Trader Joes & Other Grocery Store Egg Hatching Club - Are you a Member

[Chicadoodle]

We hatched exactly 50% of the eggs we set, almost all were fertile but had an average of two blood rings per dozen, probably from the cold treatment. a few needed assistance as the membrane was very tough, from either diet or the cold.

 

[alisar]

I set 5 dozen last week and candled last night, had 8 infertile, 5 bood rings. "Down" to four dozenish. I'm hoping to get 10 girls out of this batch, I absolutely love my other two pullets I hatched last month. They seem to really feather out and mature fast!

 

[Peep_Show]

On her third egg TeJae gave us one at 2.04 -- a Large egg!

These are great birds!

 

[ronott1]

On her third egg TeJae gave us one at 2.04 -- a Large egg!

These are great birds!

I can't wait until mine start!

 

[Kaylish]

I can't wait until mine start!

Mine are now 16 weeks...hopefully I will get eggs soon.

 

[olliegrow]

don't want to alarm anyone but a friend of mine told me in southern Cali when he had a poultry farm, his flock contracted MG from local wild birds, any ways he sais that he was a sellr to TJ and they knew about the diseased chickens and stated that the disease isn't contracted to humans so they are ok to sell for food. As most of you know MG is spread from hen to egg to chick so hatching out eggs from unknown sources might get you infected chicks. Don't know if anyone has had experience with this but it also increases mortality rate in chicks and unhatched eggs so this could be why lots of you are losing hatches. FYI

 

[ronott1]

don't want to alarm anyone but a friend of mine told me in southern Cali when he had a poultry farm, his flock contracted MG from local wild birds, any ways he sais that he was a sellr to TJ and they knew about the diseased chickens and stated that the disease isn't contracted to humans so they are ok to sell for food. As most of you know MG is spread from hen to egg to chick so hatching out eggs from unknown sources might get you infected chicks. Don't know if anyone has had experience with this but it also increases mortality rate in chicks and unhatched eggs so this could be why lots of you are losing hatches. FYI

The TJ's fertile eggs are from hy-line stock--Lots of us are not losing hatches--mine did very well.

I think your friend is fibbing to you--eggs sold commercially are inspected better than that and if they had MG they would take care of it because the hens would be less productive.

 

[alisar]

I think why we lose a quite a few is because the eggs are washed and scrubbed, and the hens are most likely fed feed that maximises output and profit.

 

[olliegrow]

He said once a commercial flock gets MG its impossible to cull the flock so they have back up layers ready to take the front line but they too eventually get contaminated with MG also.
Also said its very common in commercial flocks and not a big deal but was surprised to hear people like us were hatching store bought eggs ad should be aware of this possibility. A fib like that doesn't make sense to state so I never tried to hatch store bought eggs. Im sure if you do research or visit a commercial hatchery isn't going to surprise you what kinds of disease poultry CAN have and sold to the public...sorry to bear scary news..

 

[ronott1]

He said once a commercial flock gets MG its impossible to cull the flock so they have back up layers ready to take the front line but they too eventually get contaminated with MG also.
Also said its very common in commercial flocks and not a big deal but was surprised to hear people like us were hatching store bought eggs ad should be aware of this possibility. A fib like that doesn't make sense to state so I never tried to hatch store bought eggs. Im sure if you do research or visit a commercial hatchery isn't going to surprise you what kinds of disease poultry CAN have and sold to the public...sorry to bear scary news..

Things have changed. The commercial poultry industry is using a new vaccine that has gotten rid of MG in layer flocks. It looks like they started in 2012 using it and since they only keep chickens for 18 months of laying, we should be safe.

No symptoms of MG here but I will keep an eye on them.