four sides you can be assured they are spinning by keeping an eye on the symbols.

Happy hatching!
Ty

 

[sandman221]

Those two should be on their side.

Read the guide to assisted hatching in my signature line.

Good Luck!

thanks for the help its greatly appreciated. both r still very active in the eggs. chipped a little peace of shell off one that pipped lastnight and got a tiny drop of blood so stopped and put in back in the bator. hope it will b ok. also didn't see it on the link but if they aren't out by morning do I start to open the eggs from the pip hole or the air sack?