Colorado

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Someone was asking about Shy's hatching tips page arlier I think. I stopped in to review and figured I would post the link. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-help-for-colorado

 

[suncatcher]

Where is Falcon Towne Center? I saw this ad on CL. http://cosprings.craigslist.org/grd/3575517498.html

 

[suncatcher]

Someone was asking about Shy's hatching tips page arlier I think. I stopped in to review and figured I would post the link. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-help-for-colorado

Thats the one, thanks!

Chester, Sorry, thought it was just a large dog!

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Where is Falcon Towne Center? I saw this ad on CL. http://cosprings.craigslist.org/grd/3575517498.html

No idea. I would guess in Falcon, Downtown somewhere but... ?

 

[Pozees]

Shed update:

Got 4x4 treated skids, had to adjoin 4' to 8' pieces because we don't have a way to transport 16'-ers and home improvement stores wanted $80 to deliver, but we are very satisfied with the ones we bought, they are nice and straight. Placed the first floor section, took a while but got it nice and level and square. Placed the second floor frame, saw it would take another hour of work to marry it, and decided we would not have enough light to get it done and get everything put away. The end boards are not straight, we already knew we had to glue and screw the two floor frame sections together but it will take some clamping to get it straight, and Bob can get that done by himself while I am at work. Will try to get home early enough to get started on placing the floor on the frame tomorrow. Tuesday has me worried, reported 20% chance of snow and much colder than it has been the last several days. We will watch the forecast carefully, and plan to get walls in place either Tuesday or Wednesday, if I need to take a half day to get this accomplished I will. Roof trusses follow. Friday, roofing and siding (hopefully). Saturday, doors and windows, and if we are supremely lucky, possibly interior framing. If we can hold to this schedule, I will be ready for chicks when they arrive. If weather makes it impossible, and we wind up with more than this to do by Friday, I may be asking who would like to work for pizza For now we are pretty sure we can get it done, it will certainly help if the weather isn't as bad as the forecast (or worse). Below is a picture that shows why marrying the floor frames will present challenges.

 

[Adam7]

Shed update: Got 4x4 treated skids, had to adjoin 4' to 8' pieces because we don't have a way to transport 16'-ers and home improvement stores wanted $80 to deliver, but we are very satisfied with the ones we bought, they are nice and straight. Placed the first floor section, took a while but got it nice and level and square. Placed the second floor frame, saw it would take another hour of work to marry it, and decided we would not have enough light to get it done and get everything put away. The end boards are not straight, we already knew we had to glue and screw the two floor frame sections together but it will take some clamping to get it straight, and Bob can get that done by himself while I am at work. Will try to get home early enough to get started on placing the floor on the frame tomorrow. Tuesday has me worried, reported 20% chance of snow and much colder than it has been the last several days. We will watch the forecast carefully, and plan to get walls in place either Tuesday or Wednesday, if I need to take a half day to get this accomplished I will. Roof trusses follow. Friday, roofing and siding (hopefully). Saturday, doors and windows, and if we are supremely lucky, possibly interior framing. If we can hold to this schedule, I will be ready for chicks when they arrive. If weather makes it impossible, and we wind up with more than this to do by Friday, I may be asking who would like to work for pizza For now we are pretty sure we can get it done, it will certainly help if the weather isn't as bad as the forecast (or worse). Below is a picture that shows why marrying the floor frames will present challenges.

That's not too bad. If it was me I would use a 16p nail, put a sledge behind one side as a backstop and beat the nail in with my framing hammer. It would suck right over no problem.

 

[coloradogal]

Someone was asking about Shy's hatching tips page arlier I think. I stopped in to review and figured I would post the link. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-help-for-colorado

I do a dry incubation for Colorado eggs and try to match the conditions for shipped eggs. I generally have good hatch rates of chicks from my own flock. I do not have good hatch rates from shipped eggs.

My first hatch from shipped eggs I let a friend who incubates to sell every year and he had a zero hatch rate of colloncas/olmecs. I've tried upping the humidity on the second batch of shipped eggs, of those that hatched, I only have 1 make it past the first month. They were just failure to thrive and sickly. Yes, it could have been genetics or the eggs or a combination of things but they didn't make it. The last batch of shipped eggs were also unsuccessful and now I just don't bother.

I suspect shipped eggs success has much to do with many things from flock genetics, porousness of shells, breed of chicken, egg viability, how much shaking the eggs went through prior and that incubation conditions are just the very last variable. I suspect that by this point, letting the eggs rest for a day or so and being gentle with the turning for the first day or so after that has more of a greater role in hatchability if the eggs are viable than humidity conditions. I'm not saying humidity isn't important because gosh darn it is... I'm just saying there are two successful methods of incubation, dry and wet. People have had success with both methods and they tend to be rabid about it. I don't happen to be a rabid humidity dictator just a common sense one.

Of the 3 times I had shipped eggs come... only the silkies were notated right on the box to hold for pickup. I suspect even this constant agitation the other two times, being kept in the conditions of the mail box perhaps overnight contributed to my absolute pathetic hatch rate. I never blamed the shipper of the eggs, just dealt with what I was given.

What I'm trying to say is I suspect that there are so many variables of shipped eggs to consider. By the time we get them, we really have very little control over whether they will hatch or not. Just do your best. Remember, conditions under a hen isn't the most constant ever. During this last hatch, I had my incubator completely go offline for a few hours in the middle of the night and of the ones I believed fertile after first candling, all but 2 didn't hatch. Perhaps these were eggs on the periphery, I don't know.

Don't beat yourself up. Do the best you can. =)

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

I do a dry incubation for Colorado eggs and try to match the conditions for shipped eggs.  I generally have good hatch rates of chicks from my own flock.  I do not have good hatch rates from shipped eggs. 

My first hatch from shipped eggs I let a friend who incubates to sell every year and he had a zero hatch rate of colloncas/olmecs.  I've tried upping the humidity on the second batch of shipped eggs, of those that hatched, I only have 1 make it past the first month.  They were just failure to thrive and sickly.  Yes, it could have been genetics or the eggs or a combination of things but they didn't make it.  The last batch of shipped eggs were also unsuccessful and now I just don't bother. 

I suspect shipped eggs success has much to do with many things from flock genetics, porousness of shells, breed of chicken, egg viability, how much shaking the eggs went through prior and that incubation conditions are just the very last variable.  I suspect that by this point, letting the eggs rest for a day or so and being gentle with the turning for the first day or so after that has more of a greater role in hatchability if the eggs are viable than humidity conditions.  I'm not saying humidity isn't important because gosh darn it is... I'm just saying there are two successful methods of incubation, dry and wet.  People have had success with both methods and they tend to be rabid about it.    I don't happen to be a rabid humidity dictator just a common sense one. 

Of the 3 times I had shipped eggs come...  only the silkies were notated right on the box to hold for pickup.  I suspect even this constant agitation the other two times, being kept in the conditions of the mail box perhaps overnight contributed to my absolute pathetic hatch rate.  I never blamed the shipper of the eggs, just dealt with what I was given. 

What I'm trying to say is I suspect that there are so many variables of shipped eggs to consider.  By the time we get them, we really have very little control over whether they will hatch or not.  Just do your best.  Remember, conditions under a hen isn't the most constant ever.  During this last hatch, I had my incubator completely go offline for a few hours in the middle of the night and of the ones I believed fertile after first candling, all but 2 didn't hatch.  Perhaps these were eggs on the periphery, I don't know. 

Don't beat yourself up.  Do the best you can.  =)

I know there are a TON of variables with shipped eggs. I am controlling what I can as best I can and while I will be disappointed with a bad hatch (less than 10 chicks) I know there is a good chance I could see that kind of number or even less, especially with this being my first time. That's why I have been a bit manic/OCD about researching and asking questions on a thread dedicated to helping with hatching shipped eggs.

At day 14 candling I have high hopes for 16 of the eggs. 3 are Highly Questionable at this point but I don't have the experience to tell whether to toss them or not yet. :/ Time will tell. I will be candling again at day 16 to mark the air cell locations/angles for optimal placement when I take them out of the turner and put them in the cartons for lockdown.

I will be very glad when more local eggs become available. That's for sure.

 

[Pozees]

I know there are a TON of variables with shipped eggs. I am controlling what I can as best I can and while I will be disappointed with a bad hatch (less than 10 chicks) I know there is a good chance I could see that kind of number or even less, especially with this being my first time. That's why I have been a bit manic/OCD about researching and asking questions on a thread dedicated to helping with hatching shipped eggs.

At day 14 candling I have high hopes for 16 of the eggs. 3 are Highly Questionable at this point but I don't have the experience to tell whether to toss them or not yet.

Time will tell. I will be candling again at day 16 to mark the air cell locations/angles for optimal placement when I take them out of the turner and put them in the cartons for lockdown.

I will be very glad when more local eggs become available. That's for sure.

Agreed. By this time next year I hope to be able to offer Sussex, Leghorn, and RIR eggs and chicks, and possibly one or two other breeds, likely Mediterranean but time will tell. I know others here are working on their breeds as well. The more breeds we have available in CO the better hatches become due to shorter distances and times. Mayah will soon perfect the perfect CO Landrace, and Wendell will have CO Dominiques, and we will be immersed in a heavenly abundance of CO bred chicks

I'd say I would have CO bred Silkies as well, but I don't know what my hatch(es) will bring. I have high hopes but modest expectations I almost feel silly for liking them as they do not share many characteristics with my LF chosen breeds, but they are great broodies and adorable to look at! Whatever hatches from the eggs I currently have will largely stay here save extra roos. If I get a good hatch I may order another 18 to ensure I have a good broody bunch next year. I love my LF, but there is a lot to be said for hens that will brood and hatch whatever you give them.

 

[coloradogal]

I know there are a TON of variables with shipped eggs. I am controlling what I can as best I can and while I will be disappointed with a bad hatch (less than 10 chicks) I know there is a good chance I could see that kind of number or even less, especially with this being my first time. That's why I have been a bit manic/OCD about researching and asking questions on a thread dedicated to helping with hatching shipped eggs.

At day 14 candling I have high hopes for 16 of the eggs. 3 are Highly Questionable at this point but I don't have the experience to tell whether to toss them or not yet.

Time will tell. I will be candling again at day 16 to mark the air cell locations/angles for optimal placement when I take them out of the turner and put them in the cartons for lockdown.

I will be very glad when more local eggs become available. That's for sure.

You've done all you could do with just letting them rest when you got them, trying to match elevations of the shipped eggs, etc. I suspect that of the eggs that were viable, all will hatch as you did everything with due diligence. I'm so excited for your hatch. I'd say fingers crossed but by now, I suspect, their viability is already set. OMGosh..hatching is like Schrodingers Cat. How nerdily awesome!