Are Your Hens Setting On Eggs Yet? 2012 POULT FORECAST

[zekii]

16 Midget white eggs in the incubator since March 11th, will candle them on or after Monday (day 7) to see if there is any progress.
Due to hatch Easter weekend if all goes as planned. These will be my first turkeys.

 

[newduckie]

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Do you have a website or somewhere to look at your eggs??? They look beautiful and would love to see more

 

[newduckie]

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How do you blow them out with only one hole.. Would love to do that...

 

[newduckie]

So many people hatching turkeys. Wish I had the space.

I was kind of excited to see this thread. I had a hatch that was a flop. 49 eggs made it to lockdown. First 3 chicks were shrink wrapped. One DIS and I had to get the other 2 the rest of the way out. Somehow my temps hit 104 and I have no idea how long. Then the humidity dropped. I have temps right, humidity is up, but nothing happening.

I have 2 hens that are the only 2 that can clear a 4ft fence on one side of my yard. They've been over there a lot and I'd only see them every once in a while out back, so knew they were up to something. One hen is daughter to the other and mom hatched chicks next door last year. So I was really down about the hatch and my grand daughter came running in from next door asking why I put the new babies out back. I KNEW IT!

The daughter brought her little brood of 8 home and was showing them the ropes. Thing is last year they were hiding nests all over the place and the smallest clutch was 4 chicks. Every single hen ended up with one or 2 chicks after a few days. I seriously think some went down gopher holes. I watched a momma one day walk her chicks around a bush. Four walked around and only 3 came out. I searched everywhere, so it may be snakes too. Not that I've seen one, but the chick just disappeared never to return.

So today I was out scooping up chicks to put in the brooder and trying to keep mom from tearing me up. I left her with one but if I can get to it, I'm grabbing it too.

Here's most of the babies, all fat and poofy. Their gramma hasn't come home with babies yet, but I figure they both started hanging out about the same time, so hopefully she'll be bringing her chicks home next.

Such pretty colors! That is the easiest way to do it! Congrats!

 

[yinepu]

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There is a little gadget you can get called the "Blas-Fix Egg Blower" https://www.bestpysanky.com/Blas-Fix-Egg-Blower-p/blwr-2.htm
I know it looks really cheaply made.. but mine works great and I think I have used it on a couple of hundred eggs so far.. I'm going to end up with several in case mine ever dies and the company decides to discontinue them

to drill the hole I use a teeny drill bit and a hand drill (not electric),, they are also called a pin vise http://www.hobby-lobby.com/pin_vise_with_assorted_drills_1036395_prd1.htm

I didn't care for the "drill" that came with the Blas-Fix

Once the contents of the egg have been removed I fill the egg blower with water and a little detergent and use it to put water inside the shell to wash the inside.. a few shakes of the egg and then use the blower to remove the water.. after that it's a quick rinse and then letting it air dry


I use the exact same tools for my emu eggs.. so the hole is incredibly tiny and there is just the one.. it does take longer for the eggs to dry on the inside.. but I find that the teeny hole is worth the extra drying time... lol.. granted the time it takes to blow out an emu egg I could have done a few dozen regular eggs.. but that little egg blower makes it a whole lot easier then drilling two holes and trying to blow out an egg the traditional way!

one of my eggs:


compared to an emu egg with a "normal" hole (picture isn't mine.. found on google):


sorry for the hijack.. now back to turkeys laying and setting eggs!

 

[glambka]

You are so right...that blas-fix is the best. It does look cheap, but works like a charm.
I use a little jewelers screwdriver, phillips head, that I got from ACE hardware in a set.
One push pin, twirl the screwdriver, use the blas-fix...done!
Of course, I'm not doing Emu eggs, which I am sure need a drill bit!
Have fun egging!
Gail

 

[newduckie]

Thanks you so much... I just ordered one. Can not wait! I am excited to not have to do two holes and blow my brains out.. Thanks for the info

 

[kuntrygirl]

A poult was hatched on yesterday.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Here is a pic of the first bunch of poults that were hatched a few months ago. As if I'm going to let him sleep in that tree at night. I had to get the ladder to get him down.

 

[crystal2658]

This is my first year with turkeys. I got these BR last summer. Right now I have 3 toms & 2 hens. ( I know, I need to cull at least one of the toms. Nobody fighting yet though) My hens started laying 3/14. They only laid everyother day for the first 4 days then kicked right in to an egg from each hen every day. Everyday I go out to write the date on the eggs, so I could remove the older ones the more they laid. I kept revolving around 12 eggs. I went out last night, but could not get into the nest. A hen is in there. I believe she is sitting on 14 eggs. That was yesterday evening around 6pm. She is still in there. I did see her out of the coop just before dark for about 30 sec's then she was back inside. Keeping my fingers crossed. They are all between 9-10 months old. The males have been strutting constantly since early january & my husband seen them a cpl times mid-late january breeding.