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

[Lazy Farmer]

A friend in NJ likes to go into restaurants, and ask for Toasted Parakeet. You use a bread tie to tie it into the toaster slot. Put bread in the other side. Within a few minutes you have the makings for a sandwich! The feathers should char right off.

 

[BullChick]

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The guy I was with before I married had two parakeets. Somewhere I have photos of tying its leg to the toaster, and bread slices in the other slots.

 

[mlm Mike]

More progress on the breeder house #2..
Run done, drop doors done. Roof next.. Then ducky stuff.
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Nice setup!

 

[Pensmaster]

So this early morning I’m heading out to the chicken coops. All birds are on alert. I see the live trap is full again and thinking that’s what up I continue. Go to open the gate and see this critter.

 

[ronott1]

So this early morning I’m heading out to the chicken coops. All birds are on alert. I see the live trap is full again and thinking that’s what up I continue. Go to open the gate and see this critter.
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Watch that skunk! Out in the day is a sign of rabies.

 

[kwhites634]

So this early morning I’m heading out to the chicken coops. All birds are on alert. I see the live trap is full again and thinking that’s what up I continue. Go to open the gate and see this critter.
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So if Mr. Pew is running around loose, what's in the trap?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I'm considering asking for an incubation crash course just to keep the newbie-helping skills up on the thread residents.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm considering asking for an incubation crash course just to keep the newbie-helping skills up on the thread residents.

On that topic, here's something I'd like to interject.
Many questions people ask are about humidity. And as I think either you or Sally has said, 'humidity isn't an absolute number' or something to that effect. There are lots of reasons for that, ambient humidity, species, strain, pigment, size, etc..
What I keep forgetting to ask is where one's location is. Or more importantly, what is the elevation where they are incubating? Also, what is the elevation where the breeder flock is located?
The higher the elevation, the slower the embryo growth and therefor, the longer the duration of incubation. The air is thinner and molecules move around faster causing more movement of carbon dioxide and moisture across the shell surface.
Hatchability continues to decrease due to lower oxygen and dehydration of the embryo. Hatching above 1500 meters or about 5000 feet, this becomes a real issue.
So why is the elevation of the breeder flock important?
Many species of birds lay and incubate at much higher elevations. So there is evidence that birds can control the porosity of their eggs based on their elevation.
If the breeder flock is at a lower elevation than the incubation, humidity should be set higher to control weight loss but ventilation will need to be decreased.
If the breeder flock is at the same elevation the hens may have adapted eggshell porosity so ventilation can be increased to maintain correct weight loss.
If the breeder flock is at higher elevation, humidity may need to be lowered and ventilation increased.

 

[BantyChooks]

On that topic, here's something I'd like to interject.
Many questions people ask are about humidity. And as I think Sally said, 'humidity isn't an absolute number' or something to that effect. There are lots of reasons for that, ambient humidity, species, strain, pigment, size, etc..
What I keep forgetting to ask is where one's location is. Or more importantly, what is the elevation where they are incubating? Also, what is the elevation where the breeder flock is located?
The higher the elevation, the slower the embryo growth and therefor, the longer the duration of incubation. The air is thinner and molecules move around faster causing more movement of carbon dioxide and moisture across the shell.
Hatchability continues to decrease due to lower oxygen and dehydration of the embryo. Hatching above 1500 meters or about 5000 feet, this becomes a real issue.
So why is the elevation of the breeder flock important?
Many species of birds lay and incubate at much higher elevations. So there is evidence that birds can control the porosity of their eggs based on their elevation.
If the breeder flock is at a lower elevation than the incubation, humidity should be set higher to control weight loss but ventilation will need to be decreased.
If the breeder flock is at the same elevation the hens may have adapted eggshell porosity so ventilation can be increased to maintain correct weight loss.
If the breeder flock is at higher elevation, humidity may need to be lowered and ventilation increased.

Sally said "Humidity is not a set number, it is a tool to control weight loss in the egg". I can still quote it from H101, lol. I think I had that thing mostly memorized at one point.

 

[Akrnaf2]

So if Mr. Pew is running around loose, what's in the trap?

The Mrs.