Mahonri's 3rd Annual, BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[mlm Mike]

AK MIchelle - Wow, it's my understanding you don't want to mess with mamma moose and her calf.

 

[Spangled]

Quote:

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On call? That's an interesting way to put it. Current broody count: 3. I need to get them moved and some eggs under them now that the weather is looking like bugs could be available for them to eat in about a month.

They seem to depend on bugs for a portion of what they feed their chicks. Plus I like the chicks to learn bug-eating from their mom from Day 3 or 5 or whenever it is.

 

[AK Michelle]

Michelle, maybe I'm just tired but what is that dark hexagon thing?

It is an old air traffic control tower. The airport got a bigger one so this one got auctioned and added to the house about 25 years ago. We just bought this place a year ago.

 

[AK Michelle]

here is a tip that I will be using for this hatch, It's called a pedigree basket. To make it you need : 1/4 to 1/2 inch hardware cloth, bent to form a box 4 inches to 6 inches square and about 2 inches high. Cut a cover to fit and hinge one edge with wire. now for me, I am going to make the box bigger and HIGHER so that as the chicks hatch, they will have the head space to move any where they please. you do not need to put the box in until lockdown so you will have time to make them. Oh, and I will be using zip ties to keep the box from opening as they hatch. On how to mark the chicks, I use zip ties on the legs, wing bands and color markers on the chicks. I will be making the boxes soon so if anyone would like to see pics of the boxes, let me know on here and I will post pics for all of you to see!!!!!

Yes please

 

[AK Michelle]

Shipped Eggs with air cell damage: Hatching Tip #?

This was posted by aveca:

my vet gave me a plan sheet quite a few years ago..it says for shipped eggs after the initial 24 hr rest period she had me place them in the forced airin turner but do not turn the turner on for the 1st 5 - 7 days depending on the damage..i have seen some pretty bad bubbly air cells heal as they grow and become surrounded by the veining..that gives embryo time to get a good start, after that a candeling and turner goes on..you will be suprised that those will hatch, hatch them in upright position in case air cell tends to travel a lot at lockdown time. we hatched a bunch of del eggs for a freind that were shipped.

I hope this helps

Ron

Awesome info. THANK YOU

 

[AK Michelle]

AK MIchelle - Wow, it's my understanding you don't want to mess with mamma moose and her calf.

Your understanding is quite correct. She didn't even hesitate at going after the dog.

 

[Spangled]

Now that we are thinking about collecting eggs, time for you "old Pros" to give us your best advice on choosing and storing eggs for the hatch day. Give us your thoughts on cleaning the eggs and handling while waiting. Where do you store them and what day do you start collecting? Us first timers are all ears!

Okay, I'm not an old pro, but I don't mind giving a few thoughts if they are considered just that. After all, good results can be found with so many different methods of collecting and storing.

I try to collect starting 14 days before hatch because I do not ever know if the hens will keep laying up to the date I want to set the eggs. In the end, I will always use the most recently laid clean eggs. But I have been disappointed when I have counted my chicks before the eggs have even been laid.

I don't count on any chickens laying when I want them to. They decide. So I often start collecting early just in case.

Saving eggs for a week? Store at 60-65F at 75% humidity (but in a non-moldy environment). How? I just try my best. I store them in a pump cupboard that is cooler (60F I'm guessing) and moister, but it's not likely 75% humidity. I should go put a hygrometer in there just to see. If I didn't have that weird cupboard, I would try the basement, maybe under the sink if it's on an outside wall, maybe a cooler for picnics, maybe a bathroom cupboard.

Saving eggs for two weeks? Those eggs should be stored at 50-55F at 75% humidity. I'm afraid that this starts getting more complicated than I'm interested in. So, I just try to get temps between 50F and 65F. Some days I leave the cupboard open a smidge and other days, I close it firmly. It's probably not going to ruin young eggs stored for a week to be stored at 50F, so I don't worry about it.

The critical thing about storing eggs is that we store them at less than 70F. At 70F enough development can occur that enough embryonic life can (may) start in the egg over 5 days at 72F and then die before we even set the eggs. So, storing hatching eggs below 70F is something to strive for.

Also, I let the eggs come to room temperature before putting them in a warmed up incubator.

Why 75% humidity? So that there is not loss of fluid in the egg. We don't want evaporation of contents to begin before incubation begins.

Past my bedtime. The cool thing about chickens is, though, that there are lots of roads to success, so nothing is really set in stone. Lots of folks do different things and get great hatches. I mean, does the broody hen store her eggs at 65F while she is saving up eggs to begin her incubation? No. Some days it gets up to 80+F and her eggs are just sitting there out in the open. It can take her a week or so before she will start setting on them and she still manages to hatch out eggs. So, it's a more forgiving process than we are sometimes led to believe ... at least that's how I view it.

 

[The Sheriff]

Caught up. Just nodded off sitting straight up in a chair. Gotta go to bed. Have a good night all.

 

[AK Michelle]

Wow, I made it clear to the end.

I have enough eggs collected to ship what I need to and then I can start collecting for myself. And now I've learned a bit about how to store them properly till the set date THANK YOU very much.

Now to go look for northern lights..

 

[gryeyes]

Hey, SunnyDawn - here's a very recent photo of Minerva, formerly known as Minnie from your old flock!