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

[BYC910]

that's not bad at all for shipped eggs . everything I 've read say's 50% is about all you can expect to get. you did better than that. in a home made bator.you might just make a chicken farmer oops your from out west chicken rancher yet.

The heat and humidity are so bad here I hatched 21 out of 36 of my own eggs already had one die and two more don't look good. last weekend locked down 16 only 2 made it .

 

[sideWing]

that's not bad at all for shipped eggs . everything I 've read say's 50% is about all you can expect to get. you did better than that. in a home made bator.you might just make a chicken farmer oops your from out west chicken rancher yet. The heat and humidity are so bad here I hatched 21 out of 36 of my own eggs already had one die and two more don't look good. last weekend locked down 16 only 2 made it .

Sorry to hear that. My last hatch was 2 out of 12 but mostly from infertle. I hope it lets up a bit, but July is coming.

 

[RubyNala97]

I have a spradel leg (I think) on one of my chicks. Does this repair look ok?

Looks good! I left it on my last chick that had splayed legs for about 5 days and it worked great!! Congrats on your hatch!! I'm so jealous! I only got over a little more then 50% on my last shipped eggs hatch. You did wonderful!! Now I want too see this frakenbator!

Thanks! I just looked up when and where exactly the tornado hit, having only heard bits and pieces on the news. It hit a mile or so from the intestate that I was travelling on "shortly after 7:30 pm". I sent my hubby a text at 7:39 saying I had just made it off the interstate safely. I had to stop to collect my nerves. 80 mph winds. It was unreal. Our place is west and it hit east, so luckily I was going the right direction. Some trees down our way, and some roads blocked with water, but nothing major. My son's house is closer to where it touched down, but they are ok too, and my birds too!! So we are all fine.

Yikes!! Happy your safe! I've seen pics of you and you don't look old enough to have a son that lives on his own yet!!

 

[BYC910]

Sorry to hear that. My last hatch was 2 out of 12 but mostly from infertle. I hope it lets up a bit, but July is coming.

I'm used to it . we have lot's of eggs early spring hatching is a lot better . I've added another cooling fan and once again temps are under control but humidity is much harder to get down. next summer I hope to have a tighter hatching room built . SC had posted something about BCMs needing higher humidity .they seem to be the ones that are having the hardest time with a higher humidity during incubation. they seem to do better at 45% during incubation and 75% at hatching. I'm ok with most of my hatch rates since I'm hatching in whatever weather comes my way. Kinda wish I had kept some of the BCMs I hatched this spring .

 

[RubyNala97]

I'm used to it . we have lot's of eggs early spring hatching is a lot better . I've added another cooling fan and once again temps are under control but humidity is much harder to get down. next summer I hope to have a tighter hatching room built . SC had posted something about BCMs needing higher humidity .they seem to be the ones that  are having the hardest time with a higher humidity during incubation. they seem to do better at 45% during incubation and 75% at hatching. I'm ok with most of my hatch rates since I'm hatching in whatever  weather comes my way. Kinda wish I had kept some of the BCMs I hatched this spring .

I love BCMs. They are beautiful. What breeds are you hatching now? I'm having trouble getting my humidity down in my incubator too. I'm going to try adding silica. I'm hatching peafowl and I've been torn over what to do. A lot of the reading I have done says they like higher humidity too. I'm running 50% dry with all this rain we are having. But I think the air cells look too small. I'm not really sure as this is my first go at peas. But I keep thinking if they were outside under a broody wouldn't the humidity be even higher??

 

[sideWing]

Looks good! I left it on my last chick that had splayed legs for about 5 days and it worked great!! Congrats on your hatch!! I'm so jealous! I only got over a little more then 50% on my last shipped eggs hatch. You did wonderful!! Now I want too see this frakenbator!
Yikes!! Happy your safe! I've seen pics of you and you don't look old enough to have a son that lives on his own yet!!

That's good to know about the 5 days. Thank you. I would have called 50% a complete success on shipped eggs. Frankenbator is coming soon!

I'm used to it . we have lot's of eggs early spring hatching is a lot better . I've added another cooling fan and once again temps are under control but humidity is much harder to get down. next summer I hope to have a tighter hatching room built . SC had posted something about BCMs needing higher humidity .they seem to be the ones that  are having the hardest time with a higher humidity during incubation. they seem to do better at 45% during incubation and 75% at hatching. I'm ok with most of my hatch rates since I'm hatching in whatever  weather comes my way. Kinda wish I had kept some of the BCMs I hatched this spring .

I have heard that about BCM. I have a black and a blue rooster, a GCM and two BCM pullets. Should be laying by fall I hope.

 

[cppeace]

HAHAHA!!!! Im glad you found something. I would have been freaking out also and needed more than just a little something.

Random question.

What is the best way to process a chicken? I want to know what way is the most humane. I mean I feel like slitting the throat a bit much. As a kid my dad used to shoot them in the head. So that is what I did. But I also don't want blood splatter everywhere. SO I am torn.

I personally find the "broom stick" or rabbit ringer methods to be the most humane and least messy overall.

 

[cppeace]

Number 6 has pipped but walked into find temp a bit high so gonna candle again.

 

[cppeace]

Ok so candled and the one that pipped is actually the youngest egg(egg 8) and is actually due today so right on time. egg 6 is still moving but hasn't moved any further into the air cell yet but has internall pipped it. Saw absolutely no movement now in upside down egg except a few air bubbles when I flip the egg over so believe it has perished but wasn't counting on it since it was topsy turvey anyway.

 

[scflock]

HAHAHA!!!! Im glad you found something. I would have been freaking out also and needed more than just a little something. 

Random question. 

What is the best way to process a chicken? I want to know what way is the most humane. I mean I feel like slitting the throat a bit much. As a kid my dad used to shoot them in the head. So that is what I did. But I also don't want blood splatter everywhere. SO I am torn.

I have a lot of catching up to do this morning, and I will get caught up when I get to the big computer, I was just going to answer the easiest one first. I found a fairly simple trick on line that is easy on you and the chicken. Take a small trash bag, then tear a he large enough to slip the chickens it through. The bag will let you constrain the chicken without fighting the wings and legs. Shooting them does make it easier, so after sticking his head through the plastic bag, I laid the neck across a sawhorse and shot them with a pellet gun from point-blank range. You can hold them tightly with the bag, so there is minimal movement. As soon as they relax, then you can string them up and bleed them. The quick shot to the brain actually relaxes the muscles, and makes them a little easier to pluck