Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[1876 Farm]

Guess I didn't really say, I almost never candle and pitch. Just let them go. But before I put them in, I inspect closely for cracks or bad looking.

This is what I do too. If it's not near perfect, it doesn't go in. But I've only hatched my own eggs, I've never experience purchasing eggs for $25-50 a dozen or more/less and then question if I should incubate or not. That might be a total different story on what I would put in my incubator.

I have never candled an egg from my incubator, when the humidity drops I add water and give it a sniff test to make sure it doesn't have any bad smells. I've never had one bad so I'm not too sure what one smells like. I'm sure it will happen one day.. and that won't be good. I have such a sensitive sniffer that I can't eat eggs for 1-2 weeks after hatch.. that mix of egg and hatch smell makes my stomach turn. Oh no, I'm getting queezy.. blahhh

 

[babylady4]

Personally, I take the turner out, the chicks are too close to the heating element for my comfort if I leave them in the turner. I also have a fan regulating the temp so I do not worry about fluctuations either. My hatch rates for chicken eggs have been pretty darn good with my little styro bator.

Looks like you are making cat food for me Cuties! I better get my grinder functional!

I am taking a Six Sigma course........ OMG is it an eye opener for everything my former employer was doing wrong........... it just validates my belief the company is going to rid itself of that facility.

See Z, I was not the only one impatient to get gardening.....

Those tomatoes better hurry up, I have cabbages to start too.

 

[bigzio]

Patience is the key to success...I'll wait and just so you understand great results...some I'm still enjoying fresh stuff from the fridge....you younger eager beavers are still learnin..I realize that...

keep hangin around...you'll get er right and learn to wait....

Hope we are out of the cold and into the new...

bigz

 

[1876 Farm]

Personally, I take the turner out, the chicks are too close to the heating element for my comfort if I leave them in the turner. I also have a fan regulating the temp so I do not worry about fluctuations either. My hatch rates for chicken eggs have been pretty darn good with my little styro bator.

Looks like you are making cat food for me Cuties! I better get my grinder functional!

I am taking a Six Sigma course........ OMG is it an eye opener for everything my former employer was doing wrong........... it just validates my belief the company is going to rid itself of that facility.

See Z, I was not the only one impatient to get gardening.....

Those tomatoes better hurry up, I have cabbages to start too.

Does that mean you will be determining the Z value of your incubation process and reducing all variance in your process? Or perhaps to apply DMADV to design a better incubator?

 

[Terri O]

Hi all..just catching up before I head to run a 4H meeting. Fun one...Fair forms already. Next month are the horse forms for the fair. We need to finish our tie blankets too. I dont think I will bring them in tonight. I am feeling a really SHORT meeting coming on!

NOt sure what you said in that last post 1876...sounded like scientific jargon to me...only understood by scientists and people that paid attention in HS and college!

I agree about handling those eggs too much! Let them be. Every time you touch them your oils from your skin can clog the pores in the egg. Set them and let them be is my motto...which reminds me, I need to turn on the bator real soon to start the eggs for the 1st grade classes. This is part of the problem with the kids now--the teachers want the eggs at day 19 so the kids only have to wait a day or two before hatching...then they go on spring break and when they return the chicks (and duds) are gone. This might be the only time I do this...in the past they were getting them from Madison or Abendroths. I might need to have the chicks back....

OK--time for me to get ready to head out--have a great night! TerriO

 

[TommyDaDelaware]

My turner has a hole at the bottom of each egg cup. Last year I was hatching Guinea hens (hatched 40 of them in 2 hatches), I had 2 chicks hatch before I stopped and took the turner out. One was running underneigth and the other was stuck with his feet dangling out the whole in the cup (he was ok though).

But that is a really good point about the eggs sitting lower which affects the airflow and temp. If only a hen would go broody.

I appreciate your opinion, helps me in making mine.

Your story of the guinea hen stuck in the cup reminds me of when my mom went to take the turkey eggs off the turner/Tilt rack thing in the incubator so they could hatch safely. Well, she goes in there, turns it so it's level, and hears that characteristic peep Peep PEEP! of the turkeys. On had already hatched, and was stuck. UPSIDE DOWN, betewen the turner table/rack and the wall of the incubator, peeping. He hatched like 2 days early, and got stuck, but other than that, s/he was Okay. It may have been one of the 2 hens we had hatch... and maybe that would explain why one of the hens we had hatch that year STRUTS. I mean full out Spit and half Drum!! birds.. I tell you..

 

[jvls1942]

Hi everyone,

Terri, what is this world coming to.. instant hatches ? instant gratification,, no wonder there are so many impatient drivers on the road.. nobody is taught to have to wait anymore..

Just take those kids a video of the life of an egg in an incubator and let them see the whole 3 weeks in a 15 minute session..

maybe that is the trouble with so many people on byc who can't stand to wait for their eggs to hatch. ??

I had to turn away two women with eggs to hatch.. I told them to come back in about a month..

I am going to move my whole hatching operation into the guinea coop.. less mess in the house..

I will have to snag a couple of strong backs for the move.. I am still restricted to lifting less than 10 pounds for another month..

I put a new lock on the chicken coop door today.. guess what,, it is COLD outside ..
next summer I am going to take that door out and rebuild the jamb ..and pour a concrete sill under the door ..

I have to rebuild the pop door also.. make is so I do not have to go inside the fence to open it..

Mel, if you want cheap rabbits, go to the swaps and and small animal auctions.. they practically give them away..

I think the baby bunnies would fit through your grinder without having to cut them into chunks first .

.............jiminwisc............

 

[Sclark73]

I met a new chicken lover today, grandson to the farmer my son is milking for. I had to stop and meet him as they were bragging up his colorful chickens at the farm. He opened his coop full of BLRW, over 20 for sure. Well after much discussion I find out they were purchased from same person I nearly bought chicks from a while back, glad I held off. All broken lacing and many barely had any blue on them, split breasts, cross-beak and most had combs with a nipple on top side(not sure of term) brassy colored necks(hens and roos). He's quite disappointed as I would and is very interested in some.of my chicks if they come out nice. I told him I was just starting with a new group and had to do some testing first. I don't want to sell chicks with so many faults.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

Oh no, if you're talking about the breeder that I think you are, I just heard someone say the same thing about their BLRW from him.

 

[unkadan]

"nipples" on the combs are called "sprigs" or "side sprigs"

(a major comb fault in Marans as well as other breeds)