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

[ChestnutRidge]

Great link, kellyn!

Just to be clear ... I do a lot of it by the seat of my pants. You can get away with a lot. It really doesn't have to be perfectly 75% humidity.

I actually keep mine in the bathtub. I have a sliding glass door that closes off the shower and tub from any heat, so it tends to be a moist 50-60 degrees.
But, of course, we have to move them when we take showers...

Nothing to report yet.....
Here is Duva (Icelandic for Dove) hunkered down on her eggs ( and they are all still eggs, I hope I didn't kill the little pipper when I moved them last night) in her flower pot nest.

Duva

She looks like a determined little dove.

 

[ChestnutRidge]

The Most INGENIOUS Chicken Design Contest will begin next Saturday! Start photographing your designs - or getting them built if they are still in the idea phase!

I started readying a page to list them all for the vote. I will do my best to not miss any entries, but you may want to PM me if yours is missing or just in case. I used Wisher's feeder as a test subject to make sure I had my kinks worked out.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/most-ingenious-chicken-design-contest-easter-2012

 

[ChestnutRidge]

http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

take a look at this! it's helpful to know what develops and when, when hatching eggs, i think.

Wow! Actually, this is an AWESOME site! There is cool math data, MRI images on most days of development (seems to be 1-16), and detailed information and images for each day.

 

[ronott1]

I will see if I can get it.

Ron

Hi All,

Aveca sent me her notes for hatching shipped eggs. If this works and a lot of us use it with our shipped eggs, the hatch ratio contest will be out of bounds this time

Here it is--Remember, these instructions are for shipped eggs:

it says allow eggs to sit 12 - 24 hrs in a place where if they are cool , they can warm up slowly. leave them after carefully unwrapped upright inside cartons and close lid so they will not warm up too quickly. eggs that warm too quickly , or cool too quickly are shocked . causes lower hatch rate.one of the reasons shipped eggs do not fare well..slow cooling and heateing give better success. cool eggs can remain in cool area, remember warm very slowly, do not ever shock shipped eggs or any egg by throwing it in the incubator , this causes condensation on the inside of the cool egg and bactieria begin to grow and kill the egg. always warm eggs slow;ly,.... try to keep already warm eggs stable, do not allow those to take sudden chill. never be inpatient to get eggs in incubator.warm eggs that take a sudden drop in temps will kill the developing germ. even in late development.

you should have your incubator up and running days befor they arrive and be stabalized.

place eggs upright carefully in turner trays or cartons if hand turning.

allow shipped hatching eggs to sit upright position in incubator with egg turner off for 7 - 10 days , this allows air cell to stabalize and give the germ time to organise and get a healthy start without constantly being moved disturbing delicate vessels and cell formation. shipped eggs most likley suffered some damage, constantly disturbing this formation will give lower hatchs.

depending on damage, turn your egg turner on day 7 and allow eggs to be turned for the last part of incubation. this excercises the embryo and prevents the embryo from laying in an area where waste product inside the eggs collects, helps circulation and proper development.

Run your humidity lower than recomended to help air cells to dry down and helps in healing.unless eggs are coming from very arid regions where the cells start out larger due to rapid evaporation.

do NOT lay shipped eggs down on thier sides in most cases during lockdown. it is best to sit these in slightly cut down paper cartons... do not use styro cartons as they heat and release chemicals that can be toxic. cutting the side of the carton down just a little ensures pipping can occur without running into carton wall.

sometimes befor or during shipment conditions are right for the germ to begin to develope, this is the most delicate time for a hatching egg. and the time when most are damaged ..tiny blood vessels are beginning to form, and cells are deviding and organizing , and being shocked with sudden temp changes and shaking .so dont beat yourself up if all of your shipped eggs do not hatch, more than air cell damage , the germ itself became disorganized and cannot re build itself. that is why the freshest shipped eggs are most desirable. you will get a larger percentage to hatch using this method and conditions in your incubator are correct. it is so worth it to buy from a good breeder. often it just isnt possible to drive across the country just to pick up some eggs or birds so try this method and happy hatching,

remember post office personel are not trained in handeling these products , thier job is just to move item place to place..hopefully there was not a drastic temp change or prolonged air flights in sub freezing cargo in low 02, 30 thousand ft plane ride

Thanks to aveca! Send her a pm

Ron

 

[rarely bored]

Oh! Caught up!!! Seems like a daily ritual.

Enjoy the moose tales... makes the two ducks which flew over my head this morning seem rather dull.

Oh wait, it was since I didn't have my glasses on. Just a flying blur that honked.

Starting to panic over which hens eggs I'll set. I want to use the pullet eggs so bad (cuz I like my pullets...) but they are on the small side.

Guess I should get to cleaning up the pens... have 4H poultry here tomorrow. Sadly, the house must be considered a pen, without the ability to use a pitchfork in it. Sure would be easier if I could move the boys mess with a pitchfork.

Clean the bathroom with a high pressure hose - now, that would be awesome!

 

[NotAFarm]

Thanks aveca!! and Ron for getting and posting this! Very helpful info.

 

[Farmerboy16]

Thanks aveca!! and Ron for getting and posting this! Very helpful info.

X2!

 

[ronott1]

I will tell my sister of your compliment, for the hand is indeed hers.

Also, my only rooster went to freezer camp a month ago and my hens are still laying fertile eggs. If they lay enough during the next week, I might have enough extra to hatch some miracle babies for Easter!

Yes

When I was growing up on the farm in the 60's and the 70's, my Dad said the rooster had to "visit" the hen once a month-that the sperm was held by the hen fro that long. I was surprised when I read a post that said they were fertile for 5 days. I thought maybe my Dad was wrong(he rarely was) or that something else had changed with chickens since then.

Great to hear.

Ron

 

[ronott1]

Double Post

 

[BostonBryce]

Hey, try to queeze in some time and stop by... I'm 2 blocks off Highway 260 when you first come into Heber.
Corner of Buckskin Canyon Rd. and Memorial park Rd. cell-602-703-6547

"DW and I are headed to Snowflake with a couple of our neighbors to a wedding there... 7 hours of driving (there and back) is a lot in one day, but it's good to get out and see friends. "