Maine

[mckenney]

How do I get NPIP certified? Does it cost anything? Pros and cons?

 

[Wee Acre Farm]

How do I get NPIP certified? Does it cost anything? Pros and cons?

Unless you plan on selling birds it is not really nessasary. Because the testers are not paid by the state the normal charge is $25 and then they charge the going rate for gas mileage. I am NPIP because I sell hatching eggs and chicks.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Well... just witnessed one of the most disgusting things yet! One of my rocks just pooped a 4-inch roundworm. Gag! Wazine is my best bet, right?

 

[mckenney]

Unless you plan on selling birds it is not really nessasary. Because the testers are not paid by the state the normal charge is $25 and then they charge the going rate for gas mileage. I am NPIP because I sell hatching eggs and chicks.

I was thinking about starting to breed and sell at some point. After stumbling across marans, I've found it's hard to get good quality and may try to get more up here.

 

[TAMMACLEAN]

I've been thinking about becoming NPIP certified as well. It is hard to find really nice birds. I have hatchery birds right now as well as some very pretty silkies. But I had to have my silkie eggs mailed to me. I couldn't find any that were close by.

 

[Wee Acre Farm]

When I started with my Buckeyes 3 years ago, there were only hatchery stock available. I sent to Ohio to a well known breeder and to Minnesota to another breeder and acquired some really good lines. I had no choice but to order hatching eggs at the time but last year was able to get chicks sent to me. It is hard to find good lines unless you know someone who knows someone who knows someone if you know what I mean.

I have a good flock now and still working to improve. Npip helps in selling but at times it prohibits buying eggs or birds unless they are Npip also.

 

[quailtrail]

So setting my eggs. ..well about to and found my humidity dropped to 20%...I added a smaller Sq of a sponge with more water AND moved the guage now its 50%...Not sure if its reading different levels in a different place or its too much water. I will remove the added sponge and see....

BUT as I was doing this I had my son check for eggs as there was none earlier which is weird as we have been getting 4-5/day... one of the girls greeted him amd moved enough to see she was sitting on them!!!??? She's almost a yr...could she really be broody? ??? She's my sweetest girl who lets me easily pick her up any where to check her out...

 

[lazy gardener]

Quail Trail: It's possible that she is broody. That would be super sweet if she set eggs the same time you incubated. That's like having a double insurance policy. If she stays on the nest for 2 days and 2 nights, I'd give her some fertile eggs to work with.

are you doing a dry hatch? If so, I wouldn't let 20% stop you from setting those eggs. Are they from your own flock? How many do you have?

I just candled all of my eggs, and have 18/28 that are showing some good veining, some more noticeable than others. They are randomly placed throughout the incubator, which is a good indication that the warm/cool spots are not problematic. This is actually the end of day 6, so I may see some more eggs pass the test in a couple of days. The temps seem to be holding much steadier with the incubator full this time, compared to last spring when I only set 6 eggs.

 

[lazy gardener]

Quail Trail: It's possible that she is broody. That would be super sweet if she set eggs the same time you incubated. That's like having a double insurance policy. If she stays on the nest for 2 days and 2 nights, I'd give her some fertile eggs to work with.

are you doing a dry hatch? If so, I wouldn't let 20% stop you from setting those eggs. Are they from your own flock? How many do you have?

I just candled all of my eggs, and have 18/28 that are showing some good veining, some more noticeable than others. They are randomly placed throughout the incubator, which is a good indication that the warm/cool spots are not problematic. This is actually the end of day 6, so I may see some more eggs pass the test in a couple of days. The temps seem to be holding much steadier with the incubator full this time, compared to last spring when I only set 6 eggs.

Wee Acres: Where are you in relation to Winterport? I thought Buckeyes had a rose comb. Interesting. Perhaps, in an other year, if you're selling, I might like to pick up a few eggs from you.

 

[quailtrail]

@lazy gardener yes my own eggs...14 of them.. tomorrow will tell with her crazy huh???