California - Northern

[Audio51]

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The shed just borders the pen with the coop inside, but he did put a lot of effort into the coop too. It's only about 4' x 4' plus an attached nest box with 3 nests. It also has a dual-paned skylight on the roof. I just really feel like they need a bigger one, but they are only in it to sleep and lay. They free-range in the back yard most days unless it is pouring down rain.

 

[juststruttin]

I just read in an article about shipped eggs that once eggs are received and GENTLY unpacked they should be allowed to sit large end down for 12-24 hrs BEFORE being turned (again very gently) and placed in the incubator. Also Do not over handle or candle for a minimum of five days. This process allows the "thread like" mucus that holds the airsac to re-affirm the connection and fewer eggs are lost. I currently have 9 eggs in my bator that were delivered in a damaged box (that was obviously thrown around) the shipper originally sold me 12 but included three extra. Upon receipt the box was so badly smashed and mishandled 6eggs were broken! I followed the above procedure and all 9 remaining eggs are developing. I saw movement of a chick (inside ALL the eggs) for the first time ever!!! I'm so excited it worked!!!

Good luck with your hatch.

It is amazing what some eggs can survive. I had a chick hatch from these eggs. My favorite postman knocked on my door and said. "This box is a stinker" and it was... I opened it outside just to be safe. At least one of the eggs was pulled out from under a broody because it was partially developed. Eeek

These eggs are the perfect example of why I prefer to buy from BYC members over Ebay sellers.

 

[Happy Chooks]

That is disgusting Ron.

 

[juststruttin]

That is interesting. I know about letting them "settle" but have always heard to do it large end up, not down. Since air rises, it seems more logical to put them large end up. Was there and explanation of why the opposite is better?

On a related topic, I read that if an egg is going to be stored for more than 14 days, it should be stored with the small end up. That was the first time I had read that.

 

[Audio51]

Gosh I love my lavender orpington pullet. She's so curious and friendly!

here's my dad trying to get her to hop in the backseat to take a ride... very unlike him...she has that effect

My Buff Orphington is not nearly so personable. She is a bit on the ornery side. My friendly one is my Blue Wheaten Ameraucana. She follows me all over the yard. I just wish she would start laying. I want those blue eggs!

 

[Audio51]

The guys there said they ordered all laying hens but they are about 90% accurate. They had them all separated by breeds and there were 5 different breeds when I got them. I got three of the each, Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds since I didn't want to get more than six to start. Also, if I ended up with a couple random roosters, I didn't want them to be from multiple breeds. I can have roosters where I live as it is not a city but a "Census designated place", and unincorporated. I have just over a half acre but much of it is shadowed by pines. I do have good garden area and grass where they will be able to roam. I don't mind if I get a rooster as a couple of my neighbors have them, but if more than 1, I would have no qualms about dinner that night.

That's a good attitude! I am would have not problem eating any extra roos..it would just be finding someone to do the deed. My husband used to do it before we moved here 17 years ago, but he had informed me he will not be doing it again. I gave some excess pullets and young cockerels to a dome friends of my daughters and they processed the extras, but I don't know if they do it on a regular basis. I could probably have them do it and just let them keep some for the effort.

 

[Audio51]

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Who...me?

 

[Audio51]

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Eeewwww! Those are pretty gross!!! I have ordered from Ebay twice and the eggs were packed very well both times. I was sure to check feedback to see how they were received by others. But that was before I knew about BYC. The Mottled AM project eggs I just got were shipped in a carton, but each was wrapped separately before putting in the hole. The whole think was packed in a box with lots of padding and then put in aanother box with lots of padding There was one cracked egg that was in a corner (and it was pretty badly cracked) but the rest seem fine and most are developing. The Marans and OE I had shipped were very well packed with each egg in bubble wrap and lots of packing peanuts around them. I received 18 eggs in that shipment and they all arrived intact.

 

[chiqita]

Good luck with your hatch.

It is amazing what some eggs can survive. I had a chick hatch from these eggs. My favorite postman knocked on my door and said. "This box is a stinker" and it was... I opened it outside just to be safe. At least one of the eggs was pulled out from under a broody because it was partially developed. Eeek

These eggs are the perfect example of why I prefer to buy from BYC members over Ebay sellers.

We have someone on A BYC thread right now who says they pack like that, eggs in a carton surrounded by newspaper . I debated sending them a link to the egg experiment, but thought it would come off as insane obnoxious and I would not help anything.

 

[juststruttin]

So today is day 15 on the Bantam/LF hatch. Please will one of you expert hatchers @juststruttin ,@PetRock , @ronott1 , @chiqita or anyone else please tell me if this is right

Make sure the bator is up to 99.5 and stable
Get the humidity up to 65
Candle the little eggs to check that they are viable
pop the two tiny little eggs in there tomorrow
leave it alone

The bantam eggs are MF D'Uccle covered by silkie roo, If I get a girl to hatch I will breed her back to the Silkie and try to hatch those eggs...goal is a silkied D'Uccle a generation or more down the line.

These are pet quality birds and I am just playing around here to see what happens but sure hope we get a little girl!

I think everyone does it a little differently, since humidity needs will depend on your individual climate.

I keep humidity around 55% for the first 18 days and then up it during the last 3 days to 65%-70%, but humidity often reaches 75% when the chicks start hatching.

I have gotten so bad about candling. I candle to look for porous eggs and hairline cracks before I set eggs, and then I don't candle again until day 18. At that point, any undeveloped eggs are tossed and the viable eggs go into the hatcher which has been stabilized between 65-70% humidity and 99-99.5 degrees.

I do not open hatcher for 12-24 hours after the first chick hatches.