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

[Pele]

Unfortunately my solo egg didn't make it. I have no idea what happened and can only assume it had a genetic internal problem. He sucessfully externally pipped, but never made it out. Didn't shrink-wrap either. Oh well these things happen.

On a happier note, I'll take pictures of the four New Years babies and show you their progress tonight. They're hilarious and very intelligent.

 

[chookchik]

This is an awesome thread! As a kid I always wanted to hatch the eggs in the fridge. I had a little "situation" today and am going to try to hatch 7 of my own eggs that were in the fridge some for about 6 days and 3 that were only in since this morning, one from yesterday.

I'll be watching this thread with interest!

 

[chick4chix]

Will you want to see the pix of the males ready for the table in mid-May if all goes well? I'm getting a little better at processing, and I'm planning on having the males for dinner in late spring!

Ellandeeranch- ABSOLUTELY!! That is something I really want to try my hand at- since doing our own hatching will invariably result in more males than we want- and I eat chicken so makes perfect sense to me.

How did you teach yourself? I've been watching videos, but a video only goes so far before you've got to actually do it.

Unfortunately my solo egg didn't make it. I have no idea what happened and can only assume it had a genetic internal problem. He sucessfully externally pipped, but never made it out. Didn't shrink-wrap either. Oh well these things happen.

On a happier note, I'll take pictures of the four New Years babies and show you their progress tonight. They're hilarious and very intelligent.

Sorry your solo egg didn't hatch Pele- but would love to see your New Years babies

 

[chick4chix]

This is an awesome thread! As a kid I always wanted to hatch the eggs in the fridge. I had a little "situation" today and am going to try to hatch 7 of my own eggs that were in the fridge some for about 6 days and 3 that were only in since this morning, one from yesterday.

I'll be watching this thread with interest!

Welcome chookchik! What kind of hens/rooster do you have that you will be hatching from? Leave your refrigerated eggs out at room temperature for a day with the carton open (to avoid condensation on the eggs) before you set them. That will give you time to adjust your incubator as well to make sure it's holding the temp.

 

[ellandeeranch]

Six healthy little fluffballs in the hovabator this morning! There's another, but it's just lying there, barely moving. We'll see if any more hatch today. I'm going to take some pics when they go over to the brooder.

Chick4chix, I learned by jumping in and trying it. Today is our first attempt at a group processing with some of the FB California Poultry People. We're just up the hill by Gorman. Of course, the I-5 is closed again!

Ellandeeranch- ABSOLUTELY!! That is something I really want to try my hand at- since doing our own hatching will invariably result in more males than we want- and I eat chicken so makes perfect sense to me.

How did you teach yourself? I've been watching videos, but a video only goes so far before you've got to actually do it.
Sorry your solo egg didn't hatch Pele- but would love to see your New Years babies

 

[gabrielle1976]

Where are those baby pictures you promised us

I think I will try to candle my 12 rock island store bought eggs again today. They are really hard to see into becuase they are brown but also becuase there super porus.

 

[cluck-cluck]

They do act so shocked and wierded out when you mention trying to hatch eggs from the store or what not , I wonder if its because they dont want to think bout the eggs they are eating as able to grow babies

15 TJ's eggs into lockdown today! I started with 22, pulled some clears, and hopefully we'll have some good news by Friday!

Richard in Neenach

That's really quite a good ratio, don't you think?

Just checked again. Five pips so far in the middle of day 21. Looks like they're resting now!

I guess I'll have to post some photos soon!

Richard in Neenach

They're a 'commin!!!

Will you want to see the pix of the males ready for the table in mid-May if all goes well? I'm getting a little better at processing, and I'm planning on having the males for dinner in late spring!

and

Six healthy little fluffballs in the hovabator this morning! There's another, but it's just lying there, barely moving. We'll see if any more hatch today. I'm going to take some pics when they go over to the brooder.

Chick4chix, I learned by jumping in and trying it. Today is our first attempt at a group processing with some of the FB California Poultry People. We're just up the hill by Gorman. Of course, the I-5 is closed again!

They get tired, LOL. I hope the one that is just laying there is indeed fine, but yah, they look dead sometimes! I'm going to have to join you guys for processing one of these days! That'd be so cool! Can I join your FB group? PPPPPlease? LOL

LOL

This is an awesome thread! As a kid I always wanted to hatch the eggs in the fridge. I had a little "situation" today and am going to try to hatch 7 of my own eggs that were in the fridge some for about 6 days and 3 that were only in since this morning, one from yesterday.

I'll be watching this thread with interest!

I hope they hatch!!! Good luck!

I'm poking in again today because (drum roll please) I got my VERY FIRST EGG!!!!



Flutters was acting kind of funny today, she was restless and since she is so super sweet (seriously, a white leghorn that doesn't run from me, lets me pet her and pick her up, just a darling!) so I let her out to roam around for a bit in the back yard. When I went back out to check on her, I found her between the house and this old pool heater, way behind it, scratching out a comfy spot and sitting there like she wanted to lay an egg. I guess she didn't like the bucket I put in the coop for the purpose. Well, I took her out and had an idea. I have an old kitty litter box, the deep kind that has a hole in the lid for the cat to jump in and out of? Well , I put it on it's side, so that a bird can jump in and feel secure and private. Stuck that in the coop (after cleaning and filling with shavings) Then an hour later or so, I went to check and there was an egg! Not inside the contraption I built of course, but next to it

Well, maybe she'll try to use it tomorrow??

 

[chick4chix]

CONGRATULATIONS on your first egg, CluckCluck!!

Sooooo worth waiting for!

 

[gabrielle1976]

So I candled my Rock Island eggs tonight and I was a bit in shock , now after Im done Im sitting here thinking I must have just been seeing things out of wishfullness , but one way or another I saw movement or viens in 9 Eggs and what could be blood rings in the other 3. HOw I ask you would it be possible for all 12 of these eggs to start growing? These are shipped , refridgerated and were like 17 days old when they went into the incubator

.

 

[ellandeeranch]

Looks like we'll have seven total chicks going over to the brooder out of those 22 TJ's we started with. A couple of them look iffy, like possible broken wings or bent legs, but we'll see how it goes. Five look nice. Three are already over in the brooder and are thriving thus far. Sorta neat to take eggs from the store and really hatch them!

We had a Poultry Processing Party out at Neenach yesterday and did five chickens together. I had pre-readied one a few days before, and we cooked that one on the smoker for several hours, nice and slow. It was an older bird I had received as a donation, and was a bit chewy, but the breast meat was fantastic.

I think I'm learning that 16-20 weeks is about the best time to process these dual-purpose chickens.

Richard in Neenach