The Old Folks Home

[Arielle]

Quote: My kids would NOT eat our farm raised free range eggs--they tasted different!! lol WHen they became the ONLY eggs in the house-- the story changed. lol

We also use turkey eggs and duck eggs. Duck eggs make the best icecream!! ANd I hear bakers love them above chicken eggs-- so Dragonfly you might need a few duck hens, too.

 

[ronott1]

Some of you following the Easter Hatch Along may have read that I just hatch some eggs for the first time.....typically DH does this in SC but I was confident that I could do it...and maybe even better. Well the good news is I have hatched 11 out of 21 eggs. The bad news I have lost 3 and most likely 4. I am pretty sad about the losses. I am trying to revel in the success. I cleaned out the incubator this evening and found two had attempted to pip at the wrong end. One did pip properly but stopped. Here is the picture of 4 of the chicks.




I think shrink wrap was my biggest problem, especially with the last couple. My hatch took place between three days. The first day had the largest number of chicks hatched. I know you are not to open the incubator but I had to take them out because they were not drying off even after 12 hours. What do you do in that case? I think that caused the problem with the one that pipped properly but did not make it out. In addition, I left 2 overnight and had to take them out for the same reason which I think caused damage to the chicks that hatched later. The one I think will not survive now was definitely shrink wrapped. It was in it shell half zipped for almost a 24 hours and it could not get out because it was stuck to the shell. I am going to be setting more eggs by the end of next week and want to prevent the loss that I experienced....it is way to hard to hold a baby in my hand that died. I know it is inevitable but not 3 and possibly 4. I believe my humidity may have gotten too high as well...not sure. Any advice would greatly be appreciated.

You did very well with the first hatch!

Age of the egg; each day adds one hour to hatch time.

Size of the egg. The bigger the egg the longer it takes for them to hatch.

Another factor with still air, is un even heat spots in the incubator. very couple days, re arrange the eggs.

incubate ate around 40% humidity and make sure the thermometers are correctly reading the temperature.

 

[chickadoodles]

Some of you following the Easter Hatch Along may have read that I just hatch some eggs for the first time.....typically DH does this in SC but I was confident that I could do it...and maybe even better. Well the good news is I have hatched 11 out of 21 eggs. The bad news I have lost 3 and most likely 4. I am pretty sad about the losses. I am trying to revel in the success. I cleaned out the incubator this evening and found two had attempted to pip at the wrong end. One did pip properly but stopped. Here is the picture of 4 of the chicks.




I think shrink wrap was my biggest problem, especially with the last couple. My hatch took place between three days. The first day had the largest number of chicks hatched. I know you are not to open the incubator but I had to take them out because they were not drying off even after 12 hours. What do you do in that case? I think that caused the problem with the one that pipped properly but did not make it out. In addition, I left 2 overnight and had to take them out for the same reason which I think caused damage to the chicks that hatched later. The one I think will not survive now was definitely shrink wrapped. It was in it shell half zipped for almost a 24 hours and it could not get out because it was stuck to the shell. I am going to be setting more eggs by the end of next week and want to prevent the loss that I experienced....it is way to hard to hold a baby in my hand that died. I know it is inevitable but not 3 and possibly 4. I believe my humidity may have gotten too high as well...not sure. Any advice would greatly be appreciated.

Congrats on your hatch and I am sorry for the losses.

Your chicks are cute!

 

[gryeyes]

Eggs are one. They often sell eggs for less than it cost's the egg farm to produce them as a loss leader to get people to come in and buy the junk they make a profit on.

Has anyone offered to sell eggs for $3 or so and someone exclaim, "I can get them at WM for $1.98"?

Uh, yup. And sometimes "for 99 cents..." Fine, eat your crappy, unhappy hen factory farmed eggs. Your loss.

That happened before I moved up into the Foothills; folks around HERE appreciate good eggs. Plus, they don't have to drive to Placerville, Folsom or Sacramento for lousy, cheap eggs. Raley's and SaveMart -in those cities - DO sell "cage free" brown eggs for more than I charge, but one of my (now) customers discovered those eggs aren't nearly as good as those produced by my flock.

 

[wolftracks]

I hate when I don't have eggs of my own. I can't eat store bought eggs. Really! Didn't eat a single egg all winter. My kids are all or almost grown and my 3 oldest daughters never want eggs from me. That's fine, I'll hatch what we don't eat. One of these days I'll have to remember to tell them that the deviled eggs they all rave about are from my birds. I figure maybe I'll let them know at a time they don't taste the same, because they're store bought!

I live right in the middle of farm country and I swear the eggs, milk and veggies are all higher here than in the Bay Area. I actually wait till I just can't take it anymore, to buy potatoes out here. I can buy 2 or 3 bags out there for what I pay here. Sure hope my seeds all take and my garden actually grows this year. The last 3 years I've gotten pretty much zip. Out in the Bay I could grew anything from a rock!

 

[Barbiejo]

Hi everyone I am new to this but thought since I also am on the other side of the hill this would be a good place to start! I have 6 Easter egger hens and 1 rooster. My one hen has been crippled from birth, did not have the heart to put her down but am happy to say she has adapted and is doing well. Also have 2 goldfish a musk turtle and a jack Russell. Would have more if I could but in the same shoes as the other hard to get good help when we leave on vacation.yeah spring finally here getting out this weekend to clean the coop and may be some gardening!
Barbiejo

 

[ozexpat]

Welcome Barbiejo!!!!!

 

[Arielle]

I hate when I don't have eggs of my own. I can't eat store bought eggs. Really! Didn't eat a single egg all winter. My kids are all or almost grown and my 3 oldest daughters never want eggs from me. That's fine, I'll hatch what we don't eat. One of these days I'll have to remember to tell them that the deviled eggs they all rave about are from my birds. I figure maybe I'll let them know at a time they don't taste the same, because they're store bought!

I live right in the middle of farm country and I swear the eggs, milk and veggies are all higher here than in the Bay Area. I actually wait till I just can't take it anymore, to buy potatoes out here. I can buy 2 or 3 bags out there for what I pay here. Sure hope my seeds all take and my garden actually grows this year. The last 3 years I've gotten pretty much zip. Out in the Bay I could grew anything from a rock!

Hey Lady!!

Nothing like free range chicken eggs!!

Egg production is picking up here, yaaahoooo-- need to pickle some eggs today.

WOw. disappointing to not get any fresh produce from all your efforts. Amazing how each peice of land can be different. Maybe this year your luck will change.

 

[Arielle]

Hi everyone I am new to this but thought since I also am on the other side of the hill this would be a good place to start! I have 6 Easter egger hens and 1 rooster. My one hen has been crippled from birth, did not have the heart to put her down but am happy to say she has adapted and is doing well. Also have 2 goldfish a musk turtle and a jack Russell. Would have more if I could but in the same shoes as the other hard to get good help when we leave on vacation.yeah spring finally here getting out this weekend to clean the coop and may be some gardening!
Barbiejo

Welcome to the OFH. LOve your avatar-- too cute! 6 Easter Eggers will give you plenty of good eggs!!

 

[Highcotton]

Welcome to BYC Barbiejo.