Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[Marty1876]

Hi everyone!

Baby STOOD UP on both legs today. I was delighted for her.

I made goat cheese yesterday, and its delicious. I'm having some with crackers right now, in fact.

I hope everyone is well and happy.

 

[Coyote Night]

Hi Marty. That is fantastic news about Baby......

You are going to have to tell me how to make some goat cheese because we will be kidding in February and will have goat milk again.

I'm going to try goat milk soap one of these days.

 

[ChristineR]

Thanks, yeah, I am not wanting to get involved at all, hopefully. I'd rather just be an observer and trust that nature will take its course. I saw something online about removing the egg turner to give them more room and let the eggs settle in a more optimal position, but that would have involved taking all the eggs out and I honestly hate handling them at all, I've only candled them twice (I'm terrified I'm going to drop one).

I saw a video online of ducks hatching in a Brinsea Mini Advance with the turner still in, so I left mine in. They were set the afternoon of 11/30, so I stopped the turner on Christmas Eve and put all the eggs with the numbers up, so that I could tell which one was which (now I'm wondering if that could have messed them up, especially after reading the link that CelticOaks recommended). I've kept one water reservoir filled the whole time, then also filled the second yesterday (Christmas) with warm water. Since then, I've just been watching and spritzing a bit. Several of the eggs wiggle off and on and there are some occasional peeps. This is all very exciting (my childhood ducklings all came to us hatched), but it's also very nerve wracking!

They are all supposed to be mallards, but two of the eggs are bit larger than the rest, so I'm wondering if I might get something else as well. I had a nightmare last night that I hatched rabbits! lol

I have a Brinsea Mini, too. I moved mine into the bathroom and turned on the shower to keep the humidity in the air high when I opened the incubator up. It worked great. No one got shrink wrapped. I had one pip at the wrong end like that and had to help her out. That little incubator gets back up to temp and humidity fast because it's so small.

"Coyote Night's Painted Heart" one of our black drakes...... and this is why I love my Ancona ducks! They are just like paint horses

He's adorable!

 

[ChristineR]

Oh - and just a reminder to turn those Christmas lights off when you're asleep or gone. A house down the road from me burned down last night. I don't know yet if the Christmas tree was the cause, but it's a good reminder. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

 

[bhhastin]

The shower idea is a good one. I'll keep that in mind if I have to get involved. I really, really don't want to do that, though, I have no clue what I'm doing, so I'm afraid I would do more harm than good. I'm attaching another pic. It's been 13-14 hours since first pip. I did hear tapping and chirping and saw the duckling pushing its bill against the pip hole. Seems to get more active when I whistle at it, but I'm afraid of giving it too much encouragement, don't want to rush it!

 

[Marty1876]

Hi Marty. That is fantastic news about Baby......

You are going to have to tell me how to make some goat cheese because we will be kidding in February and will have goat milk again.

I'm going to try goat milk soap one of these days.

Its so easy!! In a double boiler (a stainless steel bowl or pan inside a pan of water over heat) bring the milk to a temp of 170 degree, stir often scraping sides. While its warming up, juice 2 lemons (big ones) or 3 normal or smallish ones. Remove any seeds from juice. Once the milk is to 170* F, remove from heated water, and add the lemon juice. Stir for 1 minutes, until lemon juice is well incormporated. Check in 15 minutes to be sure solids are seperating from whey. Let sit 1 hour. Now, put a clean old t-shirt into a colander or bowl. Pour in milk, and pull up ends of shirt and tie in a knot, then hang the bag from something over a bowl to catch whey, and let drain 2 hours. ( I tie with a clean shoestring and hang from a cabinet handle) After cheese is drained, scrape cheese with a spoon into a bowl. You can add Mrs. Dash, or salt, or herbs to this cheese. We like it plain, on crackers. You can cook with this cheese (lemon cheese cheesecake is great) and you can add mint to the whey and drink it if you wish. Bon Appetite!

I got a cheese press for Christmas, so I'm saving up raw milk for some nice chedder!

 

[Iain Utah]

Happy Boxing Day! Glad everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Marty,

for Baby!!

Coyote, adorable ancona!

BH, X2 what Christine said. Wrong end pippers have an excellent chance of survival, but may need a little help. No need to rush in, though. The pic looks like he pipped well and should be fine for now. Good luck!

Christine,

 

[Coyote Night]

Its so easy!! In a double boiler (a stainless steel bowl or pan inside a pan of water over heat) bring the milk to a temp of 170 degree, stir often scraping sides. While its warming up, juice 2 lemons (big ones) or 3 normal or smallish ones. Remove any seeds from juice. Once the milk is to 170* F, remove from heated water, and add the lemon juice. Stir for 1 minutes, until lemon juice is well incormporated. Check in 15 minutes to be sure solids are seperating from whey. Let sit 1 hour. Now, put a clean old t-shirt into a colander or bowl. Pour in milk, and pull up ends of shirt and tie in a knot, then hang the bag from something over a bowl to catch whey, and let drain 2 hours. ( I tie with a clean shoestring and hang from a cabinet handle) After cheese is drained, scrape cheese with a spoon into a bowl. You can add Mrs. Dash, or salt, or herbs to this cheese. We like it plain, on crackers. You can cook with this cheese (lemon cheese cheesecake is great) and you can add mint to the whey and drink it if you wish. Bon Appetite!

I got a cheese press for Christmas, so I'm saving up raw milk for some nice chedder!

So does this make like a cream cheese of sorts? I have done cottage cheese once from goats milk but it came out squeeky!

Good laugh when my brother stopped by and I had him try this awesome cottage cheese I made from goat milk.

The chickens loved the Whey.

 

[ChristineR]

Hi Utah! I forgot - I was going to look up what Boxing Day is a celebration of...

I'm getting excited about my Serama eggs. I'm starting to count my chickens before they hatch!!! So far 100% are still developing. Most are supposed to hatch on New Year's day.

 

[Marty1876]

Hi Utah! I forgot - I was going to look up what Boxing Day is a celebration of...

I'm getting excited about my Serama eggs. I'm starting to count my chickens before they hatch!!! So far 100% are still developing. Most are supposed to hatch on New Year's day.

Background

Boxing Day is a holiday in the United Kingdom and many countries (including Canada) that were once part of the British Empire. The origin of this holiday's name is not clear. In feudal times in the United Kingdom, the lord of the manor would 'pay' people who worked on his land in the past year with boxes practical goods, such as agricultural tools, food and cloth. These were often distributed on the day after Christmas Day. More recently, employers traditionally gave their servants a gift of money or food in a small box on the day after Christmas Day. Some people in Canada still give gifts to people who provide them with services