June to July Turkey Hatch-a-Long!

[cherrynberry]

My turkey hen sat on the 8 eggs I was originally going to put into the incubator, so I let her keep those and purchased 2 dozen more to go into the incubator since she's not a very good broody. I mean, she's VERY dedicated, she's just awkward and ungraceful and always seems to smash them to bits. So she is only sitting on 2 as of my last count, but the 2 dozen in the incubator are doing alright, as far as I know! I don't get to candle them for another week. Time moves so slowly when you've got eggs incubating!

I know right! I just can’t wait for day 15 candling! Well, at least you have 2 dozen back up eggs! Hope your broody hen has a few chicks to care for!!!

 

[SpicyDill]

I even have a new candler I want to take for a spin, but noooo, I have to wait!

I figure even if she doesn't manage to hatch the eggs under her, maybe I can give her a few fakes to keep her broody until the incubator eggs hatch! I have a big assortment box coming next month so the more brooders I can keep free, the better!

 

[cherrynberry]

I even have a new candler I want to take for a spin, but noooo, I have to wait!

I figure even if she doesn't manage to hatch the eggs under her, maybe I can give her a few fakes to keep her broody until the incubator eggs hatch! I have a big assortment box coming next month so the more brooders I can keep free, the better!

Cool!

 

[SpicyDill]

Yup yup!

So do you exclusively keep Easter Eggers?

 

[cherrynberry]

Yup yup!

So do you exclusively keep Easter Eggers?

Well...they are my favorite breed. And we only have 1 rooster, who is an EE. We also have a leghorn, 2 golden comets, 5 welsummers, and 2 golden laced Wyandotte’s in addition to 9 Easter eggers. They are all together, but we know exactly who lays what, so we know what specific eggs will hatch into.

 

[SpicyDill]

Well...they are my favorite breed. And we only have 1 rooster, who is an EE. We also have a leghorn, 2 golden comets, 5 welsummers, and 2 golden laced Wyandotte’s in addition to 9 Easter eggers. They are all together, but we know exactly who lays what, so we know what specific eggs will hatch into.

Oh I get that! We have a mixed flock, too. Although mine are multi-generational, so a lot of them are barnyard crosses at this point, so it's becoming increasingly difficult to figure out whose eggs are whose.

Unfortunately, most of our original EEs aged out of the flock (although some of their adult offspring remain), but I do have 5 BBS Ameraucanas in the brooder right now and they are so cute and fluffy!!! One of the blues is twice the size of all its hatchmates and it's pretty hilarious.

 

[cherrynberry]

Oh I get that! We have a mixed flock, too. Although mine are multi-generational, so a lot of them are barnyard crosses at this point, so it's becoming increasingly difficult to figure out whose eggs are whose.

Unfortunately, most of our original EEs aged out of the flock (although some of their adult offspring remain), but I do have 5 BBS Ameraucanas in the brooder right now and they are so cute and fluffy!!! One of the blues is twice the size of all its hatchmates and it's pretty hilarious.

That’s nice! Today we got a broken egg though... Pretty bummed...I moved the 5 eggs on day 14 into my incubator. Those are right about to hatch, so I don’t want anything to happen to them....the other eggs that are left are quite dirty, do you know if it’s okay to wash them? I just wiped them off slightly for now...

 

[SpicyDill]

Broken eggs are such a bummer!!! I tried to peek under my turkey hen and I saw just 1 egg left under her. I'm hoping the second is still there. But every time I go out and find broken eggshells, it's like my heart breaks a little, too, so I totally get your disappointment.

Definitely do not wash the eggs you stick into the incubator! You don't want to remove the bloom.

I had room for one regular-sized egg carrier in the incubator, so I stuffed 7 random chicken eggs in with the turkey eggs today. They should all hatch at the same time. At least 1 egg came from my favorite senior hen, so I'm really hoping it hatches.

It's still early to candle the turkey eggs, but I did it anyway, haha! I got a new cordless candler so I was able to candle them without removing them from the incubator, and I think 22 out of 24 show some signs of development!

 

[cherrynberry]

Broken eggs are such a bummer!!! I tried to peek under my turkey hen and I saw just 1 egg left under her. I'm hoping the second is still there. But every time I go out and find broken eggshells, it's like my heart breaks a little, too, so I totally get your disappointment.

Definitely do not wash the eggs you stick into the incubator! You don't want to remove the bloom.

I had room for one regular-sized egg carrier in the incubator, so I stuffed 7 random chicken eggs in with the turkey eggs today. They should all hatch at the same time. At least 1 egg came from my favorite senior hen, so I'm really hoping it hatches.

It's still early to candle the turkey eggs, but I did it anyway, haha! I got a new cordless candler so I was able to candle them without removing them from the incubator, and I think 22 out of 24 show some signs of development!

Good luck! I ended up not washing any of the eggs. Hope your eggs hatch!

 

[SpicyDill]

Likewise!

It's just going to be SUCH a long wait. I'm only 1 week in. I'm going crazy even though I've already got a brooder full of babies!