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

[bantambury]

Here they are! I set 3 duck and 11 chicken eggs this afternoon. I know I'm early for chicken and late for duck

but we are going! Lol.

HEY! were together on this! only two days apart in our set days! this hatch is considered as my cinco de mayo hatch.......but its a hatch a thon....so that pretyy much means we can hatch any time close to may....right?

 

[Avlana]

Here they are! I set 3 duck and 11 chicken eggs this afternoon. I know I'm early for chicken and late for duck but we are going! Lol.

Sweet! You have one of those lyon incubators. How are they? I was just looking at them. I don't know of anyone off hand who uses them.

 

[tommysgirl]

Check her eggs & give her the 4-5 that look the furthest along in development if any are developing. Otherwise, snag her a couple chicks from TSC or a local BYCer.

Thanks, that's is exactly what I did. I left 6 that looked full but I didn't see movement. She may have broken though

I guess if that is true my problem would be in finding her a friend.

 

[Alaskan]

Howdy all! I will try to join in.

No turkeys though.

Only chickens, and I can't get them all in on the same day. I have some that started today, some will start tomorrow, and after that two more sets.

To sum up:

I just started up the incubator today, more eggs are showing up today (so they will go on tomorrow) one more set of eggs is in the mail, be here hopefully on Saturday, and then one other person is supposed to send me a set, but those aren't yet mailed.

This is not my first hatch, but my first SHIPPED EGGS! I had read all of the warning etc. etc. and KNEW what I was getting into. But it is heartbreaking to see all of the smushed eggs.

The first set, out of 24 eggs, two were only a bit cracked (sealed with beeswax) and 13 were solid. I did have to put many of them briefly in water and wipe off, since some were covered in egg yolk, and I KNOW that is a big no no. But I thought being coated in egg yolk would certainly equal bacterial infection. I don't know.

The packaging was BEAUTIFUL, double boxed, eggs individually bubble wrapped etc. etc. also, the box looked perfect, not mushed or smashed or ANY exterior damage. It was odd really, that any were broken. The only thing that I can think is that they tossed it ever so gently out of a second story window.

Anyway, the first set are/were Dominiques, from a very nice breeder. Pretty birds with small wattles.

 

[HEChicken]

I'm late to this party but I've participated the last two years so....why not this year too?

I have an incubator full of turkey eggs that only have 12 days to go and I just set another 18 an hour ago that will hatch 3 days past the May 5th "suggested date". So I'll hatch-a-long with y'all.

The first group to hatch will be Black Spanish, Bourbon Red and Royal Palm, and possibly some Royal Palm/Bourbon Red crosses.

 

[lsmith]

I agree! Hatch near May and you're in!! Lol

HEY! were together on this! only two days apart in our set days! this hatch is considered as my cinco de mayo hatch.......but its a hatch a thon....so that pretyy much means we can hatch any time close to may....right?

 

[lsmith]

Sweet! You have one of those lyon incubators. How are they? I was just looking at them. I don't know of anyone off hand who uses them.

It belongs to my school. I haven't ever used it, but supposedly it's hatched many a chick. They bought it in 1988 and it still works. I started it up 2 days ago and it's keeping temp like a dream. It's sort of amazing. But super loud and the eggs vibrate in the trays. I'm not sure if that's okay, but we shall see.

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Well all 4 of my Ancona ducks are developing and I got 25 more today to out in around midnight. So my total will go to 29 and then I should be getting chicken, duck, and goose eggs tomorrow.

 

[Wisher1000]

Howdy all! I will try to join in.

No turkeys though.

Only chickens, and I can't get them all in on the same day. I have some that started today, some will start tomorrow, and after that two more sets.

Welcome, Alaskan! You will fit in quite well here! We love to laugh and have fun and keep up some kind of foolishness most of the time. I am sorry to hear about your eggs and hope that you get a decent hatch from the rest. By the way, what kind of straight jacket would you prefer?

 

[ChooksChick]

I have to brag on my local PO. They are wonderful. Really, it's just two ladies that do it all in the small rural PO. One, the postmistress, knows just about everyone by first name and is super efficient and helpful. The other does delivery. Come to think of it, there may be more than one person/route out of our PO, but I wouldn't know the other(s.) When I have eggs coming, I have the seller write my phone # on the box and "Please call for customer pick-up." I then call the PO and give them a heads up that the eggs are coming. When the box comes in, the postmistress will call me, but always offers to have the route lady bring it to the door, even if she has already started her route. They are just great!

Edited for subject/verb agreement

Yes, I almost always mark to HOLD- here's why:

The postal carrier is never going to go straight to my customer's door. Those eggs are going to go bobbing along ALL DAY in that little vehicle, bumping along the rural roads in some cases, getting parked for long periods while the carrier walks his route in suburb situations. The parked vehicle doesn't actively have climate control, so the eggs either bake or freeze. I think that a lot of the damage in a shipped set comes from this las leg of delivery, even if the carrier is careful. The won't be going directly there, right??

If someone has a special circumstance, clearly delivery must be made, but it should be clear to the driver what they carry.

Hey everyone! I know I am WAYYYY early for chicken eggs.....LOL but I guess im counting this as my hatch for this hatch athon....I set 3 polish under my broody on the 8th.....its WAYYY EARLY but it will do for me since I cant hatch may anyway! hahahah
**promised myself not to open up the incubator until the first day of summer**

@ChooksChick
I would like to join.....is it okay if im 6 days off on the chicken set date? or can I not participate in the HAT if im that spread out?

my broody was a ticking time bomb....she was broody for 10 days before I set under her so I had to put eggs under her ASAP

Heck yeah! Join! No rules or regs in this here loony bunch!! We just hope everyone is at least enjoying themselves! That's the one requirement...if you're hating on us you can change the channel, right? Having fun? Perfect. Don't care if you're hatching lizards or ideas for a new paint job in your living room. Have fun.

Your girl is probably going to get up and dance when they hatch after a wait like that...we may require video!!

Howdy all! I will try to join in.

No turkeys though.

Only chickens, and I can't get them all in on the same day. I have some that started today, some will start tomorrow, and after that two more sets.

To sum up:

I just started up the incubator today, more eggs are showing up today (so they will go on tomorrow) one more set of eggs is in the mail, be here hopefully on Saturday, and then one other person is supposed to send me a set, but those aren't yet mailed.

This is not my first hatch, but my first SHIPPED EGGS! I had read all of the warning etc. etc. and KNEW what I was getting into. But it is heartbreaking to see all of the smushed eggs.

The first set, out of 24 eggs, two were only a bit cracked (sealed with beeswax) and 13 were solid. I did have to put many of them briefly in water and wipe off, since some were covered in egg yolk, and I KNOW that is a big no no. But I thought being coated in egg yolk would certainly equal bacterial infection. I don't know.

The packaging was BEAUTIFUL, double boxed, eggs individually bubble wrapped etc. etc. also, the box looked perfect, not mushed or smashed or ANY exterior damage. It was odd really, that any were broken. The only thing that I can think is that they tossed it ever so gently out of a second story window.

Anyway, the first set are/were Dominiques, from a very nice breeder. Pretty birds with small wattles.

Excellent! So here's part 2 of the shipping diatribe:

The eggs must be taped together as a single pack of eggs and packed within the inner box so they can't move. This is why I use foam. No movement means eggs won't break. So, bubble wrapped, then placed fat end up, then taped as a whole, then packed with excellent cushion under and over in a small box, packed tightly in a large box with lots of packing material for crush and shock space.

I had one box with a squished corner and TIRE TREAD marks on it- flat corner, really, and the eggs were fine!

If your seller doesn't use foam, you can get LaMike here on BYC to ship some right to them- he makes it so it fits perfect in the #4 free boxes made by the PO, and those get boxed into the #7 free boxes for shipment. Makes all the difference in the world!!