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

[kwhites634]

Go chickies go!!!! Sounds like a great hatch! I hope you get at least 1 splash! And i hope that last egg kicks in soon!

What's funny about mine, I finally got a good look at all the chicks when mom was out dirt bathing. I have 13 chicks.....I only had 12 viable eggs. None of the eggs were super big. I didn't notice anything weird when I candled. Although I really only candled day 15 when the incubator crashed, and again as I locked them down. Final count 2 cockeral, 4 pullet 55 flowery hens, 2 splash, and 5 blue Silverudds.

On a different topic - I'm just about to start a mealworm farm. Anyone else doing this? It actually sounds kind of fun. Way more fun than my Red Wigglers were.....

Just make sure you don't keep them in a styrofoam box unless you line the bottom & sides with something non-toxic to them that they can't chew; they will eat their way out of styrofoam...been there.

 

[kwhites634]

Terrific hatch.
Weird on extra chick the saga continues.
Yes I’m still hopeful for a splash.
I have tried the mealworms. They eat a lot. They particularly like chick starter. It’s too cold now for them to do well here. Chicks absolutely loved them when I had enough for them to eat.
Well calling it a night here.

I used cornmeal for feed & bedding.

 

[Pensmaster]

I used cornmeal for feed & bedding.

Did you keep them inside? They have gone into hibernation outside. No way will they come inside.

 

[mlm Mike]

Go chickies go!!!! Sounds like a great hatch! I hope you get at least 1 splash! And i hope that last egg kicks in soon!

What's funny about mine, I finally got a good look at all the chicks when mom was out dirt bathing. I have 13 chicks.....I only had 12 viable eggs. None of the eggs were super big. I didn't notice anything weird when I candled. Although I really only candled day 15 when the incubator crashed, and again as I locked them down. Final count 2 cockeral, 4 pullet 55 flowery hens, 2 splash, and 5 blue Silverudds.

On a different topic - I'm just about to start a mealworm farm. Anyone else doing this? It actually sounds kind of fun. Way more fun than my Red Wigglers were.....

What was wrong with the Red Wigglers, aren't they the ones you just put in compost piles or your garden?

 

[kwhites634]

Did you keep them inside? They have gone into hibernation outside. No way will they come inside.

Yeah, I kept them in a styrofoam box right here in the basement. Not heated, except for the woodstove.

 

[Pensmaster]

I have one that has a really unusual face, lighter in spots. She told me that she heard that some of the second generation have had a mottled gene.

I've been watching a ton of videos on mealworms and I"m stunned at how aggressively they go after food, at all stages of development (except the caccoon stage).

Here’s the crew. Hard to count it’s so dark and they are dark. Is the lighter one splash?
The two that have different color faces are left corner and front right.

The last one is a late quitter. I’ve candled it’s not looking good. Left it in for awhile but I’m 99% sure it’s done.

 

[Pensmaster]

Yeah, I kept them in a styrofoam box right here in the basement. Not heated, except for the woodstove.

No basement option here, and unles I want to enjoy a meal of meal worms they will stay outside.

 

[Jessimom]

Good Morning!!!

What was wrong with the Red Wigglers, aren't they the ones you just put in compost piles or your garden?

I loved the wigglers, they were fun, but they were wet and slimy. I had to keep them outside, make sure they were moist enough, they didn't like sun, I wanted them for the poop, not the worm, and the worms had baby worms. The mealworms are in a dry medium, that can't get wet - they get their moisture from food. I can keep them inside - they don't climb or jump. The worms pupate, turn into darkling beetles that lay eggs. I can sift them with different sized screens. It just seems cleaner and more interesting.

Here’s the crew. Hard to count it’s so dark and they are dark. Is the lighter one splash?
The two that have different color faces are left corner and front right.
View attachment 1235641
The last one is a late quitter. I’ve candled it’s not looking good. Left it in for awhile but I’m 99% sure it’s done.

Yes, the lighter one is a splash. Not sure about the different faces. Contrats on a great hatch. I had 1 unhatched egg. I turned down the humidity, took out all the chicks, but didn't turn off the bator. 24 hours later I had a shrinkwrapped zipping chick, that I helped out. So, I'd say let it go a little longer?

No basement option here, and unles I want to enjoy a meal of meal worms they will stay outside.

I do have a basement, but they are going to start out in my bathroom, but it might change depending on allergies.....
I'll be using a tower system...

 

[mlm Mike]

Good Morning!!!


I loved the wigglers, they were fun, but they were wet and slimy. I had to keep them outside, make sure they were moist enough, they didn't like sun, I wanted them for the poop, not the worm, and the worms had baby worms. The mealworms are in a dry medium, that can't get wet - they get their moisture from food. I can keep them inside - they don't climb or jump. The worms pupate, turn into darkling beetles that lay eggs. I can sift them with different sized screens. It just seems cleaner and more interesting.


Yes, the lighter one is a splash. Not sure about the different faces. Contrats on a great hatch. I had 1 unhatched egg. I turned down the humidity, took out all the chicks, but didn't turn off the bator. 24 hours later I had a shrinkwrapped zipping chick, that I helped out. So, I'd say let it go a little longer?


I do have a basement, but they are going to start out in my bathroom, but it might change depending on allergies.....
I'll be using a tower system...

Ok, I thought about adding them to the garden and compost pile(s). Wouldn't really need to interact with them. lol

 

[Pensmaster]

Good Morning!!!


I loved the wigglers, they were fun, but they were wet and slimy. I had to keep them outside, make sure they were moist enough, they didn't like sun, I wanted them for the poop, not the worm, and the worms had baby worms. The mealworms are in a dry medium, that can't get wet - they get their moisture from food. I can keep them inside - they don't climb or jump. The worms pupate, turn into darkling beetles that lay eggs. I can sift them with different sized screens. It just seems cleaner and more interesting.


Yes, the lighter one is a splash. Not sure about the different faces. Contrats on a great hatch. I had 1 unhatched egg. I turned down the humidity, took out all the chicks, but didn't turn off the bator. 24 hours later I had a shrinkwrapped zipping chick, that I helped out. So, I'd say let it go a little longer?


I do have a basement, but they are going to start out in my bathroom, but it might change depending on allergies.....
I'll be using a tower system...

Yes I’ll leave it in for another day.
There are some dark ones that are lighter as they start to dry. I’m assuming blues.
Mealworms are very dusty and I found them to be too time consuming. Probably won’t start them back up. If they are even alive. I was hoping to feed them spent grain that I have abundance to but they favored chick starter. Never tried cornmeal.