Uh oh... found an egg today! ... - A journal of sorts, from finding eggs to hatching them... Update

[rosewolf22002]

Thank you! My babies are almost 2 months old and most of them are buck-wheating! I am sooooo excited! I had 12 but a critter got 2 of them. I am wanting to buy 12 more around June 10th (new chicks coming in).

 

[PeepsCA]

I've got one white one that "come-back" calls for two hours solid before she lays an egg. The other pied pearl says nothing , but when she did her voice was much lower in pitch and gravelly, so she sounded like she said the "buck wheat" Or "butts sweet". The neighbors just call it the rusty swing sound. LOL

LMAO @ butt sweet

 

[Danisclan]

I am getting my first keets friday, there will be 8 pearl greys. I am already looking at incubators because I want to hatch eggs so bad I cant see straight. I have read and read, and once I think I got it, I panic. Is there anything I should do first with my keets, is there anything special I need for them right away. Can I handle them right away or should we wait? Aldo I would like yo know what the term lockdown means regarding hatching. I have heard the term constantly but didnt want to seem so ignorant. I would appreciate any help to confirm what ivd read. Thank uou

 

[perchie.girl]

I am getting my first keets friday, there will be 8 pearl greys. I am already looking at incubators because I want to hatch eggs so bad I cant see straight. I have read and read, and once I think I got it, I panic. Is there anything I should do first with my keets, is there anything special I need for them right away. Can I handle them right away or should we wait? Aldo I would like yo know what the term lockdown means regarding hatching. I have heard the term constantly but didnt want to seem so ignorant. I would appreciate any help to confirm what ivd read. Thank uou

Woo Hoo....

from San Diego....

Congrats on your new guineas....

The short answer is:

Eggs have a period of time in an incubator where you either turn them by hand or use an automatic egg turner. Guineas take 28 days to hatch. The very first day when you set the eggs is day (0) zero. Because they take time to come up to temperature. Same goes for chickens... After that you start at day (1) one and count out the amount of days your chickens or keets need to hatch.

Lock down starts the last three days of incubation. During lock down you stop turning the eggs and raise the humidity, (very important to not open the incubator these three days hence the term lockdown) this helps the chick or keet to move around inside the egg to chip its way out. So for chickens you do this on day 18 for a hatch on day 21. For Guineas you do this on day 25 for a hatch on day 28.

But these numbers are truly about ideal circumstances. Depending on your environment the eggs you get and how they were handled prior to when you get them. Even the humidity they were stored in. You cant know the variables. So its possible incubation could take a longer or shorter amount of time. But using the ideal figures you are given the best chances for success.

Believe it please. I am a true novice to this. All I am doing is distilling the information that I have already read. My very first hatch went in lock down on Sunday. And I broke all the rules for novice hatching so I expect nothing. But For my first incubation and hatching experience I am doing eggs that have no value. ie. expensive purebreds, rare and exotic.... hard to find. I am hatching my own for my first run at incubation.

deb "who was very excited like you last year about this time.... VBG"

 

[Danisclan]

Thank you so much Deb! I am do excited about the process. My
husband is a little worried about how many coops he will have to build.

 

[perchie.girl]

Thank you so much Deb! I am do excited about the process. My husband is a little worried about how many coops he will have to build.

LOL you will have to introduce "Chicken Math" to him gently.... Rule of thumb..... figure out how many birds you want and how much space you need and then plan on doubling it.

I started out with four hens a few years back and a coop that was six by six by four. Within a year my four hens went to thirty.... and a few guineas. All without an incubator.

Now I am starting over and started out with a plan to build a coop that is 24 x 24. This is to include space for me to work in the shade and an area to keep feed and cleaning supplies. so far I have it built out to about sixteen by twelve. All my construction is with modular dog kennel panels reinforced by heavy gauge aviary wire on the predator sides. But my area is high desert so not alot of precipitation to deal with.

deb "who has to do it all herself"

 

[daylily]

Yes bigger coops !

I think we will all need ones after this year of hatching! I have an extra coop that I had just bought. So I need to fill it before hubby decides to get rid of it. Two days in lock down mode and nothing yet. Day 25. Whew!

I want to hold them so bad!

Last night I dreamt that the electricity went out and I had to put the eggs in my bra to keep them warm!

I think I'm too occupied with this! Nay! Well when I start running around the house "Buck wheating or butt sweeting" We will all know I went too far! LOL

 

[Danisclan]

Omg that is tooo funny!

 

[PeepsCA]

Hey CountryChickens, where are you and how are those Chocolates eggs doing???? Enquiring minds wanna know!!!!

 

[StevenW.]

Well, I traded some eggs for guinea eggs and will be getting 2 dozen in the mail soon!
(Chocolate, Chocolate Pied, Lavender, Coral Blue, Royal Purple, White, Pearl Grey, and Pied) Those are the colors she has. I'm excited! )