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

[WVduckchick]

Oh yeah! I forgot my girl had a 20 too
We never really got to talk about setup. When I got the spot check, I found that mine was usually 1-1.5 degrees lower on the wall side, so every few days I take out the entire tray and rotate it 180 degrees. I forgot to do that on the last batch, since I was running dry, so maybe that had something to do with the low hatch rate. I usually rotate it when I add water. It's really not that hard, I just set the lid on the table, lift out the entire tray, and rotate it 180 degrees and set it back down.
The only other thing I have heard you say that concerns me is how tight your eggs are in the rails. Are they touching? Did you squeeze them down between the rails? I think that's why NT was getting cracked eggs. If mine are touching, I move the rails to the next slot. They rock a little more when turning, but I've never had one crack

Now's a fine time to tell me! That sounds a little "red" to me...

I have not rotated the tray, and yes they are a bit tight, but they are so little, and it tips so far up on its side, I dont like them flopping. I'm not worried about them cracking, they aren't that tight. Just a nice snug fit, I'd say.

I will share since i have a Brinsea now too, i can see from the side and i left em in the tray. Tray in the bator just removed the lid, only took like 10 minutes to get all my info written down. i Need the info, i HAVE to see the math. Just manipulated the light around them but then i have Super clear easy to candle white duck eggs and that make a huge difference... I love looking in em cuz theyre SO clear

These have been really easy to candle in the tray too! And nice and clean too. I like it!
(and I must add that duck eggs are sooooo much more fun to candle... They swim!!.. They are the reason for my addiction!)

 

[meganhundley]

U do NOT sound dumb!
Its kinda of odd when u first approch it as u think something Livin and Growin would be Gaining weight, but water loss causes weight loss in the egg

Lol, k. Thank you for not making me feel dumb, lol. Yeah I always thought that the egg would gain weight but it makes sense since they're losing water that they'd get lighter. Chicks are alot lighter than eggs. I've learned a new thing every day since I found this thread, lol. You guys are awesome

 

[mixedUPturk]

Now's a fine time to tell me! That sounds a little "red" to me...

I have not rotated the tray, and yes they are a bit tight, but they are so little, and it tips so far up on its side, I dont like them flopping. I'm not worried about them cracking, they aren't that tight. Just a nice snug fit, I'd say.
These have been really easy to candle in the tray too! And nice and clean too. I like it!
(and I must add that duck eggs are sooooo much more fun to candle... They swim!!.. They are the reason for my addiction!)

Awesome! I cant remmeber what breed u have settin but im glad you can see i cant wait to witness one swiming, my candling addiction just went UP three notches!!!

 

[mixedUPturk]

Lol, k. Thank you for not making me feel dumb, lol. Yeah I always thought that the egg would gain weight but it makes sense since they're losing water that they'd get lighter. Chicks are alot lighter than eggs. I've learned a new thing every day since I found this thread, lol. You guys are awesome

more than glad to pass on what little i know lol! Im new too and i learn something here Everyday, thats y i follow it so closely

These gals an guys are so awesome!

 

[meganhundley]

Now's a fine time to tell me! That sounds a little "red" to me...

I have not rotated the tray, and yes they are a bit tight, but they are so little, and it tips so far up on its side, I dont like them flopping. I'm not worried about them cracking, they aren't that tight. Just a nice snug fit, I'd say.
These have been really easy to candle in the tray too! And nice and clean too. I like it!
(and I must add that duck eggs are sooooo much more fun to candle... They swim!!.. They are the reason for my addiction!)

That sounds so awesome! I really want to try duck eggs 1 day but I think I need to master the chicken eggs first before I move on to something else, lol.

 

[lazy gardener]

Well I had a strange find this afternoon. I was checking lorrettas nest for eggs. Today was the first day that I didn't find one since she started laying. So I thought that I would look around the coop and I found the remnants of either a broken egg or a soft shelled egg that had ants crawling around it,and another intact egg. I don't think lorretta laid them they don't look like the same colour as her eggs. But the BLRW's are only 14 weeks old. I thought they were late bloomers. I cleaned up the mess and bought the egg in. I don't know how old it is. It did have gubbins on the shell from the broken one, so I rinsed it. I will probably cook it up and give it to the dogs. I will have to do a thorough egg search every day. They don't even use the nest boxes I put in. I will probably just take them out. Loretta built her hay nest in a corner.

Got golf balls? Fake eggs? Even real eggs in the nest boxes might sway them in the right direction. As far as Loretta goes, I had one stubborn girl who insisted on laying in the back corner of the coop. I put down plywood, and blocked off that corner. I put down a big mess of garlic scapes. She moved to the other corner. I blocked off that corner too. She gave up and started using the nest box like a respectable pullet.

My original layers (coop 1) sometimes use the box (singular, they'd only use the one) and sometimes find their own places so I am always searching in there. Though lately out of 8 layers they haven't been doing good. I've only been getting 2-3 eggs and one of those dumb silkies I took from my sister is STILL eating her eggs I think as soon as she lays them. I've been adding the oyster shell too. My 2nd coop just started laying. Today I was shocked to find 6 eggs! But they aren't using the boxes at all! They made a community nest in the straw and they are all laying in there...lol At least I usually know where their eggs are. Though I still scan the rest of the coop.

Try moving all of their eggs to one of the other boxes. Or try blocking off that box for a day. Leave them in the coop until they are forced to "try" out an other box.

Coulda been any early layer, might have been a hiccup egg, an inquisitive peck or an accidental breakage... if eggs break, they will gobble them down fast... might try sticking golf balls in the boxes, it helps sometimes to show 'safe place to lay'... although I had 6 boxes in one coop and 7 hens would line up all the way down the ramp waiting to take their turn... if they get a favorite box/place, that is the spot, lol...
Btw, was gonna mention be careful using hay in the coop... straw is better if possible... hay has moisture still in it and can mold in spots... I ended up with a coop of chooks last year that got Aspergilliosis from hay...

I find that my new layers will often give the exploratory pecks. I think they wonder what just came out of their butts!

I've read that it is better not to use straw because it is hollow and can harbor mites?? I use shavings because I have some for the brooder box but if I have some hay I use that, too. Of course, nothing really gets moldy here very easily.

Did your chickens survive the infection?

IMO, the whole straw/mite story is amusing. If you've had mites, you'll see them everywhere. While it's possible for mites to come in on contaminated straw, it's also possible for them to arrive from a passing wild bird. Mites will hang out in the litter, roost crevices between roost and wall, and especially love the nest boxes.

I didn't even want to talk about it yesterday but I got the new eggs! I ever so gently unwrapped them and gave them a quick candle as I put them into an egg carton to rest. When I saw the air cells, I literally saw myself flushing $$$ down the toilet and I was

I'm realizing that I've been very fortunate with the past shipments I've had. And always hatched out over 50%. But the air cells were always intact. I'm wondering if it's the way she packs the eggs compared to the other breeders. I think I like the way the other people pack the eggs much better. Maybe FL to NY is just a bit to far. Even though I've hatched from Southern GA. I just

2 eggs were cracked but she did send 18 eggs. I guess I have no other choice but to set them and hope for the best. I hate tying up the incubator on eggs this bad but if just 2 hatch, I will be thrilled!! I'm open to any suggestions.

Ruby. Sorry you're dealing with poor shipped eggs again. Can you tell us how they were packaged? Pics?

So the egg should get lighter as the chick grows inside? Or do I sound even dumber now? Lol

No dumb questions. Yes, they get lighter, b/c the air cell gets bigger.

 

[meganhundley]

"I think they wonder what just came out of their butts!" This made me laugh, lol!

 

[WVduckchick]

And besides, in the entire history of the world, worrying has never solved a thing, so why court a case of ulcers over something you can't control anyway?

There are things that can be controlled, if you aren't ignoring what's happening! I don't "worry"... I "monitor".

 

[scflock]

I find that my new layers will often give the exploratory pecks.

Every once in a while my girls will accidentally crack one and devour it, but I don't have any that intentionally do it. The funny thing in my big hybrid pen is they always come into the coop when I'm gathering eggs. I know they are praying I drop one

 

[lazy gardener]

How many readers have roosters who climb in the empty nest boxes and wiggle around, making it just so, tossing bits of nesting material over his shoulder, and clucking up a storm to entice the girls to "lay an egg here"?