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

[mrheinz77]

If you're up for a little adventure with Mahonri's 3rd Annual BYC Easter Hatch, why not sigh up for the March Egg Swap?

"My hens aren't laying" or "I don't have a rooster" are not good excuses for not to join. Buy a dozen eggs from somebody and have half sent to you and the other half to your partner.

Sign ups are open. Follow the link in my signature or check out the link in Mahonri's first post. I'm looking forward to this being the largest swap yet. Help spread the word.

 

[Mahonri]

If everyone will give mahonri's first post a thumbs up that should make it a top rated post on the byc home page.

I tried to give it a "thumbs up", but it doesn't give me permission....

 

[Mahonri]

Hi Dar,

I'm in!!! Just have to figure out what to set now! Probably EE's if I can get my hands on some more.

SO glad I'll be hatching YOUR eggs in my bator!!! LOL!!!

 

[Mahonri]

Welcome to our two newest members!!:

WhiteMountainsRanch &

chickaroo3

 

[Mahonri]

Dang I need more of these, my little Welsummer, Marilyn is just HQ, but I LOVE her speckled eggs!



Deb

Love the egg!

 

[CayuseRanch]

Thanks for all the great info. This hatch has really made me nervous for the Easter one. I may even do one more small test hatch beforehand. Let me also say that because I am so new I don't want to insinuate anything negative about the seller, this could be all me, I only thought non-fertile because of the two eggs without signs of fertility and intact yolks.

Mrheinz, I have wanted to do the swap but worried I wouldn't have enough eggs for my own, but I could buy some from our sat. Night poultry auctions! Great idea.

 

[Mahonri]

Thanks for all the great info. This hatch has really made me nervous for the Easter one. I may even do one more small test hatch beforehand. Let me also say that because I am so new I don't want to insinuate anything negative about the seller, this could be all me, I only thought non-fertile because of the two eggs without signs of fertility and intact yolks. Mrheinz, I have wanted to do the swap but worried I wouldn't have enough eggs for my own, but I could buy some from our sat. Night poultry auctions! Great idea.

Don't beat yourself up. Blame the post office.

 

[Grumpypantsmomma]

Don't beat yourself up. Blame the post office.

Yep the post office and anyone that handled them on their trip to you after they left the hands of the seller!

 

[Mahonri]

Ummmm, no. Not me.

Everything OK? You haven't posted in over 17 HOURS? Should we call someone near NV for a wellness check?

 

[CayuseRanch]

Renee, was there a link on sanding? How do you sand it down? love the cheat sheet! Everyone should read it. Also don't mention it to my hubby but I think I might want some orpington eggs! It wouldn't be a new breed necessarily just new Colors so that won't count. Maybe he wont notice hehehe.

I'm going to use cut and paste because it's easy and I'm lazy:
>>>>
Hiya! I use the same method for all of my own eggs, which is posted in my signature. When hatching shipped Marans, I'll sand them like this French Cuckoo Marans egg:

I only sand until I'm just through the color, and then I mist the eggs with betadine-water, mixed to the color of iced tea. This covers the contamination that could occur now that I've removed the bloom.

The idea is to promote evaporation to allow the chick to grow smaller than it would if it contained all of the moisture it started with. I have had too many chicks large enough that they couldn't pip or hatch properly- fully formed chicks that didn't make it at hatch. Once I started using this method (got it from an Emu farmer!) I have had significantly better success with shipped eggs. It doesn't seem to really be necessary with local eggs (my own) and I'm not certain why. When hatching in a really nice incubator, like a Sportsman or an rcom, it also doesn't appear to be necessary, but with most affordable models, it's a helpful method.

I do increase humidity at the end of my hatch, as per my Incubation Cheater, the same for Marans as for other eggs. My feeling is that if you have evaporated the proper amount during the first 18 days, you can't drown them with humidity at the end. Humidity merely prevents evaporation, it doesn't make eggs 'take-on' water.

This works well for me, but like most on BYC, I don't consider myself and egg-spert... I just like to share my egg-speriences to help anyone else who might be able to learn from them!

Good luck!!

<<<<

Egg-cellent idea!!

ChestnutRidge, thanks so much for the info- I'll go over all of my links and try to get it all fixed up. I know I've had several broken links already to fix...but I've got a boatload of stuff, so I'm sure that there's more! I appreciate the notice, though, or folks might never get to the info to help!

Cheers!!