Utah!

[corvidae]

Maybe shes a vampire

If she is, I want one of those! My boys would LOVE to have a Vampire Chicken. Personally, I draw the line at Zombie chickens. They don't lay very well, and it's very hard to find good quality brains for their feed. Plus, they keep dropping their feet everywhere.

Oh, wait. I already have one of those...

 

[corvidae]

Hey, anyone have any idea what color egg-layer I'd get if I cross a Maran hen with an Isbar roo? I've got that girl up in Duchesne in with the Isbars and I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to hatch a couple of her eggs?

 

[Cynthia12]

Hi darbygill..new here? Are you from Utah? Come on in and introduce yourself. We aren't that crazy, promise, just fun crazy.

 

[sundancenbare]

Maybe shes a vampire

good one

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Eggs are difficult to photograph. Insist that the photo be taken in outdoor natural light with a familiar colored element like straw for comparison. Even so, in this example, the olive green egg is actually darker in person as is the wheaten ameraucana egg. My lighting wasn't exactly right. The sun has to be at the correct angle and height in the sky for the best accuracy. Even so, if you are looking for eggs of a particular shade ask for an outdoor photo. Sorry you got some bummer eggs. Been there done that. Edited to add: A white egg in the mix is helpful as well for comparison.

Yup! Those eggs right there in your picture look exactly like the eggs I get from the olive egger, Marans, and ameraucana I have from your birds. Exactly The ones I have here, look just like that picture of mine...very light grayish green, not much color, quite pale, they were in my kitchen in the afternoon with just the sunlight lighting the room. I think even getting a shell sample is a good idea, but feel like a jerk asking. And I hate leaving negative feedback, I just as soon not be a repeat customer and slink away...but I was sooooo disappointed. Good idea to ask for an outdoor picture, for the amount of money I spent I would not feel bad asking for that at least I candled them and the air cells are all detached, floating all over, I did get extras, 15 total, but only 3 look like maybes...the others all have air cells that are so giant, way too much evaporation has already happened in them I think...but will set the ones that are not cracked and see what happens. Who knows, weirder things have happened and hatched A vampire chicken? I want one! haha!

 

[darbygill]

Hi cynthia12, I have posted a couple times but mostly been a lurker. I live in Tooele and decided to hatch my chickens instead of buying them so I can use it to educate my kids some too. I have been wanting them for a few years now and am doing it this year. So there ya have it, just starting out. I am going to do this like I do everything, crazy. I can't have normal chickens, If I'm going to do it I want special ones. I am looking at a mix of FBCM, OE and pure Americanas. But, since out here in this booming metropolis known as Tooele I can only have 6 bird so I want 2 of each breed.

 

[darbygill]

I have an offer in on some hatching eggs to ship next week so I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row so to speak, that's why I wanted to know about incubation humidity. Anyone have any experience as to how much higher it needs to be at our altitude?

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

I have an offer in on some hatching eggs to ship next week so I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row so to speak, that's why I wanted to know about incubation humidity. Anyone have any experience as to how much higher it needs to be at our altitude?

I could not tell you about the Brinsea---Sphinx and Auntie hattie use them so they might be able to help you! In the styro bator, I use the dry hatch until lock down (no water) unless it is below zero outside and the humidity is extra low, then I throw a small wet sponge in, the hygrometer varies from 15-35 percent depending on how dried out the sponge is. The marans eggs require a little less water than some because the dark coating prevents them from evaporating as fast, I have had better luck hatching those on the dry side (til lockdown) then 60-65 percent ish for all the eggs pretty much. I only started last year, so take my settings with a grain of salt, I am still learning too! Hope that helps!

Those three breeds you want?? My favorite top 3. Exactly. What kind/color of Ameraucanas are you bidding on?
If I could only have 3 breeds, that would be my pick.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

 If she is, I want one of those! My boys would LOVE to have a Vampire Chicken. Personally, I draw the line at Zombie chickens. They don't lay very well, and it's very hard to find good quality brains for their feed. Plus, they keep dropping their feet everywhere.

Oh, wait. I already have one of those...

Ha ha. I laughed out loud at this, picturing gimpy with no feet lurking about in the night.

 

[Cynthia12]

I have an offer in on some hatching eggs to ship next week so I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row so to speak, that's why I wanted to know about incubation humidity. Anyone have any experience as to how much higher it needs to be at our altitude?

Altitude? I'm up on a bench here in Spanish Fork. Not sure it really makes a difference. Just need to have that temp, and humidity reading right. Temp during incubation depends on what kind of bator you are using. Let us know what you are using, we can help from there.
Humidity, I think personally, in any bator, should be around the high 20's mid 30's. Old school used to be much higher. I even let it get lower than the 20's sometimes, I just don't worry too much about the humidity during incubation. Lock down, I only get up to the low 60's. Or to mid. 60's. That's how I do mine. I use a still air styrofoam. Seems to be working pretty good lately. I was told by the gal I just hatched my OE's from, that I had a 75% hatch rate. Not too bad. I just had another good hatch with 8 out of 12 eggs..EE's. I keep my temps around 99 to 100 in my bator.

Hey everyone...my miracle baby is sitting up and looking around!

I can't believe that chick made it. I thought it wouldn't last 20 mins in the bator when I put it back in..but she hung on. It has to be a she.