Incubators Anonymous

[OneMountainAcres]

My goal is to have 1 of MANY types of chickens, all different colored eggs.  I'll sell all the extras.  

I ordered 6 from dy_ad4 on Ebay.  They sent 8, but the box got really beat up.  2 eggs were beyond cracked, 1 had hairline cracks (no leaking) that I sealed with wax.  The air cells were super wonky.  I let them know, not asking for anything, just letting them know about the damage.  They immediately (within 2 days) shipped me 6 new eggs.  I paid them for the shipping, since I really didn't expect them to send me more eggs.  I set all 12, 36 hours apart from each other., so the second six will get locked down a day early.  I've been trying to order eggs on Ebay from shippers that are within a state or two from me.  The Polish and Maran eggs are coming from 2 different people in Arizona. Dy_ad4 is up in Crescent City, CA.

I am trying to see if distance traveled impacts my eggs.

It's funny, I'm not zoned for chickens.  Not even 1 and I have 14 laying adult hens, 6 adult silkies (2 rooster), 10 four month old chickens (1 VERY loud rooster), 24 chicks from   Feb/March hatches (nobody crowing yet), 38 chicks from the Easter HAL, 17 that hatched this last batch and a bunch already brewing in 2 incubators.  There are still some silkie babies out in the silkie coop that are from Nov and Dec hatches.  Most of those I sold, I'm not sure how many I still have - maybe 4 and they are all suspected roosters.

Definitely too many chickens.

That's a great goal to have super variety!

I've found that the eggs that were shipped to me from 4 hours away looked just as bad if not worse than the ones shipped across the country from me and actualy had worse hatch rates. I'm not sure if that's a rare thing or had to do with bad packaging or what but I've decided that shipped eggs are shipped eggs and they're going to get knocked around no matter what lol.

You really have it bad! I may not have much land but I'm thankful to be in an agricultural zone. I have, out in the main coop, 24 adults, 2 young silkies hatched in December (both suspected boys), and 15 black copper Marans chicks from NYD hatch and through February.
In the big garage brooder I have about 22 chicks growing out. 1 rhodebar cockerel, 1 hatchery silkie, 1 rhode island red cockerel (was supposed to be a pullet), and a bunch of CCL.
In the screen porch brooder, there are 9 poults growing out to join the 5 turkeys I already have (extra toms will go to freezer camp). The poults are mottled black, silver dappled, and 1 royal palm. Plus, there are 7 meaties in with them and 5 lavender ameraucana chicks.
In the bedroom brooder, 8 little bantam polish, 4 bearded silkies, and 2 lavender ameraucanas are waiting to relocate to one of the brooders outside. For now, they're hanging out with all the Ams, EEs, and OEs that are for sale lol.

Wow, I have more than I thought! I seriously need to get my breeding pens built so I can have more room to house all these chicks! They won't stay little for long!

 

[Jessimom]

That's a great goal to have

super variety!

I've found that the eggs that were shipped to me from 4 hours away looked just as bad if not worse than the ones shipped across the country from me and actualy had worse hatch rates. I'm not sure if that's a rare thing or had to do with bad packaging or what but I've decided that shipped eggs are shipped eggs and they're going to get knocked around no matter what lol.

You really have it bad! I may not have much land but I'm thankful to be in an agricultural zone. I have, out in the main coop, 24 adults, 2 young silkies hatched in December (both suspected boys), and 15 black copper Marans chicks from NYD hatch and through February.
In the big garage brooder I have about 22 chicks growing out. 1 rhodebar cockerel, 1 hatchery silkie, 1 rhode island red cockerel (was supposed to be a pullet), and a bunch of CCL.
In the screen porch brooder, there are 9 poults growing out to join the 5 turkeys I already have (extra toms will go to freezer camp). The poults are mottled black, silver dappled, and 1 royal palm. Plus, there are 7 meaties in with them and 5 lavender ameraucana chicks.
In the bedroom brooder, 8 little bantam polish, 4 bearded silkies, and 2 lavender ameraucanas are waiting to relocate to one of the brooders outside. For now, they're hanging out with all the Ams, EEs, and OEs that are for sale lol.

Wow, I have more than I thought! I seriously need to get my breeding pens built so I can have more room to house all these chicks! They won't stay little for long!

You are worse than me as far as numbers, i think. Just based on the sheer numbers you have hatched. I'm on 2 acres, about a mile from agricultural land. Even though my house used to be the main house for miles and miles of orchards, the orchard people sold off all the land surrounding our hill top house to medium density housing. (back in the 60's) I have 13 properties that touch my 2 acres.

So far, there have been no complaints about my rooster crowing competition we have every afternoon.

I need to muzzle them somehow.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

You are worse than me as far as numbers, i think.  Just based on the sheer numbers you have hatched.  I'm on 2 acres, about a mile from agricultural land.  Even though my house used to be the main house for miles and miles of orchards, the orchard people sold off all the land surrounding our hill top house to medium density housing.  (back in the 60's) I have 13 properties that touch my 2 acres.  

So far, there have been no complaints about my rooster crowing competition we have every afternoon.  

I need to muzzle them somehow.

You have more land than I do lol. We have 1.3 acres but we have 1 neighbor next to us, a hunting cabin on the other side that is almost always vacant, 1 neighbor across the street and around the corner. Everything else is state game lands. Our flock rarely leaves our yard but when they do, they venture next door where the cabin is and out back to the woods where the compost pile is. Every once in a while I have to herd the turkeys back home from the neighbor's yard, only because they're super friendly and when they have the garage door open, the turkeys feel they should go visit lol. So far, none of the neighbors seem to mind them at all and love getting fresh eggs. My numbers won't be so high by the end of summer. I'll be cutting back dramatically and keeping only the best to breed next year. I think I'm just about done hatching for myself for this year. I just have to find the housing to grow them all out in til I get to pick through them.


Speaking of hatching for myself, @duluthralphie, 5 eggs made it to lockdown. 1 of them I'm pretty sure is a quitterv but I'm going to give it a chance. I pulled two early quitters. I was going to check them to see if they were white sports but they were too yucky.

 

[duluthralphie]

You have more land than I do lol. We have 1.3 acres but we have 1 neighbor next to us, a hunting cabin on the other side that is almost always vacant, 1 neighbor across the street and around the corner. Everything else is state game lands. Our flock rarely leaves our yard but when they do, they venture next door where the cabin is and out back to the woods where the compost pile is. Every once in a while I have to herd the turkeys back home from the neighbor's yard, only because they're super friendly and when they have the garage door open, the turkeys feel they should go visit lol. So far, none of the neighbors seem to mind them at all and love getting fresh eggs. My numbers won't be so high by the end of summer. I'll be cutting back dramatically and keeping only the best to breed next year. I think I'm just about done hatching for myself for this year. I just have to find the housing to grow them all out in til I get to pick through them.


Speaking of hatching for myself, @duluthralphie , 5 eggs made it to lockdown. 1 of them I'm pretty sure is a quitterv but I'm going to give it a chance. I pulled two early quitters. I was going to check them to see if they were white sports but they were too yucky.

WHIMP!!!

I would have checked them for you!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

WHIMP!!!

I would have checked them for you!

Yes, I'm being wimpy tonight lol

About a week until the Adam eggs should lock down right?

 

[duluthralphie]

Yea, I think so, I need to go look at the eggs one of these days...

I am not a over-candler...LOL

 

[Jessimom]

WHIMP!!!

I would have checked them for you!

I checked a bunch of eggs that didn't develop - looked clear, but I was lazy and left them in until Lockdown (hoping I was wrong). I let them sit for about 4 days. When I cracked them open they were slightly stinky, but the yolk was ruptured in all 10. I couldn't see ANY white spot. But then again, I was a bit grossed out by the smell. These were shipped eggs, were they scrambled to start, or does the 15 days in a warm incubator, then another 4 just let the membranes get so loose, that they can't hold the yolk anymore?

 

[duluthralphie]

I checked a bunch of eggs that didn't develop - looked clear, but I was lazy and left them in until Lockdown (hoping I was wrong). I let them sit for about 4 days. When I cracked them open they were slightly stinky, but the yolk was ruptured in all 10. I couldn't see ANY white spot. But then again, I was a bit grossed out by the smell. These were shipped eggs, were they scrambled to start, or does the 15 days in a warm incubator, then another 4 just let the membranes get so loose, that they can't hold the yolk anymore?

It is not a white spot we are looking for it is White Fuzz or feathers.. There is a mutant that comes every once in a while from these eggs. I am trying to find who the parents of the little mutants are.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Yea, I think so,  I need to go look at the eggs one of these days...

I am not a over-candler...LOL

I noticed lol. I'm dying to know how many developed after their encounter with USPS!

 

[Jessimom]

I noticed lol. I'm dying to know how many developed after their encounter with USPS!

Let me know how your USPS disaster is doing - if good, I will hold out hope for mine!