Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Wishing4Wings]

Oh TNmom, that's so frustrating not knowing why they quit developing, but it's obviously not your fault, or the other one would have stopped too. Just not meant to be sometimes. There is a chart that will tell you possible reasons for quitting depending on the age/development of the embryo. It's not always human error. When we let the Serama hens hatch some eggs this spring, I only candled once at about 10 days to pull out clears. That was enough for me and I left it up to the hens after that. No eggtopsies of ones that didn't develop either. Then I'd be second guessing myself and the hens, and next thing you know, I'd be ordering an incubator! Noooooooo!

So far I have been able to resist.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. We are having a mini heat wave, but the worst has passed, so we'll be back in the 80s tomorrow (I hope!). Hubs is off to China again for work. He has a stopover in Hong Kong this time, and I am hoping it's easy for him to avoid the protests and tear gas.

 

[Scrambles55]

So, this morning I decided to eat one of Jemmas eggs for breakfast. It was the size of a normal egg, but big for her. When I cracked it open, I almost gagged.

(wish I had the camera) it was a double yolker, but one of the yolks had broken. The chickens will get that egg for a treat.

 

[ronott1]

My oldest DD was given some duck eggs. She pretty much forgot about them and wanted to make a cake. I am not getting many eggs so she checked the Duck eggs to see if they were still good.

They are fine--been in the fridge for about 6 months.

 

[mortie]

Happy sunday everyone!

I have been sick so we opted not to spend the night at the wedding place. I came home and threw maggie out of the nest to the roost. This morning Iwent out and she was back in the nest so I put her on outside the run since she's not laying anyway. She wandered around doing that soft broody cluck. My plan is to exclude her from the coop during daylight and keep her on the roost at night. I am hoping that will do the trick.

Midge is still brooding away on the experiment eggs and will need a broody breaker. Fun times. I'm giving her a few more days on the experiment eggs and then I will do it. I have a little pen she can go i nby day but at night she needs to be in the coop to be safe. I will block off the nest boxes then I suppose and unblock them in the morning and remove her. Sounds like a lot of work. Darn chicken.

 

[chickenlindz]

Well I am down three roosters.

The forth got a stay and will have a week to prove that he is as sweet and quiet as I think he is.

The dispatching went very well. We did the whole hatchet method and just lopped off the head. I didn't watch but did hold feet. It wasn't traumatic to me at all because it was so instantaneous.

The processing did not go nearly as well. I didn't have a clue what I was doing and I waited to start until all 3 were killed so at that time rigor was setting in. Next time I will do one at a time til I get quicker.

I also hope to have someone who could show me for one bird.

Didn't help that they were polish so there was no meat on the actual bird.

 

[Scrambles55]

My DH is real good at processing birds. He can skin a grouse in a matter of a few minutes. But that is easier if you don't want the skin. With one good pull, the bird is skinless. Then with a couple of well placed fingers... the innards are scooped out.

TWO!! Nugget and Jemma. I do believe that Smoke is molting. She has not laid in a week and her black feathers are flying everywhere.

 

[mortie]

CL - try youtube. That's how I learned how to do it.

I wish I was an egg under midge. It's cold!

 

[chickenlindz]

You know a pocket isn't the smartest place to store an egg. Esp when you forget about egg and start vacuuming. Needless to say the wet feeling on my leg took me a second or two to figure out!

 

[chickenlindz]

Those of you w silkies ... Quick question. I read somewhere that silkies don't like to roost and sleep usually on the ground.

Was wondering if this was the norm. Cause after squirt being locked in the broody pen for 6 weeks raising the babies and nugget being locked w her the past week due to amorous roosters tonight was the first night they had free reign and both of them were on the top roost snuggled in between the big girls!!! They just love to roost!!!

 

[evemfoster]

You know a pocket isn't the smartest place to store an egg. Esp when you forget about egg and start vacuuming. Needless to say the wet feeling on my leg took me a second or two to figure out!

My brother tells me its not a good idea to put an egg in your back pocket then sit down,