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

[Chaos18]

Geeze. That is some awesome packing! 

Thats the Sally Sunshine Method of packing.

 

[NotAFarm]

First set of shipped eggs has arrived! They handle them special in MEMPHIS!!!

Filing a claim. Have been working on it for about 2 hours and the stupid thing won't take the pictures. Frustrating day!

This is a medium flat rate box. Why would any one use this size box to ship eggs?

You can get free boxes delivered to your house by the USPS for NO CHARGE!! Order a 10 pack of the 0-Box7 that are 12 x 12 x 8, they are big enough to hold a secondary box and yet not too big to go over the "size formula". Eggs, even packaged individually with a paper towel cushion, rolled in bubble wrap, inside a secondary box, with bubble cushion all around, with extra cardboard to reinforce the larger box, don't weigh enough to justify the cost of the Medium Flat Rate box and IT IS TOO SMALL to safely send eggs. I mailed the 7 box to Michigan and the postage was $12.45. I added the "Special Handling" for $10.35 so total was $22.80. Left here Monday, arrived today. All eggs intact. There is no guarantee of hatch, even with eggs that arrive in good condition....no chance of hatch for those that are crushed.

 

[cree57i]

cree, were you able to save any?? I was able to save 6 .. washed them..they had to be, I had three hatch even after all of this mess.

I was lucky and still reimbursed, by the seller, even though it wasn't their fault!

There are 3 that I can still see an intact yolk in. Since they were from the west, and would be coming through MEMPHIS,

, I had an idea of what I was in for. Was ready with the @ronott1 remedy.
I got the yolk off of them and they have been resting. Last set I got with 3 broken, I was able to get a 50% hatch out of the remaining ones. Those were packet to withstand Memphis though. IMHO, the foam just doesn't cut it.

 

[cree57i]

I mailed 16 eggs to the eastern GA. yesterday using the @SallySunshine method. Seller got them in less than 24 hours and reported they were the best eggs he ever received!

I sent them Priority Express and wrote syrup in glass on the package. IDK if that helped, but he is very happy with what he got and I'm very happy he is very happy.

Of course they did not go through MEMPHIS

.

 

[Penny Hen]

On a better note, though it is snowing and cold, both Coulsen and Agent are doing well and keeping up with their mothers. Buttercream seems to be getting around fine, so I'm hoping her leg strengthens on its own. I found a home for Acorn and Diamond, so hopefully more of my Dalmatians will actually be white with black spots. The two chicks that were white both died. I buried Canary next to Snart out in the field and finally caught up on some sleep. An obnoxius wild bird out the window keeps making the calls of a hatching chick, which keeps distracting me. I keep thinking the eggs in the bator are hatching way early!

I had one of those birds (mocking bird most likely) making sounds of a new born lamb one year. I kept combing the woods trying to find the lamb and finally realized the sound was coming from over my head.

 

[cree57i]

This is a medium flat rate box. Why would any one use this size box to ship eggs?

You can get free boxes delivered to your house by the USPS for NO CHARGE!! Order a 10 pack of the 0-Box7 that are 12 x 12 x 8, they are big enough to hold a secondary box and yet not too big to go over the "size formula". Eggs, even packaged individually with a paper towel cushion, rolled in bubble wrap, inside a secondary box, with bubble cushion all around, with extra cardboard to reinforce the larger box, don't weigh enough to justify the cost of the Medium Flat Rate box and IT IS TOO SMALL to safely send eggs. I mailed the 7 box to Michigan and the postage was $12.45. I added the "Special Handling" for $10.35 so total was $22.80. Left here Monday, arrived today. All eggs intact. There is no guarantee of hatch, even with eggs that arrive in good condition....no chance of hatch for those that are crushed.

My sentiments exactly.

I did Ebay for years. Packing is everything.

The seller accepts no responsibility. I feel confident I will get reimbursed after I find a person less that 30 to help me make the pictures fit the P.O's. stupid form. At least by the third time through I remembered how to save it so I didn't have to start over because it was timing out because I was trying to change the pixels in the picture (while I'm supposed to be working) and was taking too long. It is about time to take some Advil and go to bed.

 

[UGLYFOOT]

Does anyone use the heating pad method for brooding? If so which do you use?

I use it. I brood out side in a non insulated coop. For the really small 3+ days old chicks, I use a heating pad on top and bottom set on medium heat. I went to every thrift store around, to find old ones that do not have an auto shut off. You can purchase those from Sunbeam directly though. As they get older i only use the top pad. I got the idea from the thread quoted below. It is way cheaper than heat lamps, and less danger of fire. I have 4 brooders in that coop.

Ooohhhh okay. Thanks for clarifying that! But ohh I've always wanted SFH and recently isbar... Nah, there's an actual heating pad method and a thread on it!! https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update Although the basic concept is the same as the heat plate and there are some in the thread who made a plate instead of bending it into a cave but it's a lot cheaper. If you can't read the whole thread then just read the first couple pages and the last couple, there's been a lot of improvements since the original design. But yeah, the basic concept is the same but the HP is way cheaper!! But anyway, I used the method for mine and it worked out wonderfully!! The concept for both is the same, natural day/night cycles, more natural/like a broody hen, less stress for both, healthier, if you do it outside or in a cooler place they feather out much faster, no worry of fire risk, etc. I personally think it's way better. And the best part is at night they are QUIET. No loud cheeping!!!! @chickadeeNSC

I agree 100% and plan to make several more!

I would set them

I would set them.

First set of shipped eggs has arrived! They handle them special in MEMPHIS!!! Filing a claim. Have been working on it for about 2 hours and the stupid thing won't take the pictures. Frustrating day!

There are 3 that I can still see an intact yolk in. Since they were from the west, and would be coming through MEMPHIS, , I had an idea of what I was in for. Was ready with the @ronott1 remedy. I got the yolk off of them and they have been resting. Last set I got with 3 broken, I was able to get a 50% hatch out of the remaining ones. Those were packet to withstand Memphis though. IMHO, the foam just doesn't cut it.

That is terrible! Hope you get the 3 to hatch!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Skipping a lot powers been out with wind! trees down Welcome new hatchers!!

A few links for you all!!



PURCHASING EGGS

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
REQUEST HOW YOU WANT YOUR eggs SHIPPED PEOPLE!!!! post #4964




Washing, Cuticle, Sweating eggs:

• ALL ABOUT WASHING EGGS! post #10836
• The Cuticle removal in hatching eggs post #25379
• The Cuticle removal for those big eggs and Duck eggs? post #25379
• The importance of preventing ‘sweating’ eggs Click HERE

Shipped Eggs =
Change Of Plans how to settle, when to set and how to set and when to turn! post #53845

CANDLING EGGS

HOW TO CANDLE EGGS post #40826
REASONS to NOT candle SO MUCH! http://blog.mypetchicken.com/2013/03/31/5-reasons-why-egg-candling/
BRINSEA HOW TO CANDLE
Candlers/ FLASHLIGHTS TO CANDLE DARK EGGS & Innovations SUGGESTIONS post #38996



TURNING ITS IMPORTANT

TURN MORE THAN 3 times a day!! post #22178

VENTILATION (OXYGEN)

Hatching at High Altitudes post #37908
O2 deprivation to day 10 of incubation followed by regular oxygen concentrations leads to stronger chicks post #33815
NEVER USE VENT holes as a means to Control HUMIDITY especially during HATCH DAYS!


THERMOMETERS, HYGROMETERS & CALIBRATION NEVER TRUST THE ONE THAT CAME WITH YOUR BATOR get another or two!!

Thermo/hygro suggestions post #13998
HEAT SINKS/ Stones/Pebbles ADD THEM TO STYRO! post #43903
Calibration is a MUST:

WHY YOU SHOULD CALIBRATE and link to HOW: post #545 also see calibration in Hatching Eggs 101 TEMPS SECTION
Calibrate the hygrometer a video post #35121



INCUBATION TEMPERATURE

ADD a LEGO to your dial of cheap styro bator to make minor adjustments! GENIUS post #38133
ALWAYS run your bator a few days first for temp swings post #9129
Incubators with fans and without fans need to run at DIFFERENT TEMPS! post #31175
What is the maximum and minimum range of temp I can go before killing the chicks? post #12473
HAVE A PLAN IN CASE YOU LOOSE ELECTRIC ITS THE SEASON! see post #522
REPEAT REPEAT HAVE A PLAN IN CASE YOU LOOSE ELECTRIC ITS THE SEASON! see post #522

HUMIDITY Humidity is NOT a set number!

Its a tool to get the correct weight loss in the egg! post #8924 see Hatching Eggs 101

WHY do we need less humidity to get the best weight loss for colored hatching eggs during incubation? post #36320
KEEPING MOLD and BACTERIAL from growing in water WELLS during incubation post #1644
Trick to raising humidity in egg trays by adding small containers to egg slot! post #42512


LOCKDOWN, DAY 18, CANDLES, PIPS, ZIPS


MARKING AIR CELLS DAY 18, DRAW DOWN, INTERNAL PIP, EXTERNAL PIP, and ZIPPING post #35770
Pips and ZIPS ARE NOT THE SAME PATIENCE is a MUST!

UPDATE:​

I have pulled extremely helpful NOTES, LINKS &​

Informational Post Links from the Incubation w/ Friends thread​

for EVERYONE'S convenience and will continue to put them HERE:​

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/incubating-w-friends-helpful-notes-links-informational-post-links
​

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yeah, my next chicks I'm definitely going to use it again!!

 

[Cynthia12]

There are 3 that I can still see an intact yolk in. Since they were from the west, and would be coming through MEMPHIS,

, I had an idea of what I was in for. Was ready with the @ronott1 remedy.
I got the yolk off of them and they have been resting. Last set I got with 3 broken, I was able to get a 50% hatch out of the remaining ones. Those were packet to withstand Memphis though. IMHO, the foam just doesn't cut it.

I personally, do not care for the foam.