MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

I sent a thank you note to Hanna and she just wrote back and said these two breeds hatch out very easily and most of them should make it out of the shell. So that's good to know. She also suggested giving Mary the eggs at night time, which is not something I'd heard of until now.

 

[BDutch]

Unboxing the eggs was a delight!

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@Perris you were asking about the colour of the Welsummer eggs. These seem quite dark to me. If a pullet hatches and goes on to lay eggs this colour, I'll be able to tell them apart from Katie's and she's the only other layer of dark brown eggs. And the choc orpington eggs are tiny!

Beautifully packed eggs!
Great colours too.
A price difference between my bought eggs and yours sure make sense.

 

[MaryJanet]

Beautifully packed eggs!
Great colours too.
A price difference between my bought eggs and yours sure make sense.

It was a very professional home business. The eggs were in a special insulated cupboard and there were biosecurity signs up to prevent people walking into the chicken area. I don't know how she packs the eggs that are sent through the post, but I imagine she does it very carefully and thoroughly.

 

[ManueB]

yes they look lovely. I don't know if you are as nerdy as me re: keeping records, but I like to weigh them before giving to the broody. I no longer monitor during the incubation, but it's a guide to what sort of size eggs any pullets that hatch from them might lay.

Also, I don't know if you've thought about this at all, but if the bantam eggs are significantly smaller, you may want to give them to Mary a day later than you give the Welsumers, to try to avoid a staggered hatch (big eggs take longer than small eggs; there's more material to generate). That advice is based just on what I've read in old handbooks on hatching; I've not had bantams myself and I try to set eggs of similar size because of said advice.

When Chipie sat with one bantam egg and five standard the bantam egg hatched a day early. Even though she hid the chicks for three days, we did see a little black head pointing out at day 20, so it was Merle. The three others chicks were yellow.

 

[Perris]

I'm not particularly interested in the weight of the eggs though. Eggs are mostly for my weekend breakfasts or to give away to family and friends, so no one cares how big they are.

It's to help chart development of the embryo (eggs lose weight during incubation if something is developing inside).

 

[MaryJanet]

It's to help chart development of the embryo (eggs lose weight during incubation if something is developing inside).

Oh I see. I think I'm ok to let nature take its course. I already feel too busy.

 

[MaryJanet]

When Chipie sat with one bantam egg and five standard the bantam egg hatched a day early. Even though she hid the chicks for three days, we did see a little black head pointing out at day 20, so it was Merle. The three others chicks were yellow.

Hopefully by giving the Welsummer eggs to Mary a day early, they will all hatch around the same time.

 

[Perris]

I think I'm ok to let nature take its course. I already feel too busy.

that's my approach too now - though I'm less busy now. And I think I know what's what now; that for me was part of the learning curve.

 

[MaryJanet]

Well, after another day of absence from home, I'm delighted to see another fresh broody poop. It's good to know she's getting up and doing her self-care.
Welsummer eggs tonight!

 

[BDutch]

Good luck.

My experience: Bantam eggs take 19 -20 (Dutch) or 20-21 (larger bantam eggs) days on average.
But even if you keep that in mind and mark the eggs, you can get a staggered hatch if eggs were not equally covered for a certain period.