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

[ChooksChick]

*giggles*
What are you going to do when it is 40 pounds and wants to crawl in there?

Yeah...my guess is it will be satisfied climbing in my lap under a draped arm like my hens...who like to be under my 'wing.'

I hope...

Java, "Git r done" is southern for "Great idea, please do so at your eariliest convenience."

I had planned to go to work today, because I felt much better yesterday afternoon, but when DH woke me at 6:00am I just couldn't make it. So, I'm home to tweak the bator all day!

I had the bator holding steady at 99 for two days then I put in the tray, wire, and turners. Now, it is holding steady at 100. I figured the extra mass in the bator will hold heat enough to just bump the temp over the 100 mark or that increasing the humidity did it. I am going to ease it back down a smidge to try to recover the 99 reading, but will the same thing happen when I put the eggs in? Do I readjust at that time? If so, is trying to calibrate without all the stuff (equipment and eggs) just a waste of time?

I think I will lose my noodle before this is over! This may be worse than being pregnant!

REMEMBER, EVERYONE:

A hen's body temp is 102*-103*

You aren't going to kill your eggs that easily. 101* won't even do it unless it's very prolonged. Stability is the name of the game. Get your temps to stabilize NOW, and don't touch the knob for 24-48 hours after you set the eggs. You'll have a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs and really risk the eggs. If you have room, add gravel or marbles or something as a heat ballast for stability. That will keep swings from being as effective if you have an LG or Lcheapo.

I have my F1 projects penned, and they are laying like crazy. Do you want me to send you those eggs, even though it has not been a full 3 weeks?

The chicks can be any of these (see pictures of the F2s):
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, Serif][FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, Serif]Barred;Black;Delaware;Split gold/silver males;Buff Columbian; Barred Buff Columbian & Silver Columbian (the last will be pullets) in the ratios 18:6:3:2:1:1:1[/FONT][/FONT]

Yes, ma'am! I'd be grateful as can be! I'll pm you.


So, I have all of the eggs that are supposed to go out for the hatchalong and as purchases listed and egg-boxes (some not full yet) all over my table. It's full. I'm sending out 14 boxes with 4 days' eggs today and tomorrow. There are a few that are going to require the girls to really get it in gear to get me what I need, but overall, it looks great. I'm getting about 4 doz a day now, and it's looking great!

Just so everyone knows, I don't wash my eggs. If they arrive gross, it's because the rain and whatnot prevailed regardless of my efforts, and I love you, so I'm letting you decide to wash them or not. If I have enough to substitute clean eggs, I will...if not, and you get dirty eggs, sorry.

I was really hoping for a pea egg today...not yet.

 

[kathyinmo]

I am not shipping out my eggs until Wednesday.

 

[NotAFarm]

I wanted to send mine with DH to work tomorrow but the hens are being fickle. The two hens with chicks seem to be infecting affecting the others.......I've gotten fewer eggs in the two breeder pens since the second group hatched and I started collecting on Saturday.

I had to take two off the nests in the Dreki pen at lock-up time last night.

We'll see what they end the day with....and it rained last night and this morning so now we have muddy feet to contend with.....like Renee...I do not wash eggs...they aren't bad...just not as clean as I'd like them to be! Don't worry though, Mahonri, you'll be getting a dozen minimum!!

 

[kvmommy]

The turkey eggs fell through. I figured I'd wait on ordering my eggs from Gabbard farms till Sunday so they wouldn't be here early and they won't be able to send it til the 14th. I got a dozen from crazypetlady at least!!!

 

[Lady Chickadee]

I sure wish there were more entries for this contest! *hint-hint-hint*


2. Kathyinmo's

"Holiday Poultry" Calendar Photo Contest
The goal is to make a poultry and holiday themed calendar. Submit your poultry related holiday pictures - all ranges of poultry age accepted. You will need to submit your photos on this thread as well as PM them to kathyinmo. Submission of your picture(s) to this thread and to kathyinmo means that you are giving permission to use your photo in a calendar printing. Photos must be taken by you, the entrant. Contest runs until Easter.
Limit of 3 entries per person. Photos can be seen HERE.
Prize: A calendar (made from the photos, if we have enough entries [12 months] to make one!)

Here is my entry for Easter:

 

[HortonFarms]

I have eggs coming from three different people. I only have one bator, and I've never done a staggered hatch. Isn't it hard with only 1 bator? So do I wait until I have received all eggs, or put them in as I receive them? Living in Oregon, I asked people to mail by Monday, because the mail service usually takes at least a day longer to get here than it should and I wanted to able for them to rest a day.

Suggestions please.

This may be a non-issue as I haven't received any yet, but I know one batch is on i'ts way.

If you have tracking numbers to compare, I would try to wait and set at once. If not, I would do a staggered hatch. I have had a staggered hatch going since Mid-January and I do not do anything different really. (instead of opening the bator for a few minutes daily, I get egg cartons ready and pull out all eggs not in lockdown and let them set for about 5-10 min, then put them back. I also hand turn all of my eggs so i'm not sure how you would do if you have an auto-turner.

 

[HortonFarms]

OK, so now the next question..... If we have to set early are they going to be part of the hatch-a-long? (for contests and such as well)

 

[countrygirl911]

hi everyone so far the egg count is 42 if i can win this auction that ends tomorrow i can double that that will make it 2 incubators going now if i get a few extra that i do not have room for how do i stach the eggs to keep them from mooving and getting messed up my turners only holds 42 each. all eggs will be silkies also when i get the eggs and candle them how to you tell if the air cell is messed up and the eggs are scrambled

 

[ChooksChick]

Is anyone else having issues with the Click-n-Ship at USPS? I've been getting errors on the last step prior to payment for 2 days, and I even tried with a brand new account. This is really irking me.


Internal Error : We've experienced an unexpected condition.
Error Tracking Number : 1331589390404






Of course I can't get a response out of them for days...

 

[superchemicalgirl]

SCG, Mom says she uses the canned paste like you can get for Kolache filling and augments it with seeds. She sometimes makes it like a Povitica prior to pasting it. Then it ends up super layered and wonderful.

When she said that, it reminded me we have a place here in Kansas City called Strawberry Hill that is like a little Croatia where you can get all kinds of Slavic stuff. There's a Strawberry Hill Povitica Co. that makes Povitica (poh-vi-teet-zuh) and ships it all over the country, in different flavors...including poppy seed. Mom says the trick with Povitica is you're supposed to pull the dough thin enough to see through, over the whole table.

It's an amazing dessert bread, and is really incredible to try.


Edited to add a blog post that has links to a BUNCH of recipes.

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am going to have to give it another go with a slightly different recipe.

Nothing was in my trap today, mostly because I ran out last night to close it so I didn't catch any skunks overnight... then forgot to open it back up this morning. Certainly not going to catch Woody II like that. Crap.

It was 65 degrees here today, folks. That's heaven.