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

[cluck-cluck]

Oh, that'd be cool! See if age matters once refrigerated or, just more challenging, LOL I hope they all hatch!

 

[timothylee]

me too i have a very getto bator though its my first rodeo my bator is just a drawer with a light in a jar and 8 eggs covered in old t shirts for insulation and it seems to be staying from 99 to 101-102 is that ok?

 

[cluck-cluck]

I think so, your only issue will be keeping the humidity high. I don't know.... maybe a few of those t-shirts could be made a little moist? add a bit of water each day? but especially keep it moist after "lock down" or 18 days till they hatch. Use perhaps a wet paper towel (not dripping) on top of them, keeping it moist (will prob dry out fast) as otherwise the chicks could get stuck in the shell.

Of course, you'll have it easier if you live in a very humid place, like Houston or New Orleans... you may only need a lamp??? I live where the air normally has very low humidity (though we've had more moisture this summer) In fact, even in my 'bator, I have a hard time keeping the humidity above 30% Gonna be a challenge getting it to 60% at lockdown!

My daughter and I ate the last two reject eggs from TJ (rejected due to broken air sacks) and they too were fertile! 4 out of 4 "random" eggs from Trader Joes were fertile so I'm going to assume all of the eggs I have are indeed fertile. Now we must see if they are viable ;P LOL

Gosh I can't wait till next Tuesday (7 day point) when I can candle them!!!! I'm so anxious for next week!

 

[timothylee]

ok thanx for the great info if they dont hatch it will suck but i will try again so when should i candel them first btw this is my first time.

 

[cluck-cluck]

I'm sorry, but the eggs from the store are already traumatised so much, I highly doubt they could take being shipped again. That's kind of why hatching store bought eggs is so funny and challenging.. However, even if you are in the city, I'm sure it wouldn't be far to find someone with chickens. Find a feed store nearby and see if they know where you could pick up some eggs? Go grocery shopping with your mom and see if you can at least find free range eggs. Crack a few open and see if they are fertile, if some are, then others may also be. Make sure you get the freshest possible. You can figure out when the eggs were packed by looking at the date stamped on the carton. As in my case, the carton date stamp reads like this: 205AUG22. The 205 represents the day the eggs were packed (and probably laid) and the date Aug 22 is the "eat by" date. The 205 is the day of the year since January 1 = 001. So it was the 205th day of the year. You can google "Julian calendar" and find a chart that will tell you any day's number. Remember, this is a leap year so use the appropriate chart!

Every thing I know right now, I've learned on this site the past 3 weeks! Seriously! Keep reading, you'll learn so much if you read through the "Learning Center" at the top of the page! Have fun and good luck with hatching!

 

[timothylee]

ok thanks and ill keep that in mind land o lakes has free range organic i think will that maybe work?

 

[cluck-cluck]

EDIT: I dunno, I was just on the land o lakes site and it seems doubtful that their eggs would be fertile.

If their free range hens have any access to roos, then yes, it could work. I would crack one or two open and look for the bulls eye. If two eggs have bulls eyes, then you have a good chance that many are fertile. If one has the bulls eye, but the other doesn't, then there is still a possibility that some are fertile. If you strike out, well, you can always make breakfast!! (of course, cracking them open means they can't be hatched anymore, be prepared to eat )

in this thread, many people have found free range eggs to be fertile, so there is a possibility. I would go for it

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

For anyone that shops costco, I don't know how well they'll hatch but we bought eggs from there to eat. The wilcox eggs are fertile. I now check all eggs when I go to eat them. More then half of them were fertile.
Next year I'm going to attempt to hatch some as a project. Hoping to have/obtain a broody hen by then to make it easier to hatch.

 

[gabrielle1976]

me too i have a very getto bator though its my first rodeo my bator is just a drawer with a light in a jar and 8 eggs covered in old t shirts for insulation and it seems to be staying from 99 to 101-102 is that ok?

as long as those temps stay constent it should work to some degree you need a bit of humidity so use a bowl full of warm water in the drawer for now and when its day 18 per haps put a damp towel in there just dont sit the eggs directly on anything wet or damp. Good luck and keep us posted. And dont leave any container of water uncoverd cover it with wire mesh or something or the chicks could drown.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Yah, that's a better idea, Gabriella!

I'm so happy right now!!!

I candled my eggs yesterday and only saw a dark blob floating at the top, and according to a lot of stuff i found on the internet, at day 3 it should have had some spider veining. But today, when I candled them, I got my spiders!!! I'm so happy that I have a chance at getting some chicks from my Trader Joe eggs!!! Woot Woot

I'm so dang excited now!!!!!