The 7th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long!

[KYTinpusher]

We actually have one in our basement that we moved in there sans compressor. Used is for a number of years for hatching hundreds of snake eggs and it worked like a dream. Granted they are a little more tolerant of temp fluctuations and we can incubate in humidity boxes (vermiculite or perlite) so that negates the humidity within the incubator issue, but it was very very stable with a fan, 100 watt bulb with fan blowing on it, and a thermostat. Held temps great and had the best hatches ever with the snakes. It's just sitting down there now, as we downsized (and I moved into chickens), but I've been casually thinking it could surely be used to brood chicks the first couple weeks or something...
It's just so frustrating. I did have the person shipping specifically put the post office address on the box and mark Hold at Post Office, and gave her my phone number to put on there. I was in the post office on Saturday alerting them that I was waiting on the box, expressed the perishable nature of the contents, and told them it got missent and should be here M or T. I got the blank faced apathetic response from everyone I've talked to, "It's not here." Blink blink.

I get that no one intentionally tries to make mistakes, but neither does anyone appear to care to look into it. Pretty much the new standard in service, it seems like. It's easy to say "I don't know." The end, not my problem, sucks to be you, welp, time to close up. Or in this case "Tracking says it was delivered." Me: It wasn't delivered. Them: "Tracking says it was delivered." Rinse, repeat. No, "Will leave a note for your carrier" or "we'll look into it" or "we'll call the carrier and ask" or barring trying to help, even an "I hope it shows up." Straight up apathy/not my problem.

Ah well, hoping it shows up somewhere safe tomorrow.

My P.O. is pretty good about helping me find lost packages and they do care when the packages I send get lost or damaged. Unfortunately, they are not in much of a position to change things. Once right after our local P.O. cut back on hours and the delivery routes were transferred to the neighboring town where I have my packages held, the first time I got a "Hold for Pick-up" box they decided to "help" by delivering it to my house instead - along all the bumpy, dirt back roads before they got here.

About the cooler/incubator - did you have to put any holes in it for ventilation?

 

[Cynthia12]

Oh wow! I can't believe I'm finally caught up after reading every chance I got for several days.

Firstly thank you to everyone that donated prizes(I'm completely in love with the shakers and the socks) and especially is/has organized this wonderful fiasco.

Also I totally would love one of the cookbooks so if you decide to sell them after the hatch-a-long please let me know. I also am totally in love with the adult coloring books! And my Mom wants one is there some place we can by them?


Okay so I have some questions and please anyone feel free to throw ideas at me. I would like to join the hal but I would more than likely be setting my eggs on the 3rd(as I hopefully have eggs arriving from MPC on the 2nd), can I still officially join?
Would it be a bad idea to wait with the shipped eggs and set on the 5th? I have never gotten eggs from MPC before. This will only be my fourth hatch, first was silkies and bantams(shipped- 3 inferts, 1 early quitter, 5 late quiters, 8 healthy happy birds-one was an assisted hatch), second was two black oegb(100% set and hatch), third hatch and my only previous hal was Halloween(shipped poorly- 20 Sicilian Buttercups and 2 Partridge rocks all but 4 quit by day 8 complete bust none hatched).


If yes than I will be hatching a mix of chicken eggs(not sure how many yet)
*6 eggs for education from MPC(a prize from the Halloween Hatch-a-long(idk if they send extras or not)
This will also be the first time that we will be trying to hatch our own eggs from our flock as we were new to chickens last year.
*some pure silver laced wyandottes from my flock
*possibly some wyandotte/EE mixes
*possibly some wyandotte/Isa brown mixes
*possibly some silkies
Will update as I can. Please let me know if you need more information.

 

[Cynthia12]

I'm in!!

2nd time for me and I loved last year!! Fun times!

 

[Cynthia12]

THink I'm down to only 2 duck eggs. Stupid shipped eggs

Sorry, I agree, dumb shipped eggs any ol way!

 

[FridayYet]

I'm hoping I'll only need a few more batches of shipped eggs, then should have good enough stock to hatch my own eggs. Well, at least until I fall for another breed.

 

[Hurley]

About the cooler/incubator - did you have to put any holes in it for ventilation?

Nope, ripping the compressor out none too gently took care of that. Those were reptiles, though. Majorly less ventilation rates required.

 

[Razadia]

Quote:

Quote: I have the exact same hen & roo shaker set as the ones on your very top shelf

Quote: post #44588
yer not on the incu thread with us, but you are in mind! hugs sweets!!!

Thanks Sally! I'll have to join y'all!

 

[JoyfulPromise]

Just made these up today to donate for prizes

Oooh!!! How pretty! I would LOVE to win these!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: thank you now I know....
Sue I love your avy! as usual!!

THink I'm down to only 2 duck eggs. Stupid shipped eggs

awww I am sorry

Would love to have ya anytime!

 

[cree57i]

USPS saga, part deaux:

I reported on Saturday that my eggs showed delivered to Palmyra, WI, to be held at PO.



Called Palmyra WI PO - No answer.
Went to Palmyra WI PO - No box.
Rechecked tracking - Box was in Palmyra...Indiana.

OH NO!

Called Palmyra, IN PO - Box was there, oops, sorry, yes it was marked clearly WI, we'll ship it on.
Tracking showed box bounced back to Louisville sorting, where I am sure the box was handled gently and lovingly for its second time through that facility on Sunday.

This am, box tracking showed arrived in Whitewater (the main PO hub that services this area).



Tracking updated before I could try to pick it up that it is out for delivery in Palmyra - Uh, what happened to HOLD AT PO?
Waited, mail came, no box.


OH NO!


Called Palmyra PO - no answer, repeatedly.
Drove to Palmyra PO - no box. Shrug, try Whitewater. Phone died, drove home, got charger, looked up address, checked tracking, still "out for delivery" in Palmyra.
Drove to Whitewater PO, by this time nearly 5pm (closing time) - No box, Tracking now marked Palmyra, Delivered to front door/porch - 12:52 pm.
Got shooed out the door of the PO because it was 4:59 and they needed to close.
Drove back home, walked the perimeter of the house, driveway, mailbox. No box.
Drove to my 4 neighbors on this dead end little road in the country, no box delivered to them.




So... Shrug? My best hope is that the carrier got here, saw the HOLD AT PO, and took it back to Palmyra after their closing time of 4:00. It's too late to call now (and they don't answer, anyway). Otherwise my eggs are sitting freezing somewhere on someone's front porch. Temps just hit 32 and the sun is down.

Thank you USPS for 5 hours of trying to track down this box Saturday and today, with nothing to show for it but a sparkling clean and heated incubator.

Does anyone know if you can have boxes shipped to hold as other post offices...not serviced by Whitewater?

WOW! and I thought Memphis was the worst PO in the country. You've put that in perspective. So sorry for you and your eggs. This is my nightmare!