Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[subhanalah]

When I have a hard time trying to determine the state of a dark egg I put the candler under the egg so it lights up the bottom. It seem that the good eggs have some lighter area under the dark blob. If most of the egg is clear it probably stopped developing, and if it's all dark it's probably going rotten ( sometimes ready to explode.) If all of your eggs are set at the same time it's easier to determine what the good eggs should look like by comparison.

So when do you make the decision to pull eggs from a nest? Is it the same as others? "Stinkers" or "oozers" (and obvious blood rings) get removed. At what point do you say, "I see no veining in this egg, gotta take it out?"

 

[Beekissed]

When I have a hard time trying to determine the state of a dark egg I put the candler under the egg so it lights up the bottom. It seem that the good eggs have some lighter area under the dark blob. If most of the egg is clear it probably stopped developing, and if it's all dark it's probably going rotten ( sometimes ready to explode.) If all of your eggs are set at the same time it's easier to determine what the good eggs should look like by comparison.

I'm currently using two bright lights...one from underneath and one from behind. Less than half the egg is clear but it's not as dark as the others. I was thinking the same thing about the all dark one but I would kick myself if I cracked it and it had a chick in there, so I'll just have to wait and see. Would the rotten one be a little less heavy than the others?

 

[Beekissed]

I'm not saying you are being specifically offensive to me, I. Sorry if you felt my response was..anyway, seems we just have a misunderstanding via text. Just when I read your poat, it made me think of all these different scenarios that just didn't apply to what you said. I've read posts here about people being tender-hearted and asking for help in getting the culls processed. It's something we all have to deal with, and we all deal with it differently. That's all, I just didn't think you felt that way really, you were just upset about something and felt the need to vent it here. I totally understand that, it's your thread! But at the same time I feel we should make excuses for one another. That's all I'm trying to do, to show you that it isn't all bad, and perhaps you just don't see everything in every circumstance, so maybe that could help ease your frustrations with these specific instances.

I've edited the post and hope it's to your satisfaction...

Quote:

 

[Tomtommom]

Heck, ours are like Mexican jumping beans within 24 hours of birth..

we just got a surprise litter, my fault, I housed some of the rabbits in the wire cages and a female whom we have not bred yet next to a male...One evening I was feeding them and she started gathering hay and trying to make a nest....lol... I just stood there thinking how did that happen...didn't take long to figure it out...the male being quite determined figured out how to open his cage and squeeze into hers and back out... Funny stuff I tell ya...
She gave birth two days ago to 7 healthy kits

As kids we found a little dwarf rabbit outside, black and white.. he got friendly QUICK with my rabbit, twice his size. 30 days is all it takes, and poof, new ones. Even mom rabbit was like 'What are these things coming out of me?' as she was hopping around, leaving little pink nuggets all over her hutch.

That's how I like to do things too....especially with chickens and other livestock. No obtaining more until I thin the flock/herd. I like to keep a steady stocking rate with a little slack on either side for under or overage, so that my coop is not too crowded.

I wish a lot of folks could understand that chicken math involves subtraction too, because I read a lot of posts on here where folks are constantly adding and having many troubles in flock management as a result. Chicken keeping shouldn't be that involved and troublesome...should be fun and easy.

I have 9 hens, raised them from chicks. I got 6 more chicks two weeks ago. Once they get old enough to merge into the flock, some hens will find a new home, no need to mess with the order of things more than once... best to do the swap around the same time. Some birds suit the flock better than others, those that are particularly loud, pushy or otherwise troublesome go. You can't tell what a bird will be like when they're chicks... so it makes sense for me to make that call when they're 'all grown up'.

I already have folks interest in taking my started hens, with plenty of life/eggs left in them. Win-win for both parties.

I can comfortably have about 12 hens, 15 is doabe, but quarters could get a bit tight when we get snow (rare for these parts, but it happened this winter).

Beekissed doesn't "worry" but I'm concerned and cautious. Thanks for pointing that out. I'm thinking if I can create a wood frame with vinyl coated chicken wire across the top and lay the heating pad over it. Maybe use a 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 on each side so it would be 4 or 6 inches high. That way the chicks could get under the whole pad from side to side. If I needed it higher as chicks grow would just tack wood strip across the bottom.

What do you think Tomtommom?

Sounds like a home made heat plate in the making. Just think about cost, before you get started. Compare materials and see if a premade plate isn't more cost effective.

I think a lot of people don't like talking about how they thin their flocks, kwim? For aome, it's incredibly difficult and full of anxiety thinking about their babies going somewhere else...wherever that may be.

I have animal abundance anxiety. But it's more like 'Argh, what am I going to do with these guys?' Finding a home is one thing, finding a GOOD home is another thing entirely. Too many times have I rehomed animals, only to find out they were passed on to unknown persons, resold or even set free outside.

Found one of my rehomed rabbits under a dumpster, alive... but still! One of my dogs got put back over the fence during the night, after being rehomed (not cool, since that was NOT the dog yard they put the dog in... good thing he didn't screw with the small and fuzzy things).

And then you have the 'needy' new owners... you give/sell them an animal, and somehow they feel you are responsible for the animal for the rest of it's life. I'm sorry your rabbit bit your kid, three years after you got it from me...

I was clipping that rabbits nails for YEARS after they got it. They come to me with issues that need to be addressed by a vet. I like to know how my animals are doing, but there's a limit

Next on the 'rehoming/OMG what am I going to do with these guys' list: 12 baby mollies.... step-son's fish seems to be permanently pregnant

 

[ocap]

chicken subtraction beginning this week......tell me again why I bought the frozen turkey last fall....now I remember, it was free if I bought a ham.

Way to many Cockerels, fighting must stop !

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Sorry to hear about most of your clutch Bee, but 4 does seem to be the number. I have 4 that I'm certain are growing.

 

[bdfive]

Tomtommom, I get calls all the time from folks that has bought peafowl from me needing advice. Didn't mind it at first but it does get tiring as the numbers grow. I try so hard to sell to only good homes. I discourage those I don't believe will care for my birds properly and ofter start a conversation with the buyer inquiring that the birds are already spoke for ........ then chat and get information from them about living conditions, how much property they have, etc; If they pass the interigaton I call them back and say I've decided to sell birds I had planned on keeping or the other people changed their minds, etc; Peahens incubate their eggs 28 days. I get numerous calls from people wanting peahens because the ones they had were killed by predators yet being questioned they still intend to let the peahens free range. I don't sell to those people. They have to say they intend to pen the peafowl during breeding season where they are safe. That starts my questions as to if their pen will be adequate, LOL!!! I turn down as many buyers as I sell to. That's why I now have too many peafowl, LOL!!! Now they've become pets and I'm even more concerned about them so almost impossible to find that great home for them. I ran an ad on craigslist to sell some rarer peafowl for 3 months. Cost was $425 a pair. Had many calls/emails. Could have sold them to 3 different people but didn't like their answers to my questions. My husband says I'm crazy and maybe I am. I feel I brought these gorgeous birds into this world and I'm responsible for them to live out their potentially 20 years relitively safe and happy. Can't help it.....it's just me!!

I gave 6 peachicks to a man that has a 1,200 acre ranch not far from me. He seemed so sincere about wanting peafowl again on his land. I believed in him so strongly I didn't charge him for the chicks. He and his foreman have become friends. They call with questions and just to tell me about the birds which are all grown and doing well. They did what I suggested and put out feed so the birds will hang around the homestead and not go completely wild. These 2 men look to me and my experience to lead them to success at getting an established flock free ranging on their gorgeous property with the Guadalupe Rive running through it. I go to the ranch often. My intention is to see how those 6 peafowl do in the next year and if all goes well I'll release some of my peafowl there. My only concern is if the birds can survive the predators. Many years ago they had a large flock but the flood from hell we all saw on TV with damns breaking and houses floating down the river wiped out them out. Hopefully the peafowl escaped the waters and relocated. There are wild peafowl in this area. I'll be hatching some more free chicks for him this summer and some guinea fowl which he'll raise together then release.

Sorry....I'm totally off subject and rambling on and on! My apologies!

 

[kingfrodo]

Tomtommom, I get calls all the time from folks that has bought peafowl from me needing advice. Didn't mind it at first but it does get tiring as the numbers grow. I try so hard to sell to only good homes. I discourage those I don't believe will care for my birds properly and ofter start a conversation with the buyer inquiring that the birds are already spoke for ........ then chat and get information from them about living conditions, how much property they have, etc; If they pass the interigaton I call them back and say I've decided to sell birds I had planned on keeping or the other people changed their minds, etc; Peahens incubate their eggs 28 days. I get numerous calls from people wanting peahens because the ones they had were killed by predators yet being questioned they still intend to let the peahens free range. I don't sell to those people. They have to say they intend to pen the peafowl during breeding season where they are safe. That starts my questions as to if their pen will be adequate, LOL!!! I turn down as many buyers as I sell to. That's why I now have too many peafowl, LOL!!! Now they've become pets and I'm even more concerned about them so almost impossible to find that great home for them. I ran an ad on craigslist to sell some rarer peafowl for 3 months. Cost was $425 a pair. Had many calls/emails. Could have sold them to 3 different people but didn't like their answers to my questions. My husband says I'm crazy and maybe I am. I feel I brought these gorgeous birds into this world and I'm responsible for them to live out their potentially 20 years relitively safe and happy. Can't help it.....it's just me!!

I gave 6 peachicks to a man that has a 1,200 acre ranch not far from me. He seemed so sincere about wanting peafowl again on his land. I believed in him so strongly I didn't charge him for the chicks. He and his foreman have become friends. They call with questions and just to tell me about the birds which are all grown and doing well. They did what I suggested and put out feed so the birds will hang around the homestead and not go completely wild. These 2 men look to me and my experience to lead them to success at getting an established flock free ranging on their gorgeous property with the Guadalupe Rive running through it. I go to the ranch often. My intention is to see how those 6 peafowl do in the next year and if all goes well I'll release some of my peafowl there. My only concern is if the birds can survive the predators. Many years ago they had a large flock but the flood from hell we all saw on TV with damns breaking and houses floating down the river wiped out them out. Hopefully the peafowl escaped the waters and relocated. There are wild peafowl in this area. I'll be hatching some more free chicks for him this summer and some guinea fowl which he'll raise together then release.

Sorry....I'm totally off subject and rambling on and on! My apologies!

that actually sounds like a BEAUTIFUL place. would love to see pictures....I just love Peafowl.

 

[Wild Domestic]

"Fluffy butts"

 

[subhanalah]

I think this has turned I into a great discussion. People are able to share the problems that occur when trying to re home animals they have loved and cared for.


edited by staff