*** OKIES in the BYC ***

[al6517]

Quote:
We have our fridge set to be about 45 deg. Keeps things good and I have had good hatches from the eggs. Whether I want to eat them or hatch them they are ready either way.

I have a friend that uses a wine cooler to store her eggs in, controlled temp and humidity too.

Now here is my disclaimer. What works for me may not work for you and even from year to year your hatching program will take a litte treaking due to the outside weather and other factors like feed quality and the health of the breeders. But it won't take long to zero in on the variables and correct problems.

Les I think that's right on various factors, I have found as we have discussed last year, proper feed when your planning to breed and hatch is paramount to good hatches. Ever since I began feeding for better fertility and egg cell deelopment my hatches have gone through the roof.

 

[nocityboy]

Al has a discaimer also I see.LOL

Al did you see my post about my boss letting me have next Fri. off. I will be on call the weekend after that and it is the weekend Blanchard has what they call May Days. The south part of Main st. is shut down south of the hiway and venders and a carnival will be there.

 

[al6517]

My last 3 hatches I went to 12 day's collecting eggs and they still did good, but I am not going to push it past that. 7 day's is the acceptable limit.

 

[nocityboy]

I have been feeding Nutrena 16%, that is about all I have found around here. Can you recomend something better?

 

[momma_raven]

Morning everyone, Happy Mother's Day!

I have a question about incubating...

I borrowed a Little Giant incubator and turner from the local extension office. I started 2 dozen guinea eggs in it yesterday. Then when I was getting caught up on posts, I saw that some don't like the Little Giant incubator and says it doesn't hold steady temperature. Now...here's my question. I went to the storage building after I read this yesterday and my DH helped me empty it out until we found an old incubator that my Mom gave me several months ago that was my Grandmother's. It is a Hova-Bator. That is the brand that someone mentioned works best. So... should I regulate the Hova-Bator and switch the eggs over to it? It does not have an automatic turner like the L.G. but I know how to mark and turn them...I would greatly appreciate some input on this because I am getting 2 more dozen guinea eggs today that I am going to add to the mix and I would like for as many as possible to hatch.

Thanks!

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Yes I did Jim, that's great I will look forward to seeing you there on Friday to lend me a hand with set-up. Shoot me a pm and let me know when you will be there. I gotta pick up a butt load of tables and chairs with my trailer in Lawton Friday Morning. then I have been recruiting help for Friday to anyone who will coming in on Friday.

 

[nocityboy]

I will be grtting some eggs at POOPS that I don't want to gamble on with me hatching them, was wondering if someone more experienced at hatching would be willing to hatch them for me.

 

[nocityboy]

Quote:
Yes I did Jim, that's great I will look forward to seeing you there on Friday to lend me a hand with set-up. Shoot me a pm and let me know when you will be there. I gotta pick up a butt load of tables and chairs with my trailer in Lawton Friday Morning. then I have been recruiting help for Friday to anyone who will coming in on Friday.

Okracefan has some chairs he gave Peaches that have not been picked up I can deliver them too if needed, around 20 if I remember right.

 

[nnbreeder]

Now here is an opinion that will get everyone in an uproar. LOL

Eggs from show stock and pure lines are often harder to hatch then mutt birds.

In the course of a flock's life the hen will select the rooster that she will mate with if she has a choice. She can see things, traits, in the rooster that we can't. When breeding for show we breed for body type and color while the flock hen is choosing for the best survivability of her chicks. She is looking for the strongest, biggest and most healthy rooster.

We try to make the same choices when setting up trios or quads for breeding but can't see what a hen does.

If you have a low hatch rate from a pen you may want to swap birds around and try again.

There is a trick that you can use to tell which eggs came from which hens but I have never tried it. Use food coloring, three or four drops just inside of the vent of the hen will mark the eggs for about three days. Use a colored leg band to corrispond to the dye.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Yes I did Jim, that's great I will look forward to seeing you there on Friday to lend me a hand with set-up. Shoot me a pm and let me know when you will be there. I gotta pick up a butt load of tables and chairs with my trailer in Lawton Friday Morning. then I have been recruiting help for Friday to anyone who will coming in on Friday.

Okracefan has some chairs he gave Peaches that have not been picked up I can deliver them too if needed, around 20 if I remember right.

Can you haul the chair's ?? or are they already there ??.

What kind of egg's are you getting at POOPS that are so valuable that you don't want to risk hatching ??.