Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[ChocolateMouse]

No, it doesn't. I was really disappointed especially since I bought them from a BYCer. It's nice they leave an option for leaving trading reviews but they only give 255 characters for it... Hard to describe the way the box arrived with so few letters. :\

I ended up deciding since my incubator's turning plate only handles 7 eggs to ditch the 8th egg that was badly discolored and tiny. And by "ditched" I mean I cracked it into a bowl to examine it and then ate it. There was a complete fertilized bullseye but the yolk had tiny bubbles in it. The aircell membrane seemed to be at least mostly in tact and secure, but may have separated some on one side. Hard to say because that air pocket was huge... Makes me think the egg may have been a little older anyhow.

If they hatch out I will be quite pleased... But we'll just have to see. They shipped an awfully long way for having been packaged like that. The B&C maran eggs I got last year I got a full dozen for near the same price shipped and packaged great from someone local... And only half developed even from that. :\

If they do they'll be raised out on FF.

 

[RoseMarie1]

This is about how our yard looks, snow day here too in South Louisiana! People North would strain themselves laughing. I'm glad to not be on the roads!

yep lol but we don't get snow or much of it so we just don't know how to do the stuff. ;-) We also got a little but not that much.

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

Thought ya'll might enjoy the video in this article. Just goes to show how intelligent chicken really are !

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2014/...prfacebook&utm_source=npr&utm_medium=facebook

 

[Beekissed]

No, it doesn't. I was really disappointed especially since I bought them from a BYCer. It's nice they leave an option for leaving trading reviews but they only give 255 characters for it... Hard to describe the way the box arrived with so few letters. :\

I ended up deciding since my incubator's turning plate only handles 7 eggs to ditch the 8th egg that was badly discolored and tiny. And by "ditched" I mean I cracked it into a bowl to examine it and then ate it. There was a complete fertilized bullseye but the yolk had tiny bubbles in it. The aircell membrane seemed to be at least mostly in tact and secure, but may have separated some on one side. Hard to say because that air pocket was huge... Makes me think the egg may have been a little older anyhow.

If they hatch out I will be quite pleased... But we'll just have to see. They shipped an awfully long way for having been packaged like that. The B&C maran eggs I got last year I got a full dozen for near the same price shipped and packaged great from someone local... And only half developed even from that. :\

If they do they'll be raised out on FF.

Please keep us updated! I'm hoping you have a great hatch despite the poor packing. Did you contact this person and maybe give some tips on better ways to send eggs? Could be they are just totally ignorant and it could lose them business in the future unless they get it right.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I didn't, just left a review. I hate being all like "Heey! I've not been doing this barely at all but you screwed up!" and people getting all offended... I don't do well with people. It's a miracle I manage to sell rabbts at all.
They had nothing but good reviews up until that point, so I was a little surprised that they came the way they did. And it wasn't incompetent packaging... All the eggs showed up in one piece. They were individually wrapped in bubble wrap and packed tight enough that they couldn't "bang" into eachother... But the lack of a do not x-ray and the fact that they were all on their sides was very off putting. Plus the splotchy egg... A quick glance would tell even a total n00b that something was off with that one. It shouldn't look like there are oil stains on your eggs...

Day 20 on my incubator count down! Why do chicks take so long to hatch?

 

[Beekissed]

So that hens get a chance to rest, think and have some ME time.

Sometimes the best times a mother has with their children are while the kid is still in the womb...never have to feed, change diapers, get up out of bed in the middle of the night(except to pee, of course) and you are closer than you will ever be again after they are born. Can't get any closer. I imagine hens feel much that way as they feel the chicks move in those eggs, as they sit on them and nurture them before they are even hatched they are bonding with the unborn chick.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Well... I still hate waiting. Sometimes I have the patience of a 5 year old... At least my Brinsea Advance is functioning properly. We ordered the mini eco and they sent us the more expensive model. I'm glad tbh because it comes with the auto turning plate and the digital read thermometer. I'm happy that it works so well. It hardly fluctuates temps at all. It seems to be holding right at 37.5C and it warms back up to that again really fast if I have to open it for any reason. Plus it has this nifty cool down feature that's supposed to make eggs hatch better by imitating the mother bird getting off the nest to eat. I'm hoping all this will improve what I get to hatch!

Now I just need a good candler.... My hand crank LED flashlights aren't cutting it!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I just lost my sympathy for you Texans. I felt a little bad because I know you guys can't deal with snow.

No longer. The wind and snow is so thick I can't see my chicken coop on my suburban lot nor the house across the street. The snow drift outside my back door is up to my knees and I am 6'. There was snow on the INSIDE of my closed garage door. We will be getting -6 tomorrow.

I think you guys can learn to deal.

I'm going to make myself some soup now!

 

[TexasLisa]

I didn't know whether to laugh or give you a hug. I think you need the hug! Where I am located in Texas the sun is shining and it is in the 50's. No snow and no ice. We had ice yesterday but it is gone.

I am sorry you are going through this. I pray the electricity doesn't go out.

Stay safe and warm!

Lisa

 

[ChocolateMouse]

The weather is crazy today. I am all set if the power goes out... I can keep my house in the 50's (fireplace), sleep warm (more blankets than you can shake a stick at), cook food (gas stove AND cast iron cookware), melt snow, my frozen goods can go outside, my flashlights are hand cranked and one has an emergency siren and a radio, and I can even keep my snake warm (and possibly even my incubating eggs!). And if I really needed to go somewhere I could jury rig a sled and strap my dogs to it. The power went out for 2 days when we had a freak October 1 foot snowfall that took down a lot of power lines because all the trees still had their leaves. I got an extra stock of seasoned dry firewood from my parents after that... But I was the only one within three blocks with a warm house! (And everyone thought I was crazy for saving all the wood the contractors chop down on the street...!)

But it sucks to go out in this to try to care for my animals!