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

[kapie9969]

And i imagine he hasnt done anything goofy? Plus chickens are cool,way cool if they came from the shelf of eggs ment to be eaten! Good luck.

 

[Pele]

Ok, so I set 4 eggs the day before Thanksgiving. I think I'm going to candle tonight to see how they're coming along.

The good news is that all of my e-bay Marans eggs are developing! Wow, I am going to have WAY more chickens than I need.

Edit to update: Just candled, and I think 3 for sure are developing!

 

[Pele]

update: The shells on these eggs appear to be too thin, resulting in hairline cracks, and even dents just from standard turning. I'm very discouraged by this. Has anyone else experienced this? I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, but I am.

 

[GardeNerd]

update: The shells on these eggs appear to be too thin, resulting in hairline cracks, and even dents just from standard turning. I'm very discouraged by this. Has anyone else experienced this?

I have noticed it is pretty common on the TJ fertile eggs. I am not sure how the fertile eggs from other stores are. For the last two years, I candle the TJ eggs immediately when I get home from the store, and before leaving them out to come up to room temperature. I would say, 50% are either super porous looking or do have small hair line cracks. Since they come in a 12 pack and a bantam can only cover about 4 of them, I just pick the best looking ones for the hen and keep the rest for eating.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Last time, my husband made me go to the store with him, armed with a strong flashlight, we stood there by the refrigerated eggs and looked for the best shells, LOL. I felt so stupid! He made me look at each one inside his hat which blocked out the store lighting. Ugh! embarassing! Neighbors already know we're nuts, don't have to advertise to the rest of the city this information!!!

 

[kapie9969]

I have bantams and the difference between standard store bought eggs and my bantams is substantial.Then again quail eggs are really thin.The bantam egg shells are thick.

 

[chickenfu]

Waaaaaagh!!!! I am so excited! Just candled my eggs (It's day 5 for me) and have lots of embryos! Skittles, my broody, is sitting on 10 TJ's. I can't be sure how many unique eggs I candled but only saw one with no embryo and looked like the start of a blood ring. My hubby wants to know what we are gonna do with all these chickens!

 

[ellandeeranch]

I started 24 yesterday as a learning experience for my new hovabator. I didn't know about candling first, but that's why I'm doing it with these cheaper eggs first! Glad for all the advice here.


Richard in Neenach, California

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Cool! thats actually the first time ive read of a leghorn being broody.Most of what i read says its bred out of them in search of egg laying without stopping.

I had a black leghorn that went broody twice one year and raised 2 broods.
I shouldn't have sold her.

 

[alexthechicken]

alright everyone 21 eggs have formed and are on lockdown tomorrow 11/27/12