Hatching Chicks With A Heat Pad And A Egg Carton Experiment

[Flashpoint]

That sounds totally fun to try though! What a cool experience!

Some of the videos I've been looking at people are using store bought eggs also, and getting hatch rates. (They are supposed to be infertile. So it does have a higher fail rate than fertile eggs.) But I would try this pretty soon if it weren't for the fact that due to Covid19 you can't even buy eggs in the stores in my area. Its also ridiculous how many things you can't buy right now.

Right now we're a pretty good area for still being unaffected by the virus. And yet when you go to Walmart you can't buy ANY canned goods, no dairy products even no milk, no eggs, etc. All dry goods are gone also.

And everyone is saying its the hoarders fault but actually neglect to count the rich people are hoarding also, while the rich people say its the 'commoners'. And then there's the reduced food rates out there with the previous years crop failures too.

Oops went off on a tangent.

Anyway I just meant to comment on these egg experiments.

But you are correct. Eggs are scarce here also. Last week I gave out 22 dozen from my hens to family and friends.

I think nature is more forgiving than people believe. I have seen some strange things in my life.

Just stay safe.

 

[DogAndCat36]

You can say that again, I have to check on the temp. like every hour.

Well, is either I check on them or the temp. gets bad, better safe than sorry. Also I open it for a quick second, so it's fine.

 

[DogAndCat36]

But you are correct. Eggs are scarce here also. Last week I gave out 22 dozen from my hens to family and friends.

I think nature is more forgiving than people believe. I have seen some strange things in my life.

Just stay safe.

My chickens seem to know about the lack of food (even though the food in stores are still abundant for now where I am at). They have been laying eggs with like crazy, basically once per day, even a constant amount of double yolks, strange. I have 16 eggs in my fridge and I got them in just three days, we ate 2 of them.

 

[DogAndCat36]

Watching how your experiment goes. Years (and years and years) ago, my father had an egg route and bought eggs from a local Amish farm. One week he bought a case of eggs, brought it home and sat it near the furnace floor grate. A few days later he heard a sound coming from the box, opened it up and there were 3 baby chicks. Seems that the Amish guy had the case in a room with a wood stove - and this case was too close to it on one corner and Dad finished up with the furnace.

Needless to say, he didn't try selling any of those remaining eggs. lol

That is funny! Why did he keep the eggs on the floor for 21 days or so and what about rotation? Something is happening there, something is rotating them eggs.

 

[DogAndCat36]

Although, please bear in mind, you guys might have different makers of hot pads. So your settings might not be the same. Hope I don't sound like a jerk, but wanted to help you avoid trouble.

It's ok. I was just thinking about that too.

 

[Flashpoint]

That is funny! Why did he keep the eggs on the floor for 21 days or so and what about rotation? Something is happening there, something is rotating them eggs.

As a chicken owner now (and turkeys and ducks), the only thing I could think of is perhaps the farmer had them set aside (maybe even for my father), they were not picked up by the buyer right away - so they were shuffled to the back or not rotated as you would expect from new to older first. Then when Dad did get them and probably thinking they were fresh, he just put them next to the furnace where the heat came out.

Remember, only 3 eggs out of 30 dozen hatched. Maybe the heat and jostled motions were just enough - even if not ideal. I know I wouldn't want to eat any of the remainders. lol

I have hatched eggs that were all but frozen when gathered. Others have had hatches even if the temp and humidity were wrong and very little turning of the eggs. Others have had their incubators go completely cold for hours - yet still have most of the eggs hatch. And, still, others have found abandoned nests that were over 24 hours without the mother - and those eggs have still hatched when placed under a broody or in an incubator. Go figure.

In this case - maybe several missteps that still favored only those 3? I still believe in that old axiom of "nature will find a way".

 

[DogAndCat36]

As a chicken owner now (and turkeys and ducks), the only thing I could think of is perhaps the farmer had them set aside (maybe even for my father), they were not picked up by the buyer right away - so they were shuffled to the back or not rotated as you would expect from new to older first. Then when Dad did get them and probably thinking they were fresh, he just put them next to the furnace where the heat came out.

Remember, only 3 eggs out of 30 dozen hatched. Maybe the heat and jostled motions were just enough - even if not ideal. I know I wouldn't want to eat any of the remainders. lol

I have hatched eggs that were all but frozen when gathered. Others have had hatches even if the temp and humidity were wrong and very little turning of the eggs. Others have had their incubators go completely cold for hours - yet still have most of the eggs hatch. And, still, others have found abandoned nests that were over 24 hours without the mother - and those eggs have still hatched when placed under a broody or in an incubator. Go figure.

In this case - maybe several missteps that still favored only those 3? I still believe in that old axiom of "nature will find a way".

True "nature will find a way" and chickens are crazily durable. When I was little, I heard that an old lady's hen froze solid, who knows why she didn't put her in a warm coop, well, anyway, she carefully warmed her up and she was still alive! A frozen solid chicken that was frozen for who knows how long and hasn't taken a breath till unthawed, crazy huh?

 

[MGG]

Those are some awesome stories, thanks for sharing guys!

 

[MGG]

Is there any trick to keeping your neighbors from noticing that many birds? That's what I'd like to know also lol.

I'm particularly interested in any tricks for urban chicken/duck farming to keep people from noticing.

Well, I mostly did small batches. I hatched that many birds all summer, but I only had about 15 birds outside at a time. They really didn't make much noise, and the closest neighbors (right next door) are never there anyway. I usually had about 10 in a brooder in the house, and then when I sold the ones in the pen I moved the young ones out. The guineas I sold (the 30 eggs) when they were barely a week old so they never went outside. Our town is pretty lenient anyway though, there are horses, dogs, goats, rabbits, chickens, ducks, guineas, geese, quail, etc. all over town. The mayor's son owns pretty much all of those animals, lol. To keep people from noticing I would just make sure you have them somewhere fenced in and have a nice secure coop for them. Neighbors are always more willing to keep quiet if you deliver some fresh eggs too. Maybe you can just ask them if they would keep quiet about it in return for sone eggs? That's what I would do. Make sure they stay in your yard, and just have quiet breeds is all i can think of. No roosters!

 

[DogAndCat36]

I only had about 15 birds outside at a time.

Sneaky.