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

[Arielle]

I am the only one here!!! WHere is everyone? IT's only 5:30 am, I was hoping west coast might still be up.

 

[SunnyDawn]

I'm barely here. Falling asleep on my keypad... had to retype this 5 times... zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[twentynine]

I'm here. CDT 0447.

Working day shift, eggs went into the incubator, before I left home this morning, at 0330.

 

[Mahonri]

I woke up because pain and MN called.

I know I'll be stressing when the temp goes down in the bators when I add eggs today.... but it's a natural part of the hatch.

I've got to remember to take pics.

Then the longest 21 days of spring begin.

 

[Mahonri]

I'm here. CDT 0447.

Working day shift, eggs went into the incubator, before I left home this morning, at 0330.

 

[kathyinmo]

5AM here. Two more hours and I can clock out and go home.

I will be setting 294 eggs in my Sportsman...... at noon!

 

[java girl 2]

I am the only one here!!! WHere is everyone? IT's only 5:30 am, I was hoping west coast might still be up.

I am up and I'm NOT happy about it !!!!!!!!!! been sick for a few days with a sore throat and runny nose and last night I lost my voice!!!!!!!!!!

can't talk, when I need to I have to use my hands !!!!!!!! I AM FREAKING OUT!!!!!!!

does anyone know if drinking black tea with lemon juice and honey will make you lost the voice one has. I was told that for a sore throat to drink this mix.

 

[Arielle]

say this joke in your best Irish accent.

Why do the Irish only put 239 beans in their Irish Bean Soup?

Because if they put one more it would make it Two Farty!

My 8 and 9 yr old boys will love this one. Nothing gets them laughing like boy jokes.

ok, I have a Q. I have a 31 x 31 inch sq size box that is 11 1/2 inchs high that I am using for my incubater, here is my Q. how much water do I need to put in ?? and what should I put the water in ?? oh, and it has a fan in it as well.

I dry hatch and usually add water only at lockdown. If you have the floorplace, simply a bowl of water as I use in my homemade incubator. If you don't have the floor space, pehaps you can form a pocket out of a piece of heavy foil or ziplock bag and place a wet sponge in it. For the ziplock, cut the front down but leave a deep pocket to hold the sponge upright. Foil can be formed into the same shape. Place against a wall and attach securely.

Ok. I bought a hygrometer from walmart on day 2-3 and put it in and it said it was at about 28% humidity. BUT it was a cheap one and I was looking at all of them on the shelf and all 5 of them said something different. So I found 2 that were almost the same and picked one... don't know if I picked the right one or not lol.

Even if the eggs I put in later don't hatch I'm fine with that. My husband and son forced me to put the first egg from our hens in and replace one that was already in. (didn't know about stacking at the time) They really didn't care if it was fertile or not... just that we "gave it a shot" lol. My son almost cries when I put one of their eggs in the fridge and my hubby thinks its crazy. I have no drake so every day a duck egg goes in the fridge and I have to explain to my son why it will be a year until we can incubate one of her eggs. *sigh* I'm not going to lie I'm excited about hatching them out myself but I can wait if I need to. My son would be thrilled if one of our eggs hatched though.

I hope nature is super forgiving with me, I have a feeling I'm going to need it with this hatch lol.

Hatching eggs can be challenging. I have 2 boys and live on a farm, they see everything. I don't lie to them either. More the truth is modified to the language my child will understand. I'm hoping this will leave the door open when they are tweens and I need to have "the talk" in ernest.

I have bought most of my hatching supplies from Walmart, cheap can work just fine. Do a litle more research on the devices for RH, some are better than others and can be tested with the slushy salt method. I dry hatch, but keep track with a hydrometer, too. GL

i thought the humidity is suppose to be higher on days 1 theu 18 like around 55 to 55 then on 19 thru 21 hummidity should ne arounf 60 to 65

THe eggs need to lose 14% of its weight in water. THe air cell gets bigger and bigger. I read ChooksChicks cheat sheet and had a first good hatch. I go for 30-35% but I don't add water and the range is really 20-40 as my LG follows ambient RH.

Incubation Cheat Sheet - BackYard Chickens Community

Diagrams of air cells, duck and chicken:
http://www.poultryconnection.com/quackers/aircell.html

 

[Mahonri]

294!
HOLY COW!

That's a huge flock of chickens!!!

 

[Mahonri]

I am up and I'm NOT happy about it !!!!!!!!!! been sick for a few days with a sore throat and runny nose and last night I lost my voice!!!!!!!!!!

can't talk, when I need to I have to use my hands !!!!!!!! I AM FREAKING OUT!!!!!!!

does anyone know if drinking black tea with lemon juice and honey will make you lost the voice one has. I was told that for a sore throat to drink this mix.

So sorry you are not feeling well. Diluted warm lemon juice with honey is very soothing. When I have a soar throat, I gargle with warm salt water....

Hope you are feeling better soon!