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

[wolftracks]

Humidity was way to high, so I had just a tiny gap in a window. Of course then it went way to low.

The one with the turkeys in it are still the same, but no progress.

Okay now, that's two shots of my posterior in the last 10 posts.

I think we've all seen enough.

My "coming home" story isn't that great... I have a strict no dog policy here.

While I was gone BF's friends showed up with two dogs and two cats.

They let the dogs run rampant all over the house (including into many rooms that I don't even allow my own cats to go into) and their dogs slept on my sisters handmade quilt. It was covered in dog hair, mud and what looked like oil. It seems to have survived the gentle cycle of the wash well enough, let's hope that got the stains out.

I have probably 5 more loads of laundry for all the sheets and blankets that their animals slept all over... and I need to finish vacuuming and then mop because there was also fecal accidents on the floor. I've been cleaning for hours. Not exactly what I wanted to come home to. It would have been much better had they confined the animals to the "main" part of the house, where my cats are allowed. Then I wouldn't have to do so much cleaning.

Good thing BF is over their house helping them unpack and setting up their washer/dryer for them. He does not need to be here to hear my kvetching.

If it really is oil or grease and didn't come out, use Simple Green. I started using it for everything over 30 years ago and the main reason was when I learned about it from my mechanic BIL. My sister washed his clothes in it to get the grease out.

Fourth tutor chick is out.

Come ON, Turkeys!

This is THE first Hatch in which I have started to hover over the incubator.

A couple of days ago, I lost the BBB hen I purchased as a potential partner for last year's CdM solo surviving poult. I suddenly discovered her with a horrendously prolapsed vent and could not save her. Felt like an absolutely terrible flock mistress and really wasn't able to talk about it until today.

Of course, she was my favorite and friendliest turkey hen. Sarge, the MW tom will miss her too - she was his favorite turkey stand. If'n you know what I mean...

Awww Linda I'm so sorry. It's always the ones we're the closest to. I hate that. But I know for a fact that she had to be a happy bird living with you, so don't even think that it was your fault. Those things happen and we can't save them all. I hope you find him a nice girl friend.

Definitely an Ameraucana. Hatched from the same big blue egg as the blackish gray Am. Has just a hint of grayish to the legs. Big and gorgeous! Poofy cheeks and all. I'm trying to post a pic, but the upload keeps failing. Hopefully some time tonight.

Still waiting

Looooove splashes! Good info Thanks!

Now I've excited. I have some of those eggs under a broody!!!

 

[wolftracks]

I have a question.

Sticky chicks = to high humidity or to low humidity???

 

[chicken pickin]

Hatch complete. 5 turkeys eggs went into lockdown, 4 hatched, 1 pipped but died in shell.

 

[HEChicken]

Went out to check on the broody and she was no longer on the eggs and they were cold. I took the two that I thought had hope and put them in the bator, just for kicks but I'll be removing them Tuesday if they haven't hatched.

So. no naked necks for me.

Oh, so sorry. I did wonder if she would stay put long enough as my experience with broodies is they'll continue to sit for 24-36 hours after hatch but they suddenly reach a point they think its time to get the chicks up and moving and they'll just suddenly abandon the nest. I hope you found them in time for them to hatch in the incubator.

THat's why I have muscovy .

THe noise from the turkeys and the chickens is bad enough.

Me too! When I heard that Muscovy don't quack, I was in.

I am so sad. 1 out of 5 hatched. I think the cold spell in the hatcher did them in.

Well, temp spiked to 106, then I pulled out the plugs, and it dropped to 96. :/ If I have ANY hatch it will be a miracle. No pips, but they aren't due until tomorrow, and I've had really wonky temps so I'm still holding out hope, and am prepared for a possible late hatch.

Throw those plugs away - they shouldn't have been in there in the first place

. The good news is that a temp spike to 106 doesn't necessarily mean nothing will hatch. The thermometer is measuring the air temperature, but it takes a lot longer for the internal temperature of the eggs to be the same as the air temperature, so chances are you got to it before they got too hot.

Linda, so sorry about your BBB

SCG and dsqard, those are some great pics - looks like you had a good time.

Well, I finally [finally!] have a pip! These are my CdM Royal Palm turkey eggs that I set the morning of Apr 7th, timing them to hatch on CdM and NOW I have one pip. I started these eggs in the incubator, then moved them under a broody duck sometime in their first week. Since her duck eggs hadn't hatched, I was going to leave them under her and let her hatch them but on Friday night she had one duckling hatch, a whole week late, so I quickly grabbed the eggs and put them in my incubator. I had to discard one that was a stinker, put 7 eggs in to hatch and could see movement in all of them but had no internal pips until late yesterday. Now I finally have an external pip. We've had some uncommonly cold weather this spring for our area so I'm thinking that slowed them down, since they were under a broody so subject to swings in temp they wouldn't have had if they'd stayed in the incubator the whole time. Since I was seeing movement on candling, I've been determined to leave them alone and wait but even I was starting to doubt so I'm relieved to see something starting to happen

 

[SilkieSensation]

Quote: Blue x Blue gives you Blue, black or Splash

Second Annual Cinco De Mayo Turkey Hatch a long Digest 5-5-2013


Silkie Sensation is getting a new incubator! It all has something to do with visiting an old farmer and making the DH turn the eggs…So lucky….

The humidity refuses to go above 35% and I don't want to open the bator. SilkieSensation told me that the humidity should be at 40% for the quail to hatch. I guess it's time to go find something to add water with. I can't wait until they start hatching!

I haven't checked in on the broody yet, but considering the fact that I checked on them around 3 I think it's safe to say I might have at least one chick hatched. I'm going to check on them in a bit and give a count on what's hatched so far.

Just toss a wet paper towel in there real quick & shut the lid. I hatch cots around 0% for still air. If you have a fan it will need to be around 50%. Once they start hatching they go really fast.

 

[SilkieSensation]

I have 3 pekin ducklings out & 1 bantam buff orp. So there should be plenty for the kids in my son's class to watch hatch this week yet.

As for the bator, the feed store was out.

So I tried to build 1 real quick. I think it will work but I need to go get another light fixture set & dimmer to put a 2nd bulb in because even with 100W bulb it's only reaching 90F.

 

[wolftracks]

I have 3 pekin ducklings out & 1 bantam buff orp. So there should be plenty for the kids in my son's class to watch hatch this week yet.

As for the bator, the feed store was out.

So I tried to build 1 real quick. I think it will work but I need to go get another light fixture set & dimmer to put a 2nd bulb in because even with 100W bulb it's only reaching 90F.

Do you have the bulb as close to the thermostat as you can get it and have something that holds the thermostat out from against the wall?

 

[SilkieSensation]

Quote: There is no thermostat. Couldn't find 1. I have a bare 100W bulb on a dimmer switch (currently set to max setting) hanging in the middle of a rubbermaid tote with holes drilled in bottom of the sides & lid, mesh in the bottom to rest the eggs on & a thermometer on top of my goose eggs. I need to put some insulation around it I think to help hold more heat in.

 

[wolftracks]

There is no thermostat. Couldn't find 1. I have a bare 100W bulb on a dimmer switch (currently set to max setting) hanging in the middle of a rubbermaid tote with holes drilled in bottom of the sides & lid, mesh in the bottom to rest the eggs on & a thermometer on top of my goose eggs. I need to put some insulation around it I think to help hold more heat in.

Man I have one sitting here. Sorry we aren't next door. You'd think though that 100W would be plenty. I'd just be worried about it getting to hot later and not shutting off.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Quote: I've been tempted to stick my brooder lamp in it. With the dimmer I can tone it down to the right temp. I think if I move it down to the basement I'll be able to hold a more steady temp since temps upstairs flux.