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

[Arielle]

Quote:
Definitely a great day to get into the garden!!! What are you planting, if anything? Or is this just prep day?

One of my calendar contest photos for any spring or summer month

SUper pic! SO many talented people here on BYC!!

I have been reading everyones worrries with their incubating. This is my first time setting eggs, and since I tend to overthink and over do EVERYTHING, I have made it a point with this activity to try and remain catiously clueless. I have my still air lg with temps between 99 and about 101, I filled the little water reserves almost all the way up and I havent touched them since. I peek in several times a day to make sure I am not cooking them, but I havent touched them (well, that is not ENTIRELY true. I slipped and extra egg in there from our own chickens just to see if it will do anything). Now I am starting to worry that I am keeping myself TOO clueless!!! ARGH!!!

WHAT IF I KILL THEM ALL?!?! What if it is too humid? Or not humid enough? MY GOODNESS!!! I definitely should have done my typical over-analyzing, overboard on research routine!!!!! WHAT HAVE I DONE!!!!!!!

DO you track your humidity, and your eggs are getting turned several times a day? Still airs are 102 on top of the egg or 99 at mid egg. Sounds like you're doing fine!!! About day 7 you'll need to candle to check the air cell for development and compare to a pic if you don't know what size it should be by day 7. If you can, rotate the location of the eggs so no egg stays in the same place for a day or two, (ignore this if you are using a turner). I think you are doing fine.

Diagrams of air cells, duck and chicken:

http://www.poultryconnection.com/quackers/aircell.html

 

[Sueg4332]

SunnyDawn the deer story was so funny

AK Michelle that puppy is adorable

Kathy I think we would all love to see updated pics of your emu chicks

Well I had a few animal hyjinks yesterday. First my Brahma roo decides to flog me. Now this boy has never done one aggressive thing in his live. He is a big boy and always runs from the head roo. Never bothers anyone and usually is hanging around by himself when they are out free ranging. Well I was collecting the eggs and one of the hens was complaining about it. I think I have a couple thinking about going broody, but I won't let them sit on eggs when I have two bators full of eggs. He just up and went at my feet. I was totally shocked. We had a discussion that included me carrying him around for a bit and me slowly forcing him to the ground until he relented and let me hold him down. He behaved after that and I approached him a few more times to make sure he had gotten the message. I will be keeping an eye on him from now on though. He is DH's favorite but I let him know that Randy might wind up being dinner. We will have to see.
The horses also decided to get into the crazy act. I have a routine that I follow every day. Clean stalls and pens. Clean and refill waters. Put out hay and feed in the stalls. Let the horses in. They always go in their stalls in a set order. Allie, Lachlin, Delilah, Lady then Cody. When I am going out to start letting them in, I will call for Allie. Well yesterday, I had gotten everything done except letting them in. The neighbors were out tilling the plot that they plant their garden in. Now my horses are fairly used to the sound of motors. We have ATV's and dirt bikes going around often and I have a Polaris Ranger that I use to haul the manure away every day. Well, the horses were acting all funny and I realized it was because of the neighbor. Now, they put in a small garden every year and it isn't even close to our fence but the horses all thought that the lady with the rototiller was a MONSTER that was going to EAT them. Seriously, I love them to death but every now and again they remind me that they are not as bright as your average dog.

My front yard rooster just sounded off like something was bothering him (wheaten Marans and his 3 hens) thought the stray kitten small enough to crawl though chain link might be in with them again eating chicken pellets. Got my flash light looked all around the pen. No cat!!!!! Thought he was lying. Turn around to see my palomino and white tobiano mare and her side kick are out again. She has learned how to open her pasture gate. They were destroying the bale of hay I got out to feed this morning. I yelled at her and they ran back in the gate like kid caught their hands in the cookie jar.
I raised this mare on a bottle and she is way to smart for her own good.. What a brat..... No breakfast for them. Hope they didn't get in the chicken feed . Check when it gets light. I tied the gate shut when baling twine . Let's see how long it take her to figure that out....
Sometimes it pays to listen to your animals.

 

[Wisher1000]

I have been reading everyones worrries with their incubating. This is my first time setting eggs, and since I tend to overthink and over do EVERYTHING, I have made it a point with this activity to try and remain catiously clueless. I have my still air lg with temps between 99 and about 101, I filled the little water reserves almost all the way up and I havent touched them since. I peek in several times a day to make sure I am not cooking them, but I havent touched them (well, that is not ENTIRELY true. I slipped and extra egg in there from our own chickens just to see if it will do anything). Now I am starting to worry that I am keeping myself TOO clueless!!! ARGH!!!

WHAT IF I KILL THEM ALL?!?! What if it is too humid? Or not humid enough? MY GOODNESS!!! I definitely should have done my typical over-analyzing, overboard on research routine!!!!! WHAT HAVE I DONE!!!!!!!

Okay, Anna, calm down, step away from the bator. Try to understand that we all have the thoughts and worries that are expressed on the thread, It's just that, here, in this community, it is okay to vioce them because everyone here understands and, unlike our families, co-workers, neighbors, store clerks, meter readers, phone solicitors at home, noone here thinks we are completely nuts when we obsess over a 2.3 degree temperature swing. Don't let the other's rattle you. Your temps look great, and you are doing fine.

Of course, if you need a

I'll be happy to oblige.........worked wonders for me!

 

[Marty1876]

x 2. It will be ok, and we are all here for you.

Okay, Anna, calm down, step away from the bator. Try to understand that we all have the thoughts and worries that are expressed on the thread, It's just that, here, in this community, it is okay to vioce them because everyone here understands and, unlike our families, co-workers, neighbors, store clerks, meter readers, phone solicitors at home, noone here thinks we are completely nuts when we obsess over a 2.3 degree temperature swing. Don't let the other's rattle you. Your temps look great, and you are doing fine.

Of course, if you need a

I'll be happy to oblige.........worked wonders for me!

 

[chick-among-us]

x 3!!

x 2. It will be ok, and we are all here for you.

Quote:

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I have been reading everyones worrries with their incubating. This is my first time setting eggs, and since I tend to overthink and over do EVERYTHING, I have made it a point with this activity to try and remain catiously clueless. I have my still air lg with temps between 99 and about 101, I filled the little water reserves almost all the way up and I havent touched them since. I peek in several times a day to make sure I am not cooking them, but I havent touched them (well, that is not ENTIRELY true. I slipped and extra egg in there from our own chickens just to see if it will do anything). Now I am starting to worry that I am keeping myself TOO clueless!!! ARGH!!!

WHAT IF I KILL THEM ALL?!?! What if it is too humid? Or not humid enough? MY GOODNESS!!! I definitely should have done my typical over-analyzing, overboard on research routine!!!!! WHAT HAVE I DONE!!!!!!!

Humidity really isn't a big deal until lockdown... unless you're so humid you're fogging up the inside of the bator I wouldn't worry about it.

If you kill them all, which I doubt you will, you'll try again until you get it right. The little eggs are pretty resilient.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Definitely a great day to get into the garden!!! What are you planting, if anything? Or is this just prep day?

Today probably cabbage, lettuces and carrots will go in. I hoed the garden up as soon as the snow melted in it and again last night. We tilled in a bunch of chicken poop last fall, and will probably till in some compost today. Unfortunately boyfriend is upstairs killing virtual things still, so I'm more than likely on my own today in the garden and will be hoeing instead of using the tiller. (I don't do well with power tools).

I've already got the extension cord pulled, and the heated water base, and all the little reflectors in the yard, driveway and chicken coop area put away. That is such a good feeling!

 

[Wisher1000]

Anna, seriously, you seem to be putting more stress on yourself because the chicks have already been promised. There is a reason that everybody knows the saying, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch." Tell the people that are expecting chicks that you are concerned that it may not be a successful hatch and to be prepared not to get chicks from you. This is completely true, they may not. On the other hand, you may have all the chicks you can handle and then some! At least if you tell them not to count on chicks, you will be less concerned about disappointing them. Do it, do it today! Tell them that you may not have chicks for them on Easter. Besides, you may not be willing to give up the little fuzz butts when they get here and will have to keep them all for yourself!

 

[chick-among-us]

one of My Entries for the Calendar "spring babies" ....silkie chicks

 

[Sphinx]

Sueg, I bet after you went in the house, the mare was all calling your front yard rooster a tattletale. LOL What was the damage when you went outside this morning?


Here is my obsessive incubation question for you experts:

The kids will be on spring break and the school will be closed from day 11 to day 19. The director has agreed to meet me at the school a few times to let me in so that I can add water and check on the eggs (not that there's much checking I can do). I'm contemplating taking the eggs home on day 10, and then bringing them back on day 19 so that way I don't have to inconvenience both the director and I by going in multiple times while the school is closed (I figure I'll need to add water every 3 days or so- that's how often the one little well goes dry). I have a brinsea mini advance, and it always goes right up to temp within 15 minutes. Drive is 15 minutes, so it wouldn't be a huge interruption if I did take them home. Should I leave them at the school for spring break, or take them home?

I feel that I do need to add water occasionally because the ambient humidity around here is only 20% or so, and if I keep one well of water in the incubator, that keeps the humidity in there around 30-35%.