She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

Ok, here is today's collection, less than half our normal though... we have 5 broody mamas raising chicks, 5 more trying to be broody and half our birds are molting hard...


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So many omelets. . .
Yeah, I've heard the darker eggs are way hard to candle, I found that out tonight, lol. The dark color and the speckles make it really hard but I finally got it, thanks for all the advice though. Yeah, I'm supposed to let them sit 24 hours. It's terrible, it's like giving a kid a brand new toy that they've always wanted and then saying "Here you go... but you can't play with it for a whole day." But it's probably a good thing cause my hygrometer went whacko on me and I couldn't get the humidity right cause I couldn't really tell what it was and I wasn't sure my temp was right til I stuck an analog meat thermometer in there and it was dead on with the other 1. So tomorrow I'm going to stop at the pet store and see what I can find to use til my new 1 comes in the mail, I've heard zoo med makes good thermo/hygrometer combos
Sounds like you've been listening well to all the right people. Your hatch is in good hands.

I love peppermint essential oil. It can be used for soooo many things. It will keep your house pest and insect free. Bugs and mice hate it. I don't know about y'all but I live basically in the middle of a corn feild and mice run rampant around here. My house was infested with mice and also ants, and I couldn't ever get rid of them, especially mice in winter, they just move right in and take over and don't pay rent! But a couple drops of peppermint essential oil in all the drawers and backs of the cabinets, along window sills, anywhere a mouse or ant can find a way in and i haven't had a problem since. You can actually watch the ants run away, I swear I can hear them screaming, lol. It's good for muscle and joint aches and pains also but it has to be diluted to use topically.
I like what I am hearing. We have soo many fire ants in our yard. I should just put some nasty poison out, but with chooks, a well, and a garden at the bottom of the hill, I'm hesitant. Cornmeal doesn't work, boiling water is no good, Borax did nothing, baking soda made them move. . . I've tried almost everything, Maybe the oil will at least keep them out of the house!

All done!



Trimmed and ready for blanching.



6 pints of seedless blackberry jam, 8 pints of beans, and 2 quart-sized freezer bags of beans.

The chickens got lots of blackberry seeds today, and will get the bean trimmings and the few extra blanched beans tomorrow.
Between this and the eggs, you guys have me in a puddle over here. Being Sunday, I think I'm going to go get the skillet out and fry up some vittles.

Candling is generally done on days 7,14 and 18 from the fat, air cell end in order to measure air cell growth and check on vein formation. Happy hatching.
I read something about no candling between the 14th and 18th day or 11th and 14th day or something like that. Didn't read it until after I had candled nearly every night. Didn't seem to affect our hatch any. Has something to do with the chicks moving during that time and interrupting their natural process.
K, I can't remember where I heard day 4 or 5 but I'll wait til day 7 instead. I hope I can keeps my hands out of there til then, lol. I can see right now when it comes time for them to start hatching I'm going to be an extreme meddler, lol
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Sounds like me. I really had to stop myself from candling on the 2nd day. Logic prevailed, but it was touchy for a while. This time isn't so bad.
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*Ravyn does do swaps* j/s
If you open her beak to squirt in, *I think* it needs to go to the left side (have to check that), but don't squirt it into the open hole in back of throat... that is their trachea/windpipe, they will drown very easily...
Going to check something...
*Hopes Ravyn wants to hatch some BLRW eggs in the future*
Lavender is a favorite color of mine, so is chocolate. j/s. . .

Morning, guys.
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Got 'im...
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Good job!!
GA:  Mercury bulb thermometer left over from the days of raising babies... 30++ years ago.  Just for grins and giggles, I did a google search, and they are still available... if you want to shell out $35 or so for one.  They are accurate... but the down side is that you have to shake the mercury down every time you want to use it, the up side is that they will over time, give you an indication of what your highest temp has been in that one spot.  I like the oral digital thermometers, and drop one through my vent hole.  If you mount it on a light ga. wire, you can then move it around to get readings throughout the incubator.  The down side of them is that they have a short on time, so by the time your bator gets back up to temp after opening (if you need to do so to put one in), you won't get an accurate reading.  Then, there's the more expensive (too much money for my budget) forehead thermometers that are designed to take a temp reading from the skin.  Those would be great for doing an egg surface reading.  IMO, medical thermometers SHOULD be most accurate, as they are depended on for accuracy when treating illness.  Most are guaranteed at +/- .2* accuracy.


I have one of those thermal thermometers that you run across the forehead. It is horrible, at least mine is. Totally inaccurate. The directions say to take the temp 3 times and then average it out. But each time I take the temp it is dramatically different (when my kids are sick) it will read 104, 101, 102.5. I don't even use it anymore.

No, I was candling from the small end up. I'll try that now. Thank you, I'm so new at this, lol.

I'm doing quail eggs right now. Which are a greenish tint with dark brown speckles. It was really hard to see inside. All I use is an led flashlight. Make sure you have brand new batteries in it (I learned that makes a huge difference.). And always candle into the air cell. That's how I can see the most. Here's a couple pics I pulled off the internet for someone else with shipped eggs that didn't have experience with candling. The last one is a shipped egg and that type of shaped air cell is common for shipped, since it was loosened up in shipping and then firms up in a distorted shape.
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K, I can't remember where I heard day 4 or 5 but I'll wait til day 7 instead. I hope I can keeps my hands out of there til then, lol. I can see right now when it comes time for them to start hatching I'm going to be an extreme meddler, lol

I always candle on day 5 with shipped eggs to check on air cells. Usually if they have been damaged in transit, you can tell if they have reattached and firmed up by day 5.

This is not my pic, I borrowed it... was posted by casportpony originally and she is awesome with ICU type care for birds...

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This isn't a chick but easier to see, lol... I think you can either go to the left or right, but see that big round hole in center? Trachea...

Due to your background, you may find tubing easier if it comes to that... she has some great tips on this thread, plus other links if you need them...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

This was very informative! Thanks!
 
The turkeys are rare? I dodge 5 flocks of them every day leaving work.
The bale shredder was a Mossberg 20 youth model. I mulched the bale, but Mrs. Flock loves the new varmint gun


Nah, the turkeys are plentiful, but feral ratites are not. I just wish I knew for sure what they were. They have to be pretty wily, though, as this is predator country. Black bear, coyotes, hogs, feral dogs, bobcat...
 
This is not my pic, I borrowed it... was posted by casportpony originally and she is awesome with ICU type care for birds...

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This isn't a chick but easier to see, lol... I think you can either go to the left or right, but see that big round hole in center? Trachea...

Due to your background, you may find tubing easier if it comes to that... she has some great tips on this thread, plus other links if you need them...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding


I would be more comfortable tubing a larger bird. Th only tubing I have is 1/4 inch which is far too big for a tiddler. 2nd thoughts I may have a small Guage butterfly iv around that I can get the tubing off. Need to go hunt it down.
 
Oh My, this will take a bit of time to catch up on.
Don't wait on me.
Scott


Well hi there!
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Read the first few pages to get the gist, then just jump in anywhere! We have alot of fun, but are serious between fun times. Some great people here, so come back and see us!
 
Got some pics this morning before the bottom dropped out.











I think I need to get my camera out of wherever it may be. The phone makes catching chickens difficult. It's all a blur!



Ed: Welcome @scottcaddy ! Well, now we have 2 SC's in here. . .



I'm not scared.
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The breeder that I am getting the call duck hatching eggs from in the spring has sent me some information on hatching shipped eggs. It's kinda a mouthful but very good information! Goes into detail on why shipped eggs die in lockdown, etc. Much more detailed info then I've been able to find on google. If anyone wants the info please pm me and I will send it along.
 
Good news!! I got a different piece of cardboard poked an 1/8 inch hole in it, left the eggs in the carton and all the air cells were visible and attached to the shell!! No saddle shaped cells, these eggs were apparently packed very, very well and the post office much have taken good care of the package. None were broken or even cracked, thank the Lord!! I might end up with a good hatch
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I have another question about candling at day 4 or 5, do I do that from the top or bottom or does it matter?
You will get a much better picture and clearer idea of what is going on if you candle from the top down.

K, I can't remember where I heard day 4 or 5 but I'll wait til day 7 instead. I hope I can keeps my hands out of there til then, lol. I can see right now when it comes time for them to start hatching I'm going to be an extreme meddler, lol


I did get some peppermint oil last fall because mice invaded my hunting stand, and I hate mice even more than I hate mosquitoes! It had no effect on them at all! Except maybe for attracting more! But I think I may have diluted it too much. I'll have to find it and try it again.
I know shipped eggs are much different, and difficult, so I'm sure minimal handling is probably the best advice, but I candle often, and have found no ill effects. I have never done shipped eggs though. Amy actually experimented with candling several eggs every day and I'm pretty sure they all hatched, but she can chime in too.
I do agree that you can think an egg is clear early on, and find development later, that's why I would never remove one until at least day 8-10 (unless it stinks or something). But I candle whenever I want to!
My eggs, my way. Your eggs, your way.

Yes, I am a candling addict and have always at least spot checked my eggs by candling on a nightly basis, usually doing 4 or 5 (or 6 lol) to check development and air cells and basically cause it's fascinating to see the progression of development. My last hatch I set 21 eggs, all fertile. 6 of the eggs I had marked to candle EVERY SINGLE night and take pics. (I wanted to show that done right candling won't compromise your hatch.) The other eggs I would candle 7/14/18. I noticead an oily residue on of the NON candled eggs and candled to find it was an early quitter day 4/5 so that one got tossed. Every single egg after that made it to lockdown and every single one hatched out healthy. No post hatch deaths either. BUT I also always use local eggs and that hatch was my first hatch with my own pullet eggs. I also hand turned the eggs and STOPPED turning after the last turn on the night of the 13. The development chart quotes day 14 is when they make their turn up to the big end so for me it makes sense to stop turning prior to this advancement. (I still candled my candling eggs though.)

I usually see growth as early as day 4/5, but the majority of my eggs are rather light colored. With darker or speckled you might not see development as early. This is a great thread for comparison when you do candle to make sense of what you are seeing: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...g-candling-pics-progression-though-incubation
Oh My, this will take a bit of time to catch up on.
Don't wait on me.
Scott
Welcome to the thread if you haven't been already!
 
Good morning, Hes&Shes! (Did any of you hear that some university has proposed going totally gender neutral with "Ze,'' or some such non-sense?)

I have so far just been listening to all the hatching talk and have not offered any input. I am trying to decide to which camp/color I fall. I live in Alabama, which affects my practices. We are hot and humid from mid-spring through late, late, fall. I try to only hatch in the early spring (many of you would call it mid winter) so that 1) flies will not be an issue, and 2) so that my birds will hit their peak about the same time as the fall shows start, and 3) because if I didn't, I would have no major chicken related activity going on during that time.
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My incubator is a Sportsman 1500 with 6 plastic egg trays (all pictured below) and I have 4 assorted brand styro-bators that I use for hatching. I know, many of you are saying, "That's nice and all, but it's too much money for me to spend for no more hatching than I do." I will offer some thoughts on this.
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I started with a Hova bator, which, most of you know, required a lot of monitoring, tweaking, and worry. I spent hours and hours focused on the temperature, humidity, egg positioning, bacteria growth, cleaning, disinfecting, etc. An auto-turner helped make it more convenient, but also added some issues. I struggled with it through several hatches and started to consider buying a better one. I looked at the Brinsea, newer Hovabators, several other brands. I was convinced that digital was the way to go for accuracy and ease. I found that if the price was something I considered acceptable, the maximum capacity was lower than I wanted, and if it had the ability to hatch the number of eggs I wanted to hatch, the price was "too high" for my liking. Besides that, I had been reading a lot of posts by people who had the better ones, and it seemed to me that they caused about as much work and worry as mine did.

I turned to the old timers that have been raising chickens for decades. Every one of them that I talked to said to go with a cabinet incubator, so I started looking into those. I looked at redwoods, new, used, homemade, small, large, etc., and finally narrowed it down to the Sportsman and the Dickey. I think I would have been happy with either of those, and the Dickey was slightly less, but I went with the Sportsman (right at $800 including trays and shipping) based on the reviews of GQF's customer service. That's not to say that Dickey's customer service would have been bad, but people didn't brag on it as much, and GQF's good reputation goes back for years. I will admit, sending that money stung a bit, and my DH would have flipped if I had discussed it with him, but I bit the bullet and proceeded boldly.

I unpacked it, did some minor assembly, set it in my laundry room, and plugged it in. I watched it for a week and it held steady at 100.0 degrees and 38% RH. I set a full tray of barnyard eggs and monitored the on-board temp and RH read-out. The temp never fluctuated more than .3 of a degree and the humidity eventually dropped to 23% so I added water to the tray. That made it come up to 48% RH and it slowly came down from there. At day 18, I was trying to figure out how to stop turning them and decided to move them to the styro-bator for hatching. It meant that there was no mess to clean up in the incubator, and I only had to worry about the temp in the styro-bator for a few days. I heard peeping and saw pips on day 19 and on day 20, 43 of the first 48 eggs hatched, five were not fertile.

Since then, I have gathered up two and a half more styro-bators that I use for hatching and have a pretty efficient system. Early in the season, when I am not getting many eggs, I set eggs once a week. I put the eggs from the bottom shelf in the hatcher, move the rest of the trays down one shelf, and add the new eggs to the top self. I don't have to add water because opening the door once a week adds enough humidity. I don't candle until I move them to the hatcher and only then so I can pull the clears, obvious quitters, and any that don't pass a quick sniff test. The tray on the bottom is moved to the hatcher on day 18 or so. I clean the hatchers as they are emptied and rotate them so I don't get layover bacteria.

The worst thing I can say about it is that I sometimes forget that it is time to move the eggs to one of the styro-bators and have chicks that hatch and fall to the bottom! It is truly as close as can get to "set it, and forget it." I don't miss that $800 at all!
 
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