Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[cheeka]

W4W - yeah... it might be difficult, but on the other hand... it might not

but a bunny is great. we saw some adorable bunnies at the fair, of course, Mylee wants those too.

we decided to do the mountain hike on Sunday. I have the day off

we picked up all kinds of easy yummy picnic foods at the store tonight, and I will hard boil some eggs. we got baby belle cheeses, grapes, bananas, pistachios... I have rice crackers, and "gogurt" tubes, and we will bring something tasty to drink with lunch and pack lots of water. I am tempted to bring the dogs, but that would be so much more work... and yet, so good for them.

we ended the day with 12 Eggs - 7 blue and/or green, 5 cream

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Week one is behind us now. RK broody is locked down on her eggs and I need to check the incubator to see how my eggs are doing.

This contest is so unfair to RK Broody. I set them and forgot them. She has been sitting on eggs for going on three weeks now. When should I candle the eggs in the incubator? Humidity has been just a little high in the incubator. Guess that's OK?

 

[cheeka]

poor RK Broody, sitting so long, but at least this time it will have a happy outcome! I'm assuming that you will give her all the chicks that hatch from the incubator as well as any she hatches?

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Week one is behind us now. RK broody is locked down on her eggs and I need to check the incubator to see how my eggs are doing.

This contest is so unfair to RK Broody. I set them and forgot them. She has been sitting on eggs for going on three weeks now. When should I candle the eggs in the incubator? Humidity has been just a little high in the incubator. Guess that's OK?

I've read that by 7-10 days you can see the veins and dark shadow of the developing embryo. I think the biggest problem with too much humidity is that it can decrease oxygen for the developing chick. Too little, of course, dries them out. Don't know the best percentages, though.

I've been reading up on incubating because we are thinking of trying to hatch some Serama eggs. Have to get an incubator first, and once that happens it will be the point of no return. Archeologists of the future will dig up this place and wonder what strange cultural phenomena account for the presence of thousands and thousands of mini chicken bones.

 

[showbarnmom]

I candled tonight cause I was bored. It's day 12. All 4 eggs have bright veins and wiggly large black spots/sections and you can't see through them.

 

[SullyD]

Thanks for the positive comments about my place! I had a vision of what I wanted when I started looking in Florida. I was lucky enough to find it! It has taken 2 years of a lot of hard work (mostly by others) and too much money (mine), to get what you see now!

I added 3 nest boxes to the run (which is actually called the pig pen, long story

), so hopefully they will start using them soon! I usually had them penned in the pen, when they actually all went in there, so they laid their eggs on the ground in the grass. I had to be careful not to step on them when I brought them in in the evenings.

I have 5 horses (3 Missouri Fox Trotters which are a gaited breed, and 2 minis that I rescued from a feed lot) I live in an equestrian community with 26 miles of trails restricted to horses and walkers only, and 5 acre minimum lots, and lots of people to ride with!

The grass is so green because it rains buckets every day (well, almost). I have attached a picture of what it looks like after 2.87" in 64 minutes! It is amazing how quickly the grass grows. Our winters have very little rain, so it will be pretty brown here!




Mylee must have had to sit very still for her beautiful face painting! Love her pictures! I am going to love having grand children, but alas, I guess I will have to wait until they finish college and stuff first!

In my short experience hatching eggs, I couldn't wait to candle them. I read so much conflicting info on how often to take them out, handling them, etc., I decided to candle them once a week starting the end of the first week. You should be able to tell if they are duds by then, but keep them for the second week to confirm. I believe there is great info on this site on what you will see during the development. I found it very helpful to understand what I was seeing. As far as humidity, I had a totally auto system (Brinsea 20 with the humidistat). It was set it and forget it. Except to add water to the tank. It was noisy since it was always adding water to the brooder. I believe you increase the humidity on the last three days so that the chicks are not shrink wrapped in the shell. I had great success my first hatch, my second hatch was due to horrible shipping conditions (yolks were scrambled and the air sacs were non-existent), then great success for the last time. Can't wait to hear the results of the brooder vs. the broody! Next time, I will be hoping for a broody! I seem to have one in training!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Wow Sully, looks like lakeside property. You should get some ducks!

 

[SullyD]

The local ducks come by for a swim! Plus, I have all sorts of wading birds that visit too! Quite the menagerie! My mother calls my place the funny farm!

 

[SullyD]

Sometimes when you are candling, you can actually see the embryo moving around. Very cool.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Looks like paradise to me! Albeit a soggy one. But heck, you are in Florida. I'd take some of that summer rain anytime if you could just fan it this way please!

Is the Brinsea 20 named that because it hols 20 eggs? Are you happy with it? I'm thinking about getting the mini advance model which holds 7 large or 12 bantam eggs, so is self-limiting in addition to being idiot proof.