EDUCATIONAL INCUBATION & HATCHING CHAT THREAD, w/ Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs

[DwayneNLiz]

Dollar General. It's from Halloween and has a spider on it. They were clearanced to about 10¢ each, so I got 4 of them.

Walmart had some red plastic baskets like you get food in at diners. I think they would've been good, too, but I had already bought these.

Interesting lol, I was just looking at pencil cases

It's 85 here...

*preparing for the smack*

 

[campingshaws]

Pool is ready! e

 

[Akrnaf2]

I just read that very, very wrong....

I am talking about psychos and you are talking about uniform color?

Details.

holding thats about all ditto Hello Paddler, how is your garden coming along?

Not great. I need more fencing and more consistent weather. I had planned on starting seeds in the cellar a week ago and still - nada. Surprisingly a fair amount of my

I have SS out of the shell, I told them to go back in. They are not suppose to be here until late late tonight or tomorrow......

Stainless Steel?

Dan this is for you And it's still snowing

Wow. In the old days it would be like that here. Now I need to get my grass mowed.

I have to ship a bunch of chicks out west on Monday so I set the eggs to hatch Sunday, so I could take them straight from the hatcher and into the shipping boxes.... Stupid birds are just like my wife, trying to ruin all my plans.

I feel your pain. I'm thinking about hatching on Sundays, getting the chicks to start eating and drinking till Monday and then add the latecomers to the box. Is your wife related to mine?

I can give you from that as much as you need, I also will be glad to give you all July and August!

You can keep your July and August. I've lived some pretty hot places and never really enjoyed the heat.

Nothing to enjoy, I agree!

 

[Poultry keeper2]

Details.

Not great. I need more fencing and more consistent weather. I had planned on starting seeds in the cellar a week ago and still - nada.
Surprisingly

Dollar General. It's from Halloween and has a spider on it. They were clearanced to about 10¢ each, so I got 4 of them.

Walmart had some red plastic baskets like you get food in at diners. I think they would've been good, too, but I had already bought these.

Aww so cute but funny too

 

[Poultry keeper2]

Pool is ready! e

Haha

 

[BantyChooks]

It's 85 here...



*preparing for the smack*

Too hot, you can keep it

But

anyway.

Pool is ready!

Bestie, if I didn't like you too much, I'd smack you.

 

[Phage]

Remember these?

PO did their darndest to destroy despite double boxing and awesome packing



They are these (not the 2 black chicks). Really did not expect any to hatch so was totally thrilled.

7 Queen Silvia Chicks - they are Soooo pretty

 

[Poultry keeper2]

My rooster fighting a cat

 

[Poultry keeper2]

Remember these?

PO did their darndest to destroy despite double boxing and awesome packing

[COLOR=005CB1] [/COLOR]

They are these (not the 2 black chicks). Really did not expect any to hatch so was totally thrilled.
Aww so cute!!!!!!

7 Queen Silvia Chicks - they are Soooo pretty

[COLOR=005CB1] [/COLOR]

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote: Can't guarantee that the donuts won't be gone 'til I get there; long drive to south Texas.
That's ok - you can stop at Buckee's and get some more!

I'm fairly happy but I'll be happier when I'm finished. I just killed 2 roosters from a flock of 15 hens that had 3 roosters running with them. The hens were getting ridden raw.
I went out just before full dawn to evaluate them and the first two I held weren't right so they're gone.
I'm down to 4 breeding roosters. I'm going to evaluate the 2 youngest tonight and may eliminate another tomorrow. I have 2 cockerels that hatched January 2 and I'm definitely keeping one of them.
I also want to get my hen numbers down by selling the ones that aren't right color or conformation wise. IMO, the egg color is the biggest attraction to the breed for others that aren't familiar with them. I'm having a hard time figuring out who is laying the darkest eggs.
In 3 flocks I have some very dark egg layers and some light egg layers.
My birds are extremely skittish and changes stress them.
Any stress while the egg is in the shell gland can inhibit pigment application.
I tried moving them one or two at a time to smaller quarters. Trap nesting could stress them.
I'm considering microchipping them and either having a text sent to my phone when a bird enters the nest or having rollout nests with a printer that puts the birds number on the egg after it is laid.
I'm overthinking this - right?

Yes and no. It's always a pain not knowing who laid what, and I don't trap nest (too hot too often here, with me gone all day - I'd end up with dead birds). Mother Earth News had an article on DIY trap nests this month...

Quote: I've read a number of places to not add new genetics unless you have a VERY good reason - that sometimes it's better to be patient and work with what you have over time...

Quote:
Also have read to add any new genetics in a side project first in case you don't like what you get. Have mostly heard it from folks who learned the hard way...

Everyone is correct. RH isn't a set number for incubation. All eggs are different. Some are more porous than others. That can be affected by pigment. If all eggs come from the same flock, RH required will be consistent. I think the scientific studies that recommend 50%+ are with white egg layers like leghorns or hybrids developed from them.
Pigmented eggs will have different requirements.

The 5 minute drive home didn't hurt them. Hens come off a nest almost every day for much longer than that depending on ambient temperature.

College wonks are smart and do things scientifically but smallholders have experience with different flocks than what are used in the studies.
It isn't that we're smarter or have more scientific tools, we just have experience with our flocks.

Spring break probably means you are in control for about 9 days. I would candle and see where they stand now as to the air cell size.

I've had enough eggs that varied a lot in the humidity they needed that I just weigh now.

@Sally Sunshine , @meltel -

@Pensmaster - I keep falling as well, though I think that's because I'm too tired...
@kajira - hoping this week is good for you.

Quote:

I have SS out of the shell, I told them to go back in.

They are not suppose to be here until late late tonight or tomorrow......

How'd that work out for you?

Quote: x2!!!!

Remember these?

PO did their darndest to destroy despite double boxing and awesome packing



They are these (not the 2 black chicks). Really did not expect any to hatch so was totally thrilled.

7 Queen Silvia Chicks - they are Soooo pretty

Pretty!!!!

I've been working to get the growout tractor done, and it's been taking forever - all these little things that take time. But it's together and covered now. Still need to add sweet PDZ to the roost platform, bedding to the bottom, feeder and waterer with chains, and the aprons. (Oh, and the door spring - need to head to Lowes for that). Came in for a quick lunch of brisket, but that might have been a mistake. I think I'm slipping into a food coma.