january hatch-a-long

[Matieus27]

Nothing to hatch but I will definitely be following

 

[aliciaplus3]

I currently have 3 chicks in the brooder( 1 fully feathered 2 Nn) and all 6 turkey eggs due to hatch today look promising! Oh and more possible Nn, some of them are pipped!

2 turkeys out this morn and 2 more chicks but neither is Nn

 

[aliciaplus3]

just a few quick pics

 

[muddy75]

View attachment 1630128 View attachment 1630129 View attachment 1630130 just a few quick pics

absolutely adorable!!

 

[aliciaplus3]

Here the current crew is hanging out under the broody cave

 

[paintedChix]

Here the current crew is hanging out under the broody cave

So is the "broody cave" like an MHP (mama heating pad)? How do you have that set up - it's intriguing.

Also, are these turkeys for breeding or for the dinner table? If you've stated what breed, I totally missed it.

So.. haven't really looked into turkeys yet. Do know that I want to raise and hatch our own eventually. May start just by ordering day old poults this year and later order hatching eggs... When we do that, I do want to go with a heritage breed we can look at continuing to raise as meat for our meals, not just purchasing every year... I think we did a batch of turkeys with some friends in - maybe 2013. Don't have a clue what breed they were, we didn't get them until April or May and they weren't huge for Thanksgiving but they weren't very small either.

 

[aliciaplus3]

So is the "broody cave" like an MHP (mama heating pad)? How do you have that set up - it's intriguing.

Also, are these turkeys for breeding or for the dinner table? If you've stated what breed, I totally missed it.

So.. haven't really looked into turkeys yet. Do know that I want to raise and hatch our own eventually. May start just by ordering day old poults this year and later order hatching eggs... When we do that, I do want to go with a heritage breed we can look at continuing to raise as meat for our meals, not just purchasing every year... I think we did a batch of turkeys with some friends in - maybe 2013. Don't have a clue what breed they were, we didn't get them until April or May and they weren't huge for Thanksgiving but they weren't very small either.

Lol yes mhp I modeled it after blooie .....this one is actually a seedling heat mat with a thermostat that I bought separately. .... the turkeys are heritage and out of a mixed color pen.... the plan is to raise babies keeping the biggest ones for breeders and eating the extra toms...... oh I may be able to sell a few to help with feed cost.
A side note my daughter plans to take a couple to our county fair to see how they do

 

[aliciaplus3]

Quick update.... so far we have 4 turkeys out kicking around, and idk how many chicks.... but I count st least 3 white/ maybe buff Nn and 3 black Nn

i love the little black turkey to the far right of the pic.... and the little white Nn in the front!

 

[BReeder!]

First time incubating here. I'm trying to keep my humidity at 40-45% for my quail eggs. My Harris Farms 1602 is a polystyrene incubator with 3 water troughs in the bottom. I filled the middle one and it was not enough. So I half filled the outer trough (there's three layered square shaped troughs), and the humidity was holding perfect at 45% and then went to 42%. This morning it was suddenly at 26%. I added some water and it went to 52% (I waited a few hours to read it again to get an accurate reading). Is the fluctuation of humidity terrible for my eggs/embryos? Any body have a way to help keep it steady at 40-45%?

 

[aliciaplus3]

First time incubating here. I'm trying to keep my humidity at 40-45% for my quail eggs. My Harris Farms 1602 is a polystyrene incubator with 3 water troughs in the bottom. I filled the middle one and it was not enough. So I half filled the outer trough (there's three layered square shaped troughs), and the humidity was holding perfect at 45% and then went to 42%. This morning it was suddenly at 26%. I added some water and it went to 52% (I waited a few hours to read it again to get an accurate reading). Is the fluctuation of humidity terrible for my eggs/embryos? Any body have a way to help keep it steady at 40-45%?

I remember reading somewhere that the exact number is not as important as making sure the eggs lose the correct amount of moisture... something about it being a little high one day and a little low the next can balance out over the incubation period...
ok my paraphrase isn't exact...... try the hands on hatching thread or educational incubation and hatching..... some of the ladies/gents there really know how to explain things...
I know humility is still the thing I struggle with the most. I run a brinsea ovation ex 56 with humidity pump and this time for my turkey and chicken eggs I set it at 35% so far the hatching is going well so I think it worked ok.....
The one thing to remember about humidity is that what works for me in my environment and elevation may not work as well at yours.