january hatch-a-long

[paintedChix]

My incubator arrived and I'll be hooking it up shortly to start running it and testing it.

With the eggs I collected yesterday, I will have 55 Flowery Hens, Bielefelders & Australorps (Blue variety). I will continue to collect for a few days - would like to incubate 36 to 40 eggs...



Hmm, by the time they are set in incubator, will be part of the February hatch-a- long. Iwasn't going to keep any of the mixed breeds but, may have changed my mind...

 

[paintedChix]

I have a question for those of you collecting eggs and incubating now. My husband asked me, and I had a very general answer. Then when I looked for a specific one in the books and online references, I really couldn't find an answer.

So, what temps do you safely collect eggs for incubating at? This past week has been COLD - last night it was 33*f when I collected my 13 eggs. The other evening it was 30* and one night it was 54*...

I'm only collecting at night on Monday - Thursday. Normally leave for work @ 6:30a & off between 5 - 6p - so home between 5:30-8 - depending on errands. Feeding & collecting chores when I get home. On Friday, Saturday and Sundays, sometimes I make a run thru the coops about mid-morning and then again in the evening as the girls are getting up on the roosts.

This Sunday the temp is supposed to bottom out officially around 18* (we usually run colder) and not expected to get very warm on Monday (maybe 38*) at all. Use those eggs only for eating? Of course, if my new and only one incubator is already full, it's a moot point. I can see that i will need to get another incubator already and I haven't even done my first hatch yet!!

I know that all of our pullets are laying fertile eggs with the roo's they are in with - I have checked many (I put 4 dozen eggs in the freezer the other night - pre-scrambled and 6 to a freezer bag). 2 dated Christmas day (I thought we had used all of those already, dates seemed to have gotten mixed up) - had actually started developing while on our kitchen counter - my pitX girl LOVED me that night! Thank goodness was sans the "rotten egg" scent or I'd have been done for a while...

Edited to add - And how long do you let your eggs "rest" after they are collected and before they go into the incubator?

 

[BlueBaby]

I have a question for those of you collecting eggs and incubating now. My husband asked me, and I had a very general answer. Then when I looked for a specific one in the books and online references, I really couldn't find an answer.

So, what temps do you safely collect eggs for incubating at? This past week has been COLD - last night it was 33*f when I collected my 13 eggs. The other evening it was 30* and one night it was 54*...

I'm only collecting at night on Monday - Thursday. Normally leave for work @ 6:30a & off between 5 - 6p - so home between 5:30-8 - depending on errands. Feeding & collecting chores when I get home. On Friday, Saturday and Sundays, sometimes I make a run thru the coops about mid-morning and then again in the evening as the girls are getting up on the roosts.

This Sunday the temp is supposed to bottom out officially around 18* (we usually run colder) and not expected to get very warm on Monday (maybe 38*) at all. Use those eggs only for eating? Of course, if my new and only one incubator is already full, it's a moot point. I can see that i will need to get another incubator already and I haven't even done my first hatch yet!!

I know that all of our pullets are laying fertile eggs with the roo's they are in with - I have checked many (I put 4 dozen eggs in the freezer the other night - pre-scrambled and 6 to a freezer bag). 2 dated Christmas day (I thought we had used all of those already, dates seemed to have gotten mixed up) - had actually started developing while on our kitchen counter - my pitX girl LOVED me that night! Thank goodness was sans the "rotten egg" scent or I'd have been done for a while...

Where I am at it doesn't get as cold as where you are at, and I collect mine during the daytime as I'm retired. I probably wouldn't keep any egg's for hatching if the temps were below 40* in the daytime where you are at, or unless the egg was still warm from the hen just getting off of it. 32* is the freezing point.

 

[muddy75]

One of my baby quail hatched with curled toes goes is there any way to fix it's toes.

i found it very difficult to do chick chair or hobbles....I bought some painters tape to try and make booties but 1 straightened on its own and the other is getting around fine now and has straightened a lot, so I personally would watch for a few days (with a little extra help eating/drinking if necessary) before booties

 

[Matieus27]

So I was wondering I’m getting quail eggs from Trader Joe’s is there anything I need to look out for for hatching those?

 

[BReeder!]

I am in deep with hatching. Over 30 quail chicks have hatched this morning.

 

[BReeder!]

Check out my posts in the Quail Hatch Along thread. I am bouncing all over around the house so I can only update one thread with hatch updates effectively. I will come back here last though and post a hatch overview once things slow down.

 

[WVduckchick]

I have a question for those of you collecting eggs and incubating now. My husband asked me, and I had a very general answer. Then when I looked for a specific one in the books and online references, I really couldn't find an answer.

So, what temps do you safely collect eggs for incubating at? This past week has been COLD - last night it was 33*f when I collected my 13 eggs. The other evening it was 30* and one night it was 54*...

I'm only collecting at night on Monday - Thursday. Normally leave for work @ 6:30a & off between 5 - 6p - so home between 5:30-8 - depending on errands. Feeding & collecting chores when I get home. On Friday, Saturday and Sundays, sometimes I make a run thru the coops about mid-morning and then again in the evening as the girls are getting up on the roosts.

This Sunday the temp is supposed to bottom out officially around 18* (we usually run colder) and not expected to get very warm on Monday (maybe 38*) at all. Use those eggs only for eating? Of course, if my new and only one incubator is already full, it's a moot point. I can see that i will need to get another incubator already and I haven't even done my first hatch yet!!

I know that all of our pullets are laying fertile eggs with the roo's they are in with - I have checked many (I put 4 dozen eggs in the freezer the other night - pre-scrambled and 6 to a freezer bag). 2 dated Christmas day (I thought we had used all of those already, dates seemed to have gotten mixed up) - had actually started developing while on our kitchen counter - my pitX girl LOVED me that night! Thank goodness was sans the "rotten egg" scent or I'd have been done for a while...

Edited to add - And how long do you let your eggs "rest" after they are collected and before they go into the incubator?

If I collect it before it freezes, I'll incubate it People successfully incubate refrigerated eggs, so that's just above freezing, right?

I have 14 duck eggs in now that were outside for over a week (up and down temps), I thought the girls were going to sit on them, but then it looked like they weren't, so I took most of the eggs and popped them in the incubator. I'm not sure what's growing yet, but always worth a shot.

And remember, it takes a couple hours for an egg to go from their body temp to freezing, even if out in the open, I think. If its in a nest box, or enclosure, it will stay warm for a little while. Even better if there is a lot of bedding/shavings etc.

I'm not saying this is ideal, but if they can't be collected any sooner, we have to deal with what Mother Nature hands us.

 

[Matieus27]

Well my Trader Joe’s doesnt sell quail eggs

 

[BReeder!]

Well my Trader Joe’s doesnt sell quail eggs

Check craigslist and try posting in the Oklahoma thread to see if anybody near you has quail. They would likely sell you some eggs. You could always order them and have them shipped add well. There are plenty of places out there that you can order from.