~*Third Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatch-Athon*~ all poultry welcome!

[Alaskan]

Didn't some of you'll say that you do dry __HATCHES__?

The old incubator that I was hoping to use as a hatcher is NOT behaving, so all of my eggs are together in the same good and wonderful new incubator.

They are all different ages, and I am running it at about 34% humidity and spot on 99.5 to 99.6 forced air.

So....... I am not sure how to rotate some eggs and not others. There isn't enough space to put the eggs in egg cartons, and since they are shipped, and I was short on space, they are all standing upright, not on their sides.

Dunno.

Some were supposed to hatch today, nothing happened....

Point is:

Will any hatch at this humidity? After they pip, can I wrap the pipped ones in a damp paper towel? Should I compromise and just up the humidity to 50%???

 

[lsmith]

Ok so...tomorrow is day 21 for my 15 chicken eggs. I'm pretty sure I hear some peeps but no external pips yet. My duck egg is still cooking and moving! I had to check today and I'm so proud of that little guy. I also put my 5 mixed turkey eggs (thanks Arielle!) into the incubator. I'm a little worried about the humidity. I live in the desert and we don't have much humidity in general, I've put 2 empty butter trays in the incubator and there's a sponge wicking in one. I don't see any condensation but I'm hoping they're getting enough humidity in there. The closest store likely to have one is an hour drive and hubby doesn't justify eggs as a reason. fingers crossed we hatch some eggs!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Oh I loved them and were great eating!! Very efficient growers and tons of meat. At the time I had to send out for p rocessing and wanted my moneys worth at $10 per turkey.

No leg problems-- just too heavy to walk more than a foot or two during the day. AMbled back into coop at night. Up until about 4 months they were active; after this time they started to slow down . . . and then sit down. lol BUtcher couldn't fit them into the schedule in a time that worked for the birds.

I have two narrigansetts boys that I keep. BIggest of my heritage toms. Little pushier than myBR and AUburns. SOrry I don't have any experience with the slates.

THe heritage take a longer time togorw out and fill out. I don't purposely select for butchering before 9 months; and longer is better.

I have about 25 turkeys over 9 months, and I will be cutting back significantly. I did a lot of butcherig over the winter and clearly have more to do.I tried a couple varieties over several years and now it is time to make the choices.
I grew out my bbw hen to 9 months old & over 30 pounds live weight. I had her in with my layers until 8 months so she got a bit lower protien & lots of exercise. Her legs were nice & strong. For the last 4 weeks, I penned her alone in a smaller cage & put her back on my 24% "baby" food. She gained a lot of weight those last 4 weeks & was extremely tasty!
I perfer to keep my poults in with chickens until they reach breeding age. That way, they are used to being with chickens when I pen them all together in winter to make bird chores easier.
I have slates & palms. I have found that raising them yourself & handling/picking them up on a regular basis as they grow out makes a huge difference in how they act as adults when compared to birds I didn't raise & who weren't handled a lot.

As Arielle mentioned, my tom is the peacekeeper. He steps between squabling roos & if that doesn't work, he steps ON them until they give up & go separate ways. He investigates any disturbance in the pen. My roos have quickly learned that it's better to walk away than be stepped on & fights end quickly when they see the tom coming...lol
THIS is very true-- we play witht he poults as much as the chicks.

Yesterday I had a SG get over the fence, on the side the coote cruise, and she is pacing the fence desperate to get back. I hop over and corner her, pick her up ( no fighting) and gently drop her on the correct side. Sure glad she had been handled so much.

Quote:

 

[Arielle]

Didn't some of you'll say that you do dry __HATCHES__?

The old incubator that I was hoping to use as a hatcher is NOT behaving, so all of my eggs are together in the same good and wonderful new incubator.

They are all different ages, and I am running it at about 34% humidity and spot on 99.5 to 99.6 forced air.

So....... I am not sure how to rotate some eggs and not others. There isn't enough space to put the eggs in egg cartons, and since they are shipped, and I was short on space, they are all standing upright, not on their sides.

Dunno.

Some were supposed to hatch today, nothing happened....

Point is:

Will any hatch at this humidity? After they pip, can I wrap the pipped ones in a damp paper towel? Should I compromise and just up the humidity to 50%???

The proper humidity is a matter of location location location. THe key is to look at either the weight loss of hte eggs or at the air cell volume. Can you candle a few eggs and see if they are as large as they are supposed to be at hatch date. If the egg has not dried enough, there is too much moisture inside the egg and the chick or poult cannot hatch. THe moisture interferes with breathing and the baby is too swollen with fluids to turn inside the egg.

I don't increase the humidity if they eggs are not dry enough . . . .

TO day is not over!! GIve them a few more days. . . . .and read up on assisting at hatch . . .

 

[Arielle]

Ok so...tomorrow is day 21 for my 15 chicken eggs. I'm pretty sure I hear some peeps but no external pips yet. My duck egg is still cooking and moving! I had to check today and I'm so proud of that little guy. I also put my 5 mixed turkey eggs (thanks Arielle!) into the incubator. I'm a little worried about the humidity. I live in the desert and we don't have much humidity in general, I've put 2 empty butter trays in the incubator and there's a sponge wicking in one. I don't see any condensation but I'm hoping they're getting enough humidity in there. The closest store likely to have one is an hour drive and hubby doesn't justify eggs as a reason. >

fingers crossed we hatch some eggs!

Don't worry abut getting a RH right now, just go for getting the humidity up when the first one exteranlly pips. THAT is when the white membrane starts to dry if the chick is slow to hatch.

I went to bed last night with one internal pip( cheeping) and woke up 7 hours later to 3 hatched and fluffed. THAT was fast. Not always that fast . . . you can open the incubator and add moisture . .

For turkes I can get RH to 80% by putting in 4+ baby food jars with a sponge poking out. THe more sponge surface are above the water, the more moisture released.

THe desert is very drying . . . you may need to add more water than others doing the dry hatching methods. THis is where monitoring the weight loss of eggs or the air cell method is important and works for all situations . . . .

Fingers crossed!!!

 

[uphilljill]

TODAY is the LAST DAY to enter the CdM Photobomb Contest!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-third-annual-cinco-de-mayo-turkey-hatchathon​

Photobomb Contest
Third Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon (all poultry welcome)
​

Do you have a camera hog in your flock?
This contest is for photos of domestic poultry who've inserted themselves (uninvited) into your photographs!


​

ANY domestic fowl accepted!
Judges will choose finalists,
and then YOU vote for your favorites!

2 entries per contestant


Winner gets first choice of the prizes below, runners-up (in order of votes)
get choice of remaining prizes:

Prize #1
12+ Hen's Choice Hatching Eggs (donated by uphilljill)
This barnyard mix and may include eggs from Midget White turkey, Pearl Guinea fowl, LF Barred Plymouth Rock, and Barred Rock/BLR Wyandotte crosses (up to the ladies at time of collection)

Prize #2
8+ Olive Egger Hatching Eggs Hatching Eggs (donated by Penny Hen)
Maran/Am cross

Prize #3
Hen Saddle, size L (donated by uphilljill)
​

Contest Rules:
1. Open to all BYC members in the Continental U.S. (due to shipping of eggs.)
2. Contestants may submit no more than 2 photos.
3. Photos of any domestic fowl accepted.
4. Your submission must be your own photo and not used in a previous contest.
5. No photoshop allowed.
6. To submit your entries, simply post your photos in this thread.
7. Judges will choose finalists, and then YOU vote for your favorites.

Deadline for entry is May 1st, 2014 at midnight PST​

 

[LoveMyChicklets]

My turkeys and chicken eggs were set a little late but today my chicks are starting to hatch!!! I have one partridge Silkie out so far, 2 more Silkie eggs pipped. I am still waiting on signs from the other 3 Silkie eggs, 2 Polish eggs, 2 duck and 5 turkey eggs. I can't wait!!!

I had to go out and buy another incubator last night. Darn!! My Narr Tom passed away so I am collecting every single turkey egg I can and am going to incubate all the eggs in hopes of getting some of his babies. So since I have this incubator I thought I would just pop some more duck eggs and chicken eggs in there too! Ha! My husband is so NOT happy.

But then he turns around and asks me if I have any ducklings that are going to hatch because one of his buddies at work wants a few. Talk about mixed signals!

 

[Arielle]

Thought I'd share this week or two old picture of my babies

lol

 

[Arielle]

My turkeys and chicken eggs were set a little late but today my chicks are starting to hatch!!! I have one partridge Silkie out so far, 2 more Silkie eggs pipped. I am still waiting on signs from the other 3 Silkie eggs, 2 Polish eggs, 2 duck and 5 turkey eggs. I can't wait!!!

I had to go out and buy another incubator last night. Darn!! My Narr Tom passed away so I am collecting every single turkey egg I can and am going to incubate all the eggs in hopes of getting some of his babies. So since I have this incubator I thought I would just pop some more duck eggs and chicken eggs in there too! Ha! My husband is so NOT happy.

But then he turns around and asks me if I have any ducklings that are going to hatch because one of his buddies at work wants a few. Talk about mixed signals!

He's just trying to make the best of it!! lol

Glad you got come of theose eggs in the incubator-- the eggs can be fertile for a long time. eventually not every egg will be fertile, maybe every other, then fewer . . but well worth setting every egg for the next 3-4 weeks. MOst will be clear by the end but you should get a replacement. Sorry you lost your tome-- wish we lived closer I have 2 without a job.

 

[uphilljill]

I moved 7 CdM turkey eggs from the incubator to a broody earlier this week.