Straub’s search for colored eggs

[wrathsfarm]

It’s currently 20f here and I believe my broody Gena has officially given up and stepped away from her eggs. Her first broody night was Jan 14 but I didn’t actually give her eggs until the 28 because I was waiting for a cold weather event to pass. In her mind she gave it 30 days. When I started this hatch attempt I said I would let her take the lead so if she is done I guess she is done. I haven’t taken the eggs away but they have been out in the cold most of the day today. If she goes up to roost tonight I’ll take the eggs.

Sorry to hear that, bud.

 

[Tstraub]

Well, she is back on the eggs. I don’t have high hopes because they were cold for several hours today. I guess only one will tell.

 

[Tstraub]

She’s up on the high roost while the eggs are getting cold again today. If it were warm out I wouldn’t think anything of it but at 20f I can’t imagine these eggs are viable.

 

[Tstraub]

Update: Gena never did return to the eggs and they all went cold. The eggtopsy revealed one early quitter and three that were most likely still going when she walked away. I knew it was a gamble when I let her try and I lost the bet.

Anyway I do have another possible broody. Smokey my 10 month old OE backcross slept in the nest box on Sunday night but went up to roost last night. Today she is in the nest box growing at me. She has never shown any broody behavior so I’m not sure how serious she is. It’s currently 8F outside so if she’s not serious I’m not going to use her

I am toying with the idea of starting a dozen or so in an incubator then giving them to her or any other possible volunteer either at lockdown as eggs or just after hatching if she gets serious by then. I don’t know just thinking. Having a hen watching over the babies sure makes it easier.

 

[Tstraub]

I did set some eggs in the incubator today. I wasn’t collecting any eggs for incubation. I wanted to get it started today so that hatch day will be on one of my days off so today I set the only Marans egg I had on hand and every blue or green egg I had on hand. For a total of 15 eggs

I’m using a little giant incubator that I got used a few months ago. This is my first time using this incubator so I guess we’ll see how it goes

 

[wrathsfarm]

I did set some eggs in the incubator today. I wasn’t collecting any eggs for incubation. I wanted to get it started today so that hatch day will be on one of my days off so today I set the only Marans egg I had on hand and every blue or green egg I had on hand. For a total of 15 eggs

I’m using a little giant incubator that I got used a few months ago. This is my first time using this incubator so I guess we’ll see how it goes View attachment 4054064

Best of luck with your hatch.

 

[TwoCrows]

I did set some eggs in the incubator today. I wasn’t collecting any eggs for incubation. I wanted to get it started today so that hatch day will be on one of my days off so today I set the only Marans egg I had on hand and every blue or green egg I had on hand. For a total of 15 eggs

I’m using a little giant incubator that I got used a few months ago. This is my first time using this incubator so I guess we’ll see how it goes View attachment 4054064

Keep us posted on this hatch!!

 

[Tstraub]

Best of luck with your hatch.

Keep us posted on this hatch!!

Thanks, I did sneak 2 more eggs in this morning I figured that since it’s less than 24 hours from when I set eggs late yesterday afternoon and these 2 eggs were still warm straight out of the chickens they should cross the finish line at approximately the same time as the first group.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Thanks, I did sneak 2 more eggs in this morning I figured that since it’s less than 24 hours from when I set eggs late yesterday afternoon and these 2 eggs were still warm straight out of the chickens they should cross the finish line at approximately the same time as the first group.

I've done this also, only adding the next day. I've read some say anything more than 2 days is pushing it, but never tried a 2nd day egg.

 

[Tstraub]

Just some random unorganized thoughts:

False spring has sprung here in Indiana. It’s currently 54 degrees and sunny. The snow is nearly all melted away and my chicken run has turned into a mud pit. I was able to add about 5 wheel barrow loads to wood chips to the run to hopefully help dry it up. I needed another 5 or so to do it right but my chip pile is still frozen in the center so I got what I could for now.

Today starts day 7 of incubation and things seem to be going along as planned. There have been a few minor fluctuations in temperature and humidity but I believe it’s never been more than a degree or two from the target and never over heated so I’m just leaving it to do it’s thing. I plan to candle everything on Friday night and remove any clears or obvious early quitters.

My previous broody Gena was singing the egg song today I didn’t find one of her eggs so it was either a false alarm or she laid it out in the yard somewhere. This would be her first egg since broody. I’ll be happy to have her back to laying.

My current broody Smoky has finally settled on a nesting box and slept in the same box trying to hatch out a pile of gulf balls 3 nights in a row. Hopefully I can talk her into raising some of the chicks from this incubation but I’m not quite sure if she is ready. She still lets the Wyandottes push her out of her nest box during the day and sets on the wrong eggs during peek laying hours. I’ll keep an eye on things and maybe move her and some eggs or chicks to the grow out pin where the can have some peace while the figure things out when the time comes.


My Rooster Axl is getting more aggressive again. Not attacking me but definitely getting worse with the stomping around and changing at me. So far it’s just all show but he did raise his heckles and posture twice while I was spreading wood chips in the run today.

I did try eating some water glassed eggs. This was my first experience with water glassing. We put them up in October of 2023 and I decided it was time to see if they were any good. I prepared them as egg in a hole. All three yolks broke. The whites looked considerably runny as compared to fresh eggs. They overcooked very quickly I assume because they were so runny. They tasted OK but rubbery and overcooked nonetheless of that runny yolk goodness that egg in a hole should have. I later baked brownies with a couple and the brownie came out as expected never would have guessed that the eggs were over a year old so I guess water glassing is useful for baking eggs not so much for breakfast eggs.