The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

When you candle at day one you are looking for air cell development. You can't see any fetus development.

 

[jlynnet]

I'm picking up BCM and Birchen Marans eggs today. I he has others available, I might be too weak to say no! I've had the incubator set up for three days. The temps and humidity have been very steady. I'm ready! I even made a water weasel. I noticed if I filled my tiny cup more than half with water, the humidity was too high. I'm really glad I've played around with it before my eggs get here.

Justine, Henry is so stinkin cute!

Mumsy, can't wait for pictures! Good luck.

 

[Ashdoes]

Saw this today on MPC, and thouht it was a great idea for seed starters, since we all always have eggshells. Fun for the kids, you could let them paint or color the eggs with markers too.

 

[Sally8]

Oh and Henry is home!!

Henry is too cute for words. I'm so happy for you and Susan.

I hand turn eggs in cartons for sixteen days and put these baskets in a day or two before lockdown so the temperature doesn't fluctuate too much. The eggs lay flat for hatching. I assess my eggs by air cell size. I pull infertiles or clears at seven day candle. I pull quitters (dead embryos) at sixteen to eighteen day candle. I"ve hatched chicks leaving eggs in cartons upright too. I had a bad hatch the last batch of Silkies I did that way. Keeping them flat this time.

Do you think the bad hatch was due to leaving eggs upright or just a bad hatch? Do you hand turn them air cell up then air cell down or just tip the basket/carton side to side? Thanks sue

 

[Mumsy]

Do you think the bad hatch was due to leaving eggs upright or just a bad hatch? Do you hand turn them air cell up then air cell down or just tip the basket/carton side to side? Thanks sue

It was a bad hatch for leaving them upright in the carton coupled with my humidity much too high. All of the Silkies that died in the shell, drowned first and second day after lock-down. They had large vaulted skulls and they drowned when they internally pipped the membrane.

This hatch is progressing very slowly but on time. My humidity is much lower.

I thought about positioning the eggs with air cell up at lock down but figured the chicks shift inside the shell before pipping anyway.

For the first seventeen to eighteen days I rotate O to X and upright. Three to four times once every six hours except while I'm asleep. Out of seventeen viable embryos there were only two quitters. That is not bad for Silkies. One of those quitters was stuck to the top of the shell at day six. First time I've seen that.

One of the eggs pipped right now is going on nineteen hours with no progress. It is pipped on the small end. Weird. I remember Del talking about her Catdance eggs pipping on the small end too. The four that are still pipped right now are in a normal position. I hope for more chicks.

 

[Mumsy]

Thank you, Mumsy, for your reply. I appreciate your help. I have 12 marans and I can't see much. I will try again tonight. The shipper recommended that I not turn for the first few days. How much can you see if you candle at day 1?

You are very welcome.
I put my shipped HRIR eggs into my LG as soon as they arrived. Many people advise letting them sit out 24 hours. My feeling is they can sit just as well in the incubator. I candled them upright before putting them in the bator looking at aircell as del mentioned but I also look for hair line cracks that may not be visible to the naked eye.
I do not tip or shift the shipped eggs once the box is opened and for two to three days after putting them in the bator. This worked for these eggs. At seven day candle, there were sixteen viable embryos out of twenty. Three clears and one saddle air cell with scrambled yolk. Considering how far my eggs came from, this is pretty good! I credit this to Ron Fogle's excellent stock and his masterful shipping method. I just did what seemed sensible the way I set them. Time will tell if they hatch. I'm always learning.

 

[kian]

Yay Henry!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Snow is finally melted enough that I could put out the electronet again. They are some happy campers with some dirty feet!

 

[arkansaschicks]

You are very welcome.
I put my shipped HRIR eggs into my LG as soon as they arrived. Many people advise letting them sit out 24 hours. My feeling is they can sit just as well in the incubator.  I candled them upright before putting them in the bator looking at aircell as del mentioned but I also look for hair line cracks that may not be visible to the naked eye.
I do not tip or shift the shipped eggs  once the box is opened and for two to three days after putting them in the bator. This worked for these eggs. At seven day candle, there were sixteen viable embryos out of twenty. Three clears and one saddle air cell with scrambled yolk. Considering how far my eggs came from, this is pretty good! I credit this to Ron Fogle's excellent stock and his masterful shipping method. I just did what seemed sensible the way I set them. Time will tell if they hatch. I'm always learning.

I just picked up my HRIR's from Ron Fogle. They are 4 weeks old and they are wonderful!! I also got some of his CPR's He lives 20 minutes from me, it was so easy! They are beautiful birds!!

 

[Bulldogma]

arkansaschicks - congrats on your Fogle babies! (Jealous!)

Mumsy - OOOOoooooo - can't wait for pictures of your new Catdance Silkie babies! Hoping you get a great hatch rate!

Aoxa - that puppy is the cutest thing! I said it before and I'll say it again - I LOVE BMDs!!

Sorry if I missed anyone - just another crazy day here. Went to a swap to sell chicks. Sold a few (not a great turnout) and came home with a paint Silkie pullet. Pet quality but stinkin' adorable!! I'll post pictures when I can get some good ones.