The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aaggjg]

Mumsy,

Can you repost about steps to ensure good hatchability for shipped eggs? Del too!

I'm not Mumsy or Del but I have hatched my fair share of shipped eggs and this is what I have learned. It really depends on how the post office handles them and no matter what you do after if they got scrambled they are scramble.....

BUT if they have detached aircells you can help them. Many people say do not put them in the incubator right away and keep them pointy side down for 24 hours. If the eggs are really cold I let them warm up before they go in the incubator..... I also start them in a cool incubator so they both come to temperature together and do not shock the eggs.... I believe the reason they tell you not to put them in the incubator is because they want them to sit still to let the aircells reattach.... I figure the eggs are getting older by the day so, I ignore the don't put them in the incubator advice but I DO NOT TURN THEM for at least 24 hours I'd say longer and this is why..... I had a terrible hatch of Lavender Orps shipped from NY to CA and by terrible I mean not one hatched, nope not one.... the very nice woman sent me a replacement batch and she told me an old farmer swore that key was not to turn them for a WEEK!!! I had read so much about the embryos sticking to the shells I was so nervous to do this .... I tied my hands behind my back and looked and looked and looked and after 5 days I couldn't take it anymore, I cracked and turned them. Well guess what I got 7 out of 10 beautiful chicks (2 eggs broke in the shipment). Not to mention, I could see the aircells were detached when they got to me, so I was shocked so many hatched! I guess all that sitting did them good and they reattached. I do dry incubation but never let the humidity get lower then 20%..... and then I bump it to 60% at lockdown. Hope this helps.....

 

[countrygirl74]

Aoxa, I vote local farmer's market. The chances are quite good you'll get non GMO there, even if they aren't certified organic. Small market farmers are usually growing heirlooms anyway because most people want that. Plus you can always ask them about their farming practices. Most farmers love to talk shop with someone truly interested and respectful.

X2

 

[Mumsy]

My father-in-law made me a brooder....I showed him a pic of a cardboard version and he came up with this. It's square so it'll fit in a corner, unlike the octagon one made of cardboard. I'll be staining this and hopefully get many uses out of it.
The panels slide together, and then when not in use I can just stack them and put it anywhere.

Nice job on this brooder box. I love the fact it disassembles. How about using the white wash recipe for stain?

 

[aaggjg]

My father-in-law made me a brooder....I showed him a pic of a cardboard version and he came up with this. It's square so it'll fit in a corner, unlike the octagon one made of cardboard. I'll be staining this and hopefully get many uses out of it.
The panels slide together, and then when not in use I can just stack them and put it anywhere.

I

I love that you can take it apart!! I had a wood one built and it has been sitting empty in the corner of the TV room for a YEAR

I hated not being able to see inside the wood brooder cuz well there is nothing better then chcik TV, So.... I was thinking what else I could use as a brooder and came up with the PECK N PLAY!!!
I think it was my best idea EVER!!! I got it off Craigslist for $20 practically new! It was so nice, I felt kind of guilty putting the chicks in it

but they loved it!



Oh and the other great thing is when you are done brooding chicks it folds up!!!

 

[delisha]

I'm not Mumsy or Del but I have hatched my fair share of shipped eggs and this is what I have learned. It really depends on how the post office handles them and no matter what you do after if they got scrambled they are scramble.....

BUT if they have detached air cells you can help them. Many people say do not put them in the incubator right away and keep them pointy side down for 24 hours. If the eggs are really cold I let them warm up before they go in the incubator..... I also start them in a cool incubator so they both come to temperature together and do not shock the eggs.... I believe the reason they tell you not to put them in the incubator is because they want them to sit still to let the air cells reattach.... I figure the eggs are getting older by the day so, I ignore the don't put them in the incubator advice but I DO NOT TURN THEM for at least 24 hours I'd say longer and this is why..... I had a terrible hatch of Lavender Orps shipped from NY to CA and by terrible I mean not one hatched, nope not one.... the very nice woman sent me a replacement batch and she told me an old farmer swore that key was not to turn them for a WEEK!!! I had read so much about the embryos sticking to the shells I was so nervous to do this .... I tied my hands behind my back and looked and looked and looked and after 5 days I couldn't take it anymore, I cracked and turned them. Well guess what I got 7 out of 10 beautiful chicks (2 eggs broke in the shipment). Not to mention, I could see the air cells were detached when they got to me, so I was shocked so many hatched! I guess all that sitting did them good and they reattached. I do dry incubation but never let the humidity get lower then 20%..... and then I bump it to 60% at lock down. Hope this helps.....

This is good advise..I have a few things to add..for shipped eggs it depends on if you have LF or silkies/bantam. The bantams ones you need to heat your incubator to 101 for the first 24 hours of incubation. Than turn it to regular heat. 100-99.5. Silkies need an extra day of higher heat in the beginning.
The biggest thing about shipped eggs is air cells and attachment. I get my incubator set up and going steady. Than unplug it..set the eggs inside (fat end up)and the next day plug in the heat. I gently check air cells in a few after day two and when they attach I turn on the turner. If it pushes it to day three I turn it on and just hope for the best. I do not handle shipped eggs like I do my own. They are more fragile and should not be handled. I check at day 18. I do not *lock down* until first pip. Air cells are more important than anything in shipped eggs. I put my humidity up or down depending on air cell development.

Humidity 30% till first pip. 55%-60% humidity after I see first pip or hear chicks.

Quote: I love this..now I am going to be looking for one to use

 

[Ashdoes]

That is so cute!
We have an electrician coming out in two weeks to fix the wiring in our barn, and then the ducklings will be brooding out there. A play pen would fall apart out there, but would have been great when we brooded in the house.

 

[aoxa]

No more bantam Ameraucanas then? They were so nice.

I only have the two hens. I would get more if I could.. these ones were imported.

It is a tricky question! Personally, I vote for local, but watch the highest pesticide stuff - strawberries, etc. farmers markets are good sources. everything is always a tradeoff, and there might be some things you will go organic, and some you will go local.

We actually found seeds from BC - Strawberries - that are ever bearing - and they are organic. It was so tough to find one.. I have them shipped out.

Aoxa, I vote local farmer's market. The chances are quite good you'll get non GMO there, even if they aren't certified organic. Small market farmers are usually growing heirlooms anyway because most people want that. Plus you can always ask them about their farming practices. Most farmers love to talk shop with someone truly interested and respectful.

I'm so glad you guys gave me your input.

 

[rowerjen]

Check out "the story of an egg" on PBS. Loved this short film, and I'm glad my eggs come from my own happy chickens who get to spend their days doing their chicken thing. Although if they eat my pansies someone's going to be dinner.

http://www.pbs.org/filmfestival/all-films/story-egg/

 

[flagirl]

Aoxa-local is certainly better nutrition wise. the organic in the grocery could be weeks old depending on where it came from.

Mumsy-you are so lucky to have the great fish an crabs. in the late 80's we lived in an RV and discovered your island for clamming and loved it.

 

[aaggjg]

This is good advise..I have a few things to add..for shipped eggs it depends on if you have LF or silkies/bantam. The bantams ones you need to heat your incubator to 101 for the first 24 hours of incubation. Than turn it to regular heat. 100-99.5. Silkies need an extra day of higher heat in the beginning.
The biggest thing about shipped eggs is air cells and attachment. I get my incubator set up and going steady. Than unplug it..set the eggs inside (fat end up)and the next day plug in the heat. I gently check air cells in a few after day two and when they attach I turn on the turner. If it pushes it to day three I turn it on and just hope for the best. I do not handle shipped eggs like I do my own. They are more fragile and should not be handled. I check at day 18. I do not *lock down* until first pip. Air cells are more important than anything in shipped eggs. I put my humidity up or down depending on air cell development.

Humidity 30% till first pip. 55%-60% humidity after I see first pip or hear chicks.

I love this..now I am going to be looking for one to use

Delisha why is it that the silkies need the higher temps?? I have had varied luck hatching silkies .... but that is before I learned the no turning trick. I also candle the eggs cuz well I can not help myself and it is SO COOL!!! Totally makes sense that you shouldn't touch them ... they have been through enough!

On a silkie note I saw that Karen of Catdance is phasing out her shipping eggs as she is just too busy ! Glad I got some last year! But for anybody here thinking about getting some you better do it soon!