Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[ozexpat]

From http://www.whitmorefarm.com/delaware
This looks promising...

might try this

"Delaware males may be mated to New Hampshire or Rhode Island Red females and produce chicks of the Delaware color pattern. Delaware females mated to New Hampshire or Rhode Island Red males produce sex-linked offspring; the males having the Delaware color pattern and the females having the solid red color of the sires. Chicks from this second cross can even be sexed by their down color when hatched."

interesting but better with a delaware roo, you may need to hatch one lol

 

[hillfloweranch]

interesting but better with a delaware roo, you may need to hatch one lol

Yea was thinking that. Decided to convert the 2 12x24 horse stalls into breeding pens will be less work and I can build smaller "nest housing" as I'm no carpenter lol. Horses won't mind they have pasture corral

 

[ozexpat]

I cannot believe how successful I have been in securing eggs for the next trip. Thanks to those of you out there that have made it possible.

I finally have a source for heritage RIR that will get them here. I am also confident with Frank Reece coming through with the New Jersey Whites and Barred Rocks.

Last night I secured 12 Bourbon Red and 12 Blue Slate turkey eggs. Local too.

I have a turner load of Guinea Fowl coming - two sources - one local, one shipped.

The is a bycer that is confident he can supply me with 12 peafowl eggs in time as well. I have to stay in contact.

Now I just have to wait till the end of May................

 

[LFchixranch]

That's great Oz, I saw somebody post a way to keep eggs longer if you store them in a frig with a paper towel w/oxine on it.

From BYC user yinepu,

being in the fridge won't hurt them at all so long as the air cells haven't gotten too big while in storage and they have been turned a bit.. (if the air cells are too big just bump up the humidity a bit and see if it helps)

As a note:
Here's my method (I experimented for quite a while with this one before I got it to where I was happy with the results):

when I store hatching eggs I put them in a carton (styro preferred) with the pointy end down.. and put the carton of eggs in a zip loc bag (usually gallon size)

I then take a paper towel and fold it several times and soak it in oxine (listerine and water mix will also work) and add that to the bag under or next to the carton (not on top)

then I zip the bag closed and put them in the fridge.. turning the carton side to side a bit every day until I pull them from the fridge to hatch. (allowing them to come to room temp before placing in the incubator)


i can keep them viable for a minimum of 21 days that way.. but, as a note.. hatchability does start to drop if you leave them for too long.
With my own "farm fresh" eggs I can still get a good solid 90 to 100% hatch rate on eggs I store this way.

Sex link hen and rooster you guys were talking about



The rooster has some red leakage in his neck and saddle

 

[ozexpat]

I had read that post by yinepu somewhere but thank you. Its great information.

I have read a lot on refrigerating eggs also. Most research suggests that it is OK to refrigerate eggs ONCE - but this is where there is a lot of difference in opinion. One scientific study with great p values states that the eggs should be pointy side up and not turned when refrigerated. For what reason, I am unclear.

I have also incubated fertile eggs from trader joes that were a month old with a 25% hatch rate.

My research will be more on viability of non refrigerated eggs when I finally get to incubate eggs laid in the Philippines. As most people dont have refrigeration, and electricity is expensive an understanding of how long eggs are viable at 84 degrees is more of an issue.

 

[maryhysong]

My research will be more on viability of non refrigerated eggs when I finally get to incubate eggs laid in the Philippines. As most people dont have refrigeration, and electricity is expensive an understanding of how long eggs are viable at 84 degrees is more of an issue.

Hi Oz! I love reading your thread and all your adventures ;-). I do not have central air or heat in my house. I heat with a wood stove in winter and I have a swamp cooler in summer, when it's really hot it manages to keep the living room at 80.

Last fall when I began incubating eggs for the first time they sat on the counter in the kitchen, in temps from 70=85 degrees for a week, had about 90% hatch. I'm wondering if where you are if it is possible to make a little cellar or something in the ground to help keep them cooler?

 

[hillfloweranch]

Oz I can't make the norco meet ..my daughter is in the hospital.

 

[ozexpat]

Oz I can't make the norco meet ..my daughter is in the hospital.

I hope everything is OK.

I will deliver your rooster to Acton. Its the least I can do

 

[ozexpat]

Hi Oz! I love reading your thread and all your adventures ;-). I do not have central air or heat in my house. I heat with a wood stove in winter and I have a swamp cooler in summer, when it's really hot it manages to keep the living room at 80.

Last fall when I began incubating eggs for the first time they sat on the counter in the kitchen, in temps from 70=85 degrees for a week, had about 90% hatch. I'm wondering if where you are if it is possible to make a little cellar or something in the ground to help keep them cooler?

Being so close to the ocean, the water table is 5 feet below the surface. Great for digging a well but sucks for septic tanks and cellars. If I turn this into a business, I will make a room that is at 65F but at the moment, its not a viable proposition. As the locals have to deal with the temps, so do I, and so do all of our eggs. We may have to shorten the time to incubation from a max of seven days to a max of three - my studies will give me the answer.

 

[maryhysong]

Being so close to the ocean, the water table is 5 feet below the surface. Great for digging a well but sucks for septic tanks and cellars. If I turn this into a business, I will make a room that is at 65F but at the moment, its not a viable proposition. As the locals have to deal with the temps, so do I, and so do all of our eggs. We may have to shorten the time to incubation from a max of seven days to a max of three - my studies will give me the answer.

Yes an easy way would be just to date the eggs and incubate, keeping track of the %hatched versus their age. You may also find that some breeds/types do better than others when held for longer periods. ah, Research! Another excuse to run the 'bator!