Surviving Minnesota!

[memphis]

Hey ya'll.....Coffee congrats on the new chickies! I love that they have their own bedroom! Do you gave a move date yet?

 

[psladky]

I am so discouraged. Out of ten serama eggs one is developing (my small magic egg incubator) and we also candled tonight in our farm innovator 4250 (day 5) and seeing no veining what so ever. I have the humidity at 25% per the top reading panel on the incubator and our secondary probe. The problem is our probe temp reads 38.0 -38.5C and the actual incubator panel reads 98.0-98.5F. I'm ready to just get different incubator. I can't afford a big sportsman one (though I'd love it).I've read so so many reviews on here (byc) and Amazon and a bunch of other sites (like incubator warehouse). Just want one that can do a lot of eggs (20 or more), holds temp and humidity consistently,is pretty reliable hatch rate and under 200.00(or around there). I'm sick of losing hatching eggs I ordered thank you for any help.

 

[Coffee 1st]

Hey ya'll.....Coffee congrats on the new chickies! I love that they have their own bedroom! Do you gave a move date yet?

March 15

 

[duluthralphie]

I am so discouraged. Out of ten serama eggs one is developing (my small magic egg incubator) and we also candled tonight in our farm innovator 4250 (day 5) and seeing no veining what so ever. I have the humidity at 25% per the top reading panel on the incubator and our secondary probe. The problem is our probe temp reads 38.0 -38.5C and the actual incubator panel reads 98.0-98.5F. I'm ready to just get different incubator. I can't afford a big sportsman one (though I'd love it).I've read so so many reviews on here (byc) and Amazon and a bunch of other sites (like incubator warehouse). Just want one that can do a lot of eggs (20 or more), holds temp and humidity consistently,is pretty reliable hatch rate and under 200.00(or around there). I'm sick of losing hatching eggs I ordered

thank you for any help.

Don't feel like the lone ranger...

I just candled and moved my first batch from the 1202 to the hatcher. I was disappointed too.

I had 28 eggs set. 3 were toad eggs and I had no hopes for them.

I had 12 clears. (including toads) 2 quitters, and 2 maybes (read the same chance of hatching as a snowball in, well you know)...

I know though we are dealing with low fertility this time of the year. I need to get one rooster out of the coop. Now that spring is here 2 roosters is too many for 7 hens. ( or split the birds up).

I expected better. I am slow getting these out of the incubator too, and that is my fault. I should have had them out last night or early this morning.

I broke open my non-hatchers from the last batch. I had one early quitter peanut sized embryo. and two late quitters or non-hatchers the rest were clears.


BTW did you get your info for the NPIP school in St Cloud for the 11th of March?


I am already registered.

 

[duluthralphie]

well I know someone that is more them willing to take a few..LOl

Want to come and traipse the field, woods and swamps looking for nests? Last year Judy and I spent hours looking for the eggs, it was like an Easter egg hunt with a really smart Easter bunny.

 

[psladky]

thanks I do feel better not being alone. I don't have anyone else I know who hatches or even has chickens so it's been a learn as I go processes. I just don't understand why they temps are so funky on my Styrofoam incubator. They were pretty much all clear. 9 were eggs I ordered and the other 32 were from our hens. We did a small test run last month and had 4 out of 6 hatch. One stopped day 10ish and one was full formed but I think the air sack was on the wrong end. So I don't know if I'm scewing up with the new incubators settings. I almost want a 3rd probe to triple check what my temps are really running. It is in a stable temperature room in the house so that shouldn't fluctuate it. Ugh... Darn eggs.
Does having too many roosters hurt fetility? We just have a Welsummer (I believe) and silkie over 16 girls.
I did get all signed up even managed to book rooms at the same hotel, they are offering a group rate if you are staying there, just mention you are there for the conference. I'm a little worried about scheduling field time though. Hopefully some one is within a couple hours of me I can go out with or have come here.

Don't feel like the lone ranger...

I just candled and moved my first batch from the 1202 to the hatcher.  I was disappointed too.

I had 28 eggs  set. 3 were toad eggs and I had no hopes for them.

I had 12 clears. (including toads)   2 quitters, and  2 maybes (read the same chance of hatching as a snowball in, well you know)...

I know though we are dealing with low fertility this time of the year. I need to get one rooster out of the coop. Now that spring is here 2 roosters is too many for 7 hens. ( or split the birds up).

I expected better.  I am slow getting these out of the incubator too, and that is my fault. I should have had them out last night or early this morning.

I broke open my non-hatchers from the last batch. I had one early quitter  peanut sized embryo.  and two late quitters or non-hatchers the rest were clears.


BTW did you get your info for the NPIP school in St Cloud for the 11th of March?


I am already registered.

 

[duluthralphie]

I did not read anything about scheduling field time........I Must have missed it.


Too many roosters does not affect fertility. If you watch rooster you will see when one gets on a hen the other knocks him off. That is the problem. They spend so much time knocking each other off the hens no one gets the breeding done.


I do not think 1 rooster for 8 hens is bad. I have more, but I am not quite ready for breeding season so I have too many running free. That will be ending this week as I start putting them in breeding pens. It is really too early for me to be hatching right now. I will start in a few weeks with some of the others. I have the PC eggs I collected today sitting on the counter. I am going to check their fertility in the morning when I fry the eggs up.

I only live about a half hour outside St Cloud, I will not be staying at the hotel.

 

[psladky]

I did not read anything about scheduling field time........I Must have missed it.


Too many roosters does not affect fertility. If you watch rooster you will see when one gets on a hen the other knocks him off. That is the problem. They spend so much time knocking each other off the hens no one gets the breeding done.


I do not think 1 rooster for 8 hens is bad. I have more, but I am not quite ready for breeding season so I have too many running free. That will be ending this week as I start putting them in breeding pens. It is really too early for me to be hatching right now. I will start in a few weeks with some of the others. I have the PC eggs I collected today sitting on the counter. I am going to check their fertility in the morning when I fry the eggs up.

I only live about a half hour outside St Cloud, I will not be staying at the hotel.

I did not know that about the roosters, there is so so much to learn about chickens. I've just started trying to scratch the surface on genetics for raising lavender orps. I really appreciate any and all advice.

I missed it too about the field time too at first. I was going back through trying to see what time the classes were scheduled for and found it. I emailed the board and they wrote me back:
"We have Board of Animal health field staff instructors throughout the state. They will be contacting you after the course to set up a field instruction. This is not a long time they just come out for a couple hours to walk you through the testing and answer any questions you may have.

Your card will be good for 4 years.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask."

Have you been to one of these training sessions before? We are excited to come down to the St. Cloud I'm hoping for taco bell and burger king - oh how I miss them

 

[Coffee 1st]

I Knew Roostie would be good with the new little girls, funny he is not much bigger then them.. 1 of the girls is very weak I don't think she will make it, He keeps trying to give her little shoves every time she lays all the way down. I keep trying to give her water but it doesn't seem to be helping. I hope she does better but understand they all don't make it. But Roostie seems to be trying his best with her..

 

[duluthralphie]

Good Morning All..

It is 11 degrees above!! We survived the cold snap.

We are headed above freezing. With the exception of Wednesday every day looks great, and even Wednesday is not all that bad.


psladky, This will be my first time taking the class. I wanted to take it last year but things did not work out and they canceled the class I wanted to go to.


Coffee you are making Roostie into a real ladies man!

I have one of my little girls that is hanging on too. She was in the egg too long, which means something went wrong. I looked through the hole she had made in the egg after about 16-20 hours of it being opened and saw the membrane heat shrinking on her. So I started picking the shell off her. I found her to be dr. I keep picking and did not get any blood with the membrane. I peeled away over half the shell and laid her back in the hatcher.

She crawled out but I could see she was limping and stuck with a crooked neck. When I moved them yesterday to the nursery I saw she was gimpy. I am hoping the leg straightens out. (this is one I tried with no luck to give to lvie) She is doing better today, but still gimpy.


Andy and friends are doing great. Last night they did not even get close to the Mama Heating pad Cave. They went to a corner of the cage and slept in a bunch. They did not chirp loudly or make any racket. They just bunched up and made content sounds so I assume they were fine. I am wondering now if I have been keeping them too warm in the past with the heat lamp. I would think they would have went into or on top of the cave if they had been cold.


They are doing lots of little cock fights. I find them so entertaining while I drink my coffee.