**~~>>Second Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon<<~~**all poultry welcome!

[Arielle]

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Silly little duck laid two more eggs. Guess where they went when I didn't find any cracks? So that makes 4 duck eggs total. I swear I won't add any more.

Yahh, right!!

So I have 3 little turkey poults

I can't believe it it is the first 100% hatch rate yet(or 75% if you want to count the one egg that never developed) I can't wait for the next 4 to hatch next week! I haven't kept up very well with this thread so will try to do that.

Is it odd for turkeys to hatch 2 days early? I am pretty sure I did not miscount and I am pretty sure I had written down the correct dates. I was so worried when they started pipping almost 3 days early.

They hatched 24 hrs later, is that why they say put them in lockdown for 3-4 days early?

The poults are all different. I was told could be- Royal Palm, Blue Slate or Narganset cross. One is almost a solid yellow but in some places has very light silver tint-blue slate splash (not sure of the term in turkeys)or Royal Palm? . The other two look like a Naraganset poults when I looked up the pics but one has dark chocolate lines/spots and the other one has much lighter almost a grey brown lines/spots. Does this mean one is a hen and the other a tom? I guess I could just always ask the person I got them from.

Gosh they are just so darn cute I don't remember the meat turkeys ever being this darn cute and BTW what is up with no node on it's nose?? Never seen another breed of turkey poults except for the BBWs so all this is new to me. They also seem so fragile it took 2 days for them to find their legs. They are so quiet too. I have another pen of chicks who are a week older who are so LOUD and active, they are like mini adults putting shavings all in their food and water EVERYWHERE. I have never had such overactive chicks before! But this hatch is soooo QUIET! Just moseing around sleeping here and there not many peeps at all and no running at all. The quiet ones are now 3 days old I had two rocks hatch 5 days ago but they are in the NOISY pen! I have two extremes it's kind of funny to see it all. I am going to have to combine them next week I wonder what's going to happen. I wanted to wait untill all the new chicks and poults were able to run before putting them in with the "big boys". But they are so quiet and subdued. I am getting some day old chicks in a few days plus there is more hatching I might just leave them in the "hatchling" pen until next week maybe the other chicks will "teach" them how to run! I knew about haveing a teacher chick for eating and drinking but for running too? I wonder if maybe it has to do with the lighting even my super rambuntious "teacher" chick has really quieted and calmed down. The light in that brooder is redder and seems warmer even though it is at the same height as the other one.

I will take some pics tomorrow and try to load but no promises having some issues with my phone company so may not have internet tomorrow, but I will try to load pics! I will stop rambling he he

I put in a couple eggs that could be crosses, and will definitely be dinner. Determining breed by poult color is beyond me ! LOL Definitely looking for pics-- poults are cute in all colors.

Can't see anything on candle today.

Maybe later when I get home from work?

Keep trying!!

 

[yinepu]

Anybody here hatch quail eggs? The last few times I have set some I seem to have a bunch end up cracking and not developing. Does anyone that hatch these also have this problem? I'm sure they would do better with the proper trays (right now I am using egg flats with the bottom cut out). I wrapped cotton around them this time in hopes that it would improve the cracking problem, but it doesn't seem much better. I have a guy that ordered 100 quail and I only have 104 left over from 12 dozen eggs. I doubt I will end up with the 100 he wants, but hopefully I can come close.

Many times the quail eggs will have hairline cracks before you even set them since the shells are so delicate. So I always candle every one and TRY to patch the cracked ones.. it helps a lot and will give you a better idea of your hatch rate

I got my turkey eggs today! Thank you Arielle! First time for turkeys. So eggcited!

Question... I dry hatch, is that ok with turkeys? Its pretty dry here.

I always dry incubate turkeys.. it's recommended to start them dry and adjust humidity as air cell size or weight dictates.. then raise the humidity high at hatch.. info you need should be in my link below:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/turkey-incubation-and-hatching-guide

Does anyone dry hatch turkey eggs?

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I start everything out dry.. then as incubation progresses I adjust humidity as needed based on weight loss or air cell size growth

 

[yinepu]

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there's an air cell diagram in my linky for turkey hatching too

 

[wildriverswolf90]

Is it hatch day yet??? Huh? Huh?

 

[Arielle]

OK have to rant just a little. Have I said how much I LOVE living in Utah today? Pretty place but my goodness we lose power at the drop of a hat. We lost power yesterday evening for a few hours and now I am trying to get my bator back up to temps. I am going to be so mad if I lose this batch of eggs because Utah can't figure out how to keep the power on. When I lived in Maine as a kid we didn't lose power this much and that was back when all power lines were still above ground and many years ago. On top of that we have winds blowing and snow falling. So much for spring.

UGH!

I'm in Mass, and at the end of the line. WHenever the wind blew, the power went out. Happened so often loosing power once a month was normal!! Now a new line has been added from the other direction and we rarely lose power. Of course, we we lose power it is usually during hatching!!! We bought a power coverter to run the LG in the car if neccessary.

Learned so much from everyone last year! I'm a day behind but setting 5 doz turkey eggs today

it's a mixed bunch. Our toms are 2 bourbon reds, a sweetgrass cross and one I'm not sure what you'd call him but he's beautiful, he's a buff and slate color. Our hens are bourbon reds, slates, sweetgrass crosses, narragansetts. calico, black spanish, mottled and some other mixes. Can't wait to see what hatches! Have another 5 doz already in the incubator

Glad you are back! But 5 dozen = 5 dozen = crazy!!

Hope you ordered your straightjacket---

Oh, can it be...? I think I have a broody chicken! My first one. She has good timing for this hatchathon, but.... What do I stick under her? I have already blown my hatching egg budget for the month, really can't afford to extend it. As to the flock, I hadn't planned on collecting anytime soon since my duck-loving bantam Cochin is also a LF lover, too.

What to do, what to do... Hate to just leave her on the wooden dummies... Oh, if only all problems were this fun.

Yup, I finally had eggs to put under a broodie, and she quit being broody. I'm sure you can find her something good!!

Quote: Too cute!!! I cut up an old wool sweater for a cousin's puppy--- very chic in a once very expensive sweater.

 

[yinepu]

Is it hatch day yet??? Huh? Huh?

impatient?

lol.. need to send some emu eggs your way.. no way to candle them and they take around 55 days (give or take depending on bator temps)
now they will keep ya in suspense!

 

[Arielle]

Your eggs made it in perfect condition, Arielle, and my postal carrier even set the box upright on my porch so they had plenty of time to settle. Thanks!

Some carriers are GOOD! I pack turkey eggs with the air cells up and hope for the best!!

Btw Jim (mrheinz77) is shipping me Welsummer eggs today!!!!

safe and fast jouney!

I have a Chinese Crested/Terrier. She's a wonderful, albeit ugly, companion.




She wears a sweater most of the year, but we take it off when it hits 90* This is her next to our 30# cat.

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It's a method of sanding dark eggs for easier evaporation so the chicks aren't too big to hatch.

Thanks for reposting this !!

 

[Arielle]

YAY!

16 MW eggs arrived safely this morning! (LOVE the freckles.

) Letting them rest up a bit, then popping them in the 'bator. I'm told these guys often hatch a bit early, so I may still be on schedule for Cinco de Mayo.

6+ more turkeys and 12+ tutor eggs due to arrive Thursday.

LOVELY!!

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Nicely done.

Soooo I posted an ad on craigslist to sell some chicks. I got a call from a lady, she said she has 13 chicks she needs to find a home for. She bought them 2 weeks ago and now she is moving. I explained that I did not need any more chicks and that she should place an ad on CL. She did now know how, so I walked her through the CL part. We hung up. 10 minutes later she calls me back. I have been on the phone with her for 10 minutes trying to get her signed in to her Gmail account. At one point she was inputting her gmail information on CL. She is now on the Gmail account and can't find where it says to read her mail.


OK, I just hung up with her. The 2nd call was 42 minutes long, but she got her ad posted.

 

[Arielle]

I butchered a 9 month old from my last hatch in AUgust-- good size. SMells like Thanksgiving!! Long and slow 250 degree oven for a few hours.

Another is already in the stew pot: roasted and added garlic salt. Simple and yummy.

 

[Gardengirl73]

Just chickens? They are NEVER just chickens!
I want an incubator that holds that many eggs!!

Make sure to keep them under the brooder light and don't let them run around with the older chicks. I made that mistake with my first two and lost them both. They are still babies and not as likely to keep themselves at the right temp or sleep when they need it (like chicks do.) If I had younger chicks hatching, I think I would swap them out and keep the newest chicks in with the poults all the time.


My palm is twitching.....

I would love to have some of those!

I totally agree. I love my chickens! I did add the amazing however.