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

[CayuseRanch]

Egg Art Contest, entry #2...............

HOLY COW! Kathy you are amazing!

 

[twentynine]

Working 12 hour shift days 0430 to 1630 tomorrow and Thursday. Went to lockdown this afternoon, with 30 BSL eggs. Keeping up the positive vibrations, I purchased a sack of starter/grower. Checked the brooder over made sure heat lamps, feeders, waterers are all ready.

 

[Wisher1000]

Egg Art Contest, entry #2...............

Wow!

 

[Mahonri]

Mahonri, is your dialup at home? If so, how are you going to post at all hours of the night?

My dial up was at the office. That's why I'm so happy about it.

 

[Wisher1000]

Oh. well, congrats!

 

[Razadia]

So I've already PMed this to crazypetlady, but here's my story for the contest. I don't much like it, but I am my worst critic after all.

The Problem With Poultry​

They were pressing in from every direction. Chickens, turkeys, guineas, and all kinds of water fowl. It seemed like there was no escape. Almost like there was no way out. Just when Carly thought the mass exodus of feathered creatures would surly end her life the doorbell rang.

I sighed and put my book down to go answer the door. It’s not like Poultry Masses was a very good book anyway. Most of the words were used wrong and the form of writing was terrible. However, I didn’t have time to ponder how terrible the book was as my neighbor was at the door, sputtering about rabid chickens. Could chickens even catch rabies?

I knew right away who the elderly woman was getting so upset over. My Rhode Island Red rooster, aptly named Red, was currently terrorizing a car. A few of the girls had followed the crafty rooster out into the front yard, but Red was my only real concern.

I apologized profusely to my elderly neighbor and promised her I would personally fix any scratches Red’s spurs left behind. This rooster was starting to cost me and I suspected it was becoming high time I sent him off to freezer camp.

I firmly shut the door on my way out, signaling to my neighbor that it was time for her to retreat back to her porch while I dealt with the unruly roo. Red was facing a primered door of the car which utterly confused me. He wasn’t attacking his reflection this time.

I watched as he spurred bottom of the door again and briefly wondered if he was imagining it was another rooster. Well, that’s what I thought until I saw the grey and black ringed tail under the car. Red was after a raccoon that had threatened his girls. Traps would be set out and another few locks added to the coop door.

I promptly scooped Red up and called the girls to follow. It would be a long night of trying to trap the offending creature and didn’t want any of my chickens to disappear. I suppose it was time to borrow my cousin’s live trap and teach my crazy rooster a lesson in the process.

It seemed that the problem with poultry was that they had no middle ground. Either they were extremely sweet or they aggravated you with their need to box with everything. Even if it was their own reflection.

 

[BBAcres]

So some of my eggs are completely dark aside from the air sac. I'm just assuming they are good. And then I have some that are not dark except for a small area where I can see the baby and I see it moving. So I know it's alive and thriving. But it just seems like a lot of liquid in there. Do they just double in size the last few days or is something wrong???

 

[moetrout]

Ok, I'm in lock dow with 24 eggs! I started the evening of March 16th. It's been about an hour and my temp is not back up to where it should be. I've started charting the progress so I don't rely on memory. I have an LG with pc fan. Can anyone tell me how long it might take to get back to the proper temp? Is it normal to have to adjust the temp control up due to the added humidity? I have to get this leveled out tonight because I am headed to Chicago for business and won't be back until Thursday evening.

For anyone interested I will be turning on my hatch cam probably starting Friday morning. If anything happens before then I'll turn it on early. You can check it out here:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/trout-farm

It's going to be on for a while this evening as I play around with it.

I haven't really candled at all so it's a mystery as to what may or may not be hatching. Either my eggs are too thick, dark, or my flash light sucks......heck maybe it's all off those? Anyway, I have just mainly been smelling for stinkers and watching for any weepers. My hygrometers suck. One is currently reading 56% and the other 81%. I'm thinking the 56% one is most accurate. I am just aiming for high himidity and trying not to obsess too much on the exact specifics.

 

[happyhensny]

I am confused. I see quite a few hatchers starting "lockdown" today. We aren't supposed to do that until tomorrow right?

 

[kathyinmo]

I am confused. I see quite a few hatchers starting "lockdown" today. We aren't supposed to do that until tomorrow right?

You are correct.