INCUBATING w/FRIENDS! w/Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs No problem!

[Brat Flock]

Hi there and welcome over the thread @Brat Flock yikes!!!!! that hurt!!! $200 bucks!!!! how far are they coming from? was that your first hatch? BCM are hard to loose weight and you need to keep humidity low and I run higher heat on them as well.... do you calibrate thermo/hygros? and you have several? what can you tell us about how you run?

They came from Arkansas. I bought 6 first for $125. They were clearly marked hold at PO with my # I hatched 4 from those (would have been 5 but I opened the incubator to early and lost humidity and lost one) I ordered a dozen more... She forgot to write the hold instructions or my # on the box, it was left on my porch, 1 egg was crushed, 1 was cracked, 9 had rolling air cells and 1 had a very deep saddle air cell. So I expected to loose them all. At $200 a dozen I at least wanted to try LOL I ran the incubator at 100- 100.5 at 25-30% humidity and bumped it up to 55-60% during lockdown. I have 2 Genesis 1588 one with a turner, one for lockdown with a separate temp/humidity gauge (besides the one built in)

 

[kwhites634]

Anyone ever crack acorns to feed to their chickens? Acorns as Chicken Feed, Revisited http://livingthefrugallife.blogspot.com/2010/10/acorns-as-chicken-feed-revisited.html

Nah, I just turn 'em loose & let 'em find their own acorns!
After all, even a blind pig can find an acorn now & then

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Her right eye if I remember correctly. Looks to me like it might be a blown pupil, the pupil is a tiny pinprick and doesn't dilate at all.

She eats and drinks fine, just favors one eye.

Hm, I wonder what's up with mine. Her other eye looks normal, but she can't see anything at all.

 

[Brat Flock]

What do you do with all your extras???

I will have pullets and cockerels for sale in the spring as I weed out and choose breeding stock.

 

[WVduckchick]

I ended October with a 0 of 12 hatch on a $200 dozen Black Copper Marans eggs. I have 30 BCM eggs in the mail and a replacement dozen coming to make up for the 0 of 12. I also have 9 BCM going into lockdown on the 12th of this month so I have an OBVIOUS ADDICTION and plenty to learn. So glad to join in!!! Thanks!

I'm sorry for your expensive losses... good luck with the new ones!

As you wish




8 little chickies and an unknown number of pips, because the chicks are everywheres!

Yeah! Adorable.

IS IT SAFE TO put a shirt over incubator.

Depends. You wouldn't want to cover any vent holes. It could also cause over-heating... Why do you want to put a shirt over it?

Nah, I just turn 'em loose & let 'em find their own acorns!
After all, even a blind pig can find an acorn now & then

 

[Brat Flock]

This next hatch I am adding LED lighting on a 12 hour timer for the 1st 18 days. Has anyone else heard favorable research regarding lighting and better hatch rate/growth and improved health and color?

 

[kwhites634]

IS IT SAFE TO put a shirt over incubator.

Only if it's going out in public!

What problem are you having to prompt the question? You've mentioned temp spikes to 105; you sure wouldn't want to cover the incubator in that instance.

 

[Saris]

I'm going to try and remove my 9 hatched chicks, they're so cute, but their hatching raised the humidity and now they won't get fluffy.

 

[Kraftcrazychick]

do you know what the CFM is on your fan? or at least what size mm it is or estimate size it is?

you want to keep the holes near the fan open, if you can stick your finger in them they are large

mine is small 60mm 19.2cfm my cooler has the plug open at the bottom thumb size and then very small holes three front top and three rear top (see image below) and then near the fan I have a 1/4" hole and same on the other side, so if your fan is much larger and pushing much more air you may close more holes, (just not close to the fan) and it sounds like your holes are very large
just dont mess with them too much after you get them set, never touch them later on during lockdown

I do not know much about my fan as it was salvaged from a computer at work. All I can say is that it is about the size of my palm. I will try closing holes near the bottom and see if that improves the temperature. There is only about an inch between the light bulb and the thermostat so I don't think distance is a factor.

Guess that gives me a reason to hide in the basement tonight. I can clean the studio and fidget.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

@Sally Sunshine

Eggs i ordered are: 18 RIR and RIW mix, then 12 Ameraucanas. I've been checking temps 3 times a day and moving the thermometers around to be sure of cool spots. Eggs should be here by Thanksgiving!

sweet!!!

ok sweetness.......

this is for everyone's benefit....


HOW I PERSONALLY SHIP EGGS AND THE REASONS BEHIND IT ALL
Alettertoeggshippers.doc 30k .doc file
ShippingEggsTheSallySunshineWay.docx 175k .docx file
note these files are still a work in progress, thank you @Chaos18 for creating them
post #40168


How Sally Sunshine Incubates SHIPPED EGGS post #53845





did you ask the seller for 1-2 day old clean eggs only, DATED? Did you ask them to be individually bubble wrapped,placed AIR CELL UP, rapped in a plastic bag, BEFORE setting the lot in newspaper packed tightly so that the newspaper doesnt draw out MORE moisture in them, and did you ask them to PLEASE DOUBLE BOXED them babies, and ask them to be Marked FRAGILE SYRUP IN GLASS NO XRAY???? WELL, WELL did you did you hugh???

ENVISION a big five day air cell vs a day or two day air cell, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE during travel, the more air in that egg, the more room the egg can give way in there, plus a 5 day egg has a different ph than a one and two day egg!!!! we can blame usps YES, but we have to put some blame on sellers too and ourselves for not requesting what we deserve!

Don't be afraid to ask for your eggs fresh, and wrapped a specific way!!!! you are paying for your eggs, you are the customer! you want a good hatch from shipped eggs, its ALL in how you order your eggs and if you get them fresh and a small air cell will take that trip much better than a large air cell!!!

WORDS OF WISDOM!!!! if the seller gives you sighs or moans or excuses, DON'T BUY THEIR EGGS!!!! We all know what a fresh vs not fresh egg looks like, by the time we get our eggs we should have an egg that is about 5-6 days old after shipped or less!

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An egg with a small air cell is a higher quality than an egg with a larger air cell. When an egg first laid, there is no air cell but as time goes on and the egg cools, an air cell forms and continues to grow in size because of the pores in the egg shell itself. The air cell can be measured by using an air cell gauge, which is a card that is held up to the egg while candling. An example of an air cell gauge can be seen below.

The following Word File can be used when ordering shipped eggs, it is our suggestion that you copy/paste/edit to help you get the best eggs possible. Letter written by ozexpat

An open letter to egg shippers.doc 27k .doc file

REMINDER THAT YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT OF DAMAGED SHIPPED EGGS
SEE LINKS FOR INFO! https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-truth-about-insuring-hatching-eggs
http://www.jordan-farm.com/blog/


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BIO SECURITY!
Risks associated with hatching eggs of chickens
http://www.slideshare.net/mahmoudghonim/handbook-of-poultry-diseases-2
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/biosec/consult/draft-ra-hatching-eu-ca-usa-aus.pdf
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