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

[generaldsherman]

The ag teacher figured out where the murdering varmint came into the coop last Friday. He's guessing it was a skunk and is setting a trap.

 

[GitaBooks]

The ag teacher figured out where the murdering varmint came into the coop last Friday. He's guessing it was a skunk and is setting a trap.

We have a skunk that visits our barn a lot. It really smells and it loves to eat eggs, but it has never managed to get any chickens to my knowledge. Skunks aren't very good hunters, they are slow, not good at jumping or climbing, and easily startled. They rarely go after anything besides chicks or perhaps silkies.

I'm not saying he is wrong, just saying that you might end up like we did, catching a raccoon in place of a skunk. Actually we caught a raccoon, a skunk and an opossum.

 

[TJordan]

We have a skunk that visits our barn a lot. It really smells and it loves to eat eggs, but it has never managed to get any chickens to my knowledge. Skunks aren't very good hunters, they are slow, not good at jumping or climbing, and easily startled. They rarely go after anything besides chicks or perhaps silkies.

I'm not saying he is wrong, just saying that you might end up like we did, catching a raccoon in place of a skunk. Actually we caught a raccoon, a skunk and an opossum.

We had a family of possoms that we caught attacking our birds. My husband put up a hunting camera and even caught a red fox on film. When we showed the picture to a friend we were told that foxes shouldn't be in that area. Yeah right!

 

[Sambi89]

Quote: Totally off subject but I have to say it because I just found this out like a few months ago and I'm 26. It's Opossum. . . WHAAAT my whole life has been a lie. Evidently possums only live in like Austrailia or some crazy noise. Aaaand they get their name from the Opossums we have in the Americas. . . Sorry again but I couldn't believe live my whole life thinking they were called possums just to find out there's an O at the beginning. . . it blew my mind.

 

[GitaBooks]

Totally off subject but I have to say it because I just found this out like a few months ago and I'm 26. It's Opossum. . . WHAAAT my whole life has been a lie. Evidently possums only live in like Austrailia or some crazy noise. Aaaand they get their name from the Opossums we have in the Americas. . . Sorry again but I couldn't believe live my whole life thinking they were called possums just to find out there's an O at the beginning. . . it blew my mind.

Yeah, its just something people say. Possum is what people call Opossums but technically Possums are Australasian marsupials while Opossums are New World Marsupials (there are many species, but most of them look similar to one another). The only native Marsupial to North America is the Virginia Opossum, which is commonly just called a Possum.
Its complex. Its like calling a Zorro a Fox when actually most Zorros are more closely related to canines like coyotes or jackals and are not true foxes.

 

[Cynthia12]

I'm in!!!

 

[Sambi89]

Quote: I mean, I feel like I'm a well educated person. I graduated High school and two years of college. I have a good job and interact with intelligent people every day, and until my best friend moved to Iowa and told me she had an Opossum issue I had no Idea. I even said "ummm do you mean a possum Jay?" and she laughed and said "ummm,no best friend I mean an Opossum. . . " I've never felt so perplexed in my life. How does someone live 26 years and miss a letter in front of a word for that entire time? Sorry I obviously haven't gotten over it bahahahaha.

 

[Cynthia12]

LAST REMINDER FOR THOSE THAT ORDER SHIPPED HATCHING EGGS!! DID YOU REQUEST HOW TO COLLECT AND SHIP YOUR EGGS? IF NOT READ this please!!




HOW I PERSONALLY SHIP EGGS AND THE REASONS BEHIND IT ALL
Alettertoeggshippers.doc 30k .doc file
ShippingEggsTheSallySunshineWay.docx 175k .docx file
note these files are still a work in progress, thank you @Chaos18 for creating them
post #40168
How Sally Sunshine Incubates SHIPPED EGGS post #53845





Did you ask the seller for 1-2 day old clean eggs only, DATED? Did you ask them to be individually bubble wrapped,placed AIR CELL UP, wrapped in a plastic bag, BEFORE setting the lot in newspaper packed tightly so that the newspaper doesnt draw out MORE moisture in them, and did you ask them to PLEASE DOUBLE BOXED them babies, and ask them to be Marked FRAGILE SYRUP IN GLASS NO XRAY???? WELL, WELL did you did you hugh???

ENVISION a big five day air cell vs a day or two day air cell, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE during travel, the more air in that egg, the more room the egg can give way in there, plus a 5 day egg has a different ph than a one and two day egg!!!! we can blame usps YES, but we have to put some blame on sellers too and ourselves for not requesting what we deserve!

Don't be afraid to ask for your eggs fresh, and wrapped a specific way!!!! you are paying for your eggs, you are the customer! you want a good hatch from shipped eggs, its ALL in how you order your eggs and if you get them fresh and a small air cell will take that trip much better than a large air cell!!!

WORDS OF WISDOM!!!! if the seller gives you sighs or moans or excuses, DON'T BUY THEIR EGGS!!!! We all know what a fresh vs not fresh egg looks like, by the time we get our eggs we should have an egg that is about 5-6 days old after shipped or less!

An egg with a small air cell is a higher quality than an egg with a larger air cell. When an egg first laid, there is no air cell but as time goes on and the egg cools, an air cell forms and continues to grow in size because of the pores in the egg shell itself. The air cell can be measured by using an air cell gauge, which is a card that is held up to the egg while candling. An example of an air cell gauge can be seen below.

The following Word File can be used when ordering shipped eggs, it is our suggestion that you copy/paste/edit to help you get the best eggs possible. Letter written by ozexpat

An open letter to egg shippers.doc 27k .doc file

REMINDER THAT YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT
OF DAMAGED SHIPPED EGGS
SEE LINKS FOR INFO! https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-truth-about-insuring-hatching-eggs
http://www.jordan-farm.com/blog/


​

BIO SECURITY!
Risks associated with hatching eggs of chickens
http://www.slideshare.net/mahmoudghonim/handbook-of-poultry-diseases-2
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/biosec/consult/draft-ra-hatching-eu-ca-usa-aus.pdf




​

Kristins horribly shipped eggs and hatch post #57321

Man, those are as bad as my worst shipped.

I'm thinking it should be added..if it wasn't..that is isn't always the sender's fault. This was a box within a box. It had more paper on top, this photo shows the other box inside.



These eggs couldn't have been wrapped with more bubble wrap!



Individually wrapped in bubble wrap.
See all of that mush? :/




I wiped off the 5 or 6 that weren't broken or cracked..oh wait, that weren't broken, and had three hatch.


The box did not look bad. I have photos..so I could send it to the sender. I start to take photos right away when I get shipped eggs. I take a photo of the box first, then when I open it, then once I've placed the eggs in the carton. I let the seller know how the eggs looked, send the photos if bad..like this!

My bantam eggs that I just received looked good but one. It had a little shiny sticky spot on it.
Anyway, I have to wonder if putting .. FRAGILE on a box only invites some to have fun tossing it around..how in the world could this have happened otherwise?

Here are the bantam eggs I got a few days ago from Mothergoose. All bubble wrapped. With, wrap around the sides too.


Here they are after I put them in the carton..paper towels to keep them sitting straight up.
She sent 6 extra!

 

[mlm Mike]

Current Open Contests!​

Random Posting Contest: 1 more winner to go! (Winner #1 Loc20chick, Winner #2 Chaos18,)



Contest #1: Guess How Many Eggs Will Be Set! Ends March 1st

To enter, go here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ill-be-set-7th-annual-byc-easter-hatch-a-long



Contest #2: Photo Caption Contest #1 Ends March 21st

To enter, go here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...est-1-7th-annual-byc-easter-hatch-a-long/0_50





Contest #3: Flapper Contest Ends March 23rd

To enter, go here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-contest-3-flapper-contest/0_50#post_16514776



Contest #4: Edible Easter Contest Ends March 15th

To enter, go here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...annual-easter-hatch-a-long/0_50#post_16515623

More Contest will be Opening Soon! ​

 

[Cynthia12]

I have finally secured some Lav Ameraucanas for the hatch a long! So I'm in