AL - Recording baby steps: Newest Addition

[glenolam]

I just use a flashlight.

My incubator is in the basement bathroom, so I shut the door, turn the lights off and hold the egg sorta at an angel to the flashlight.

I have to do this at night, though, since there's a big window down there.

It's OK to see dark at one end and nothing at the other - that's the air sack. Mine's set at 99.5* but honestly the thermometers a POS so I just pray it's accruate. Someday I'll get one of those fancy pants ones that monitors the temp along with humidity....

Veins should be the first thing you see - rotate the egg around on the flashlight and hold it at different angles till you either see or don't see something.

Don't throw them out if you don't see anything, though. Wait another week then candle again.

 

[AL]

ok... I was about to hit full on panic mode (why I don't know.. have another dozen eggs I've had on standby). I only set them this past Sunday, so I'll wait until later next week.

Yeah I set up in my parent's den LOL - too many cats and dogs at my house! There is a big window so even though I closed the doors and shut off the light there is some light interference. Gosh I hope these eggs hatch!

You think these I picked up during this past week will be ok waiting until next week? I was going to use them to replace ones that didn't candle well (didn't know it was going to be all of them lol). I am turning them a few times a day and they are in my parent's den as well

 

[AL]

I am "this" close to convincing my parents to let me go here tomorrow

http://pensacola.craigslist.org/grd/2221720584.html

 

[FarmerDenise]

Oh my, they are sooo cute. How can you resist?!

 

[AL]

I can't... but my parents can and they own the "voting majority" of our 3 acres. have to have 2 acres here to have livestock, I only have 1 but my folks have 2 so we share (for my horses). They only remember my bad buck Patches who would break out of the fence and terrorize my mom when she was carrying in groceries ( would hook his horns in the paper bags and rip them, then eat while she scampered to pick it up ).

I am working the nanny goat angle... no buck stink

 

[Greendecember]

They only remember my bad buck Patches who would break out of the fence and terrorize my mom when she was carrying in groceries ( would hook his horns in the paper bags and rip them, then eat while she scampered to pick it up ).

I am working the nanny goat angle... no buck stink

oh I can SO see that happening here!!!!

 

[AL]

No go on the visit for today... but I just know they are weakening . Now I am trying the "if tomatoes are going to $4/lb imagine what milk will be this time next year?
Of course... I guess if these are just little babes it will be longer than that.... but ya gotta work with what ya have lol

Have been out working on my "red" neck. Nephew had a baseball game last night and another this morning, so just had lunch then headed out to the garden. I was going to work in the dirt but evidently Buddy thinks I should add another strand of electric wire - he walked over my little onion rows

So fencing, set some carrots to see what they do, work with Buddy if I have time -t hen over to a friend's house tonight. Where is the weekend flying by to?

 

[Denim Deb]

I think the wind is blowing it away.

 

[AL]

no wind here just amazing weather. It was 77* again yesterday. My face and arms have sun burn but not bad. I need to start wearing sunscreen but I just can't, not yet.

So.. no goats here either. I worked every angle, even offering to rent a stall for goodness sakes! (figuring once they saw those little babies who could resist). They won when my mom pointed out that we have Bad Buddy who destroys stuff - fences, gardens, feed tubs- and chases the dogs, so he would probably destroy fences to chase goats. Then we have bad Rags the 'possum killer / rooster killer wannabe who is just big enough to cause havoc in a goat pen. So basically her argument was we can't have stuff because of a horse and a dog, who needs a goat to climb fences and join them in the chaos?
*sigh* I felt 8 instead of 38 LOL

Regardless it has been great weather, should be again today but I have to go to work this afternoon and get 'that' week started.

 

[AL]

My tomato sprouts are dying. They look like they are dried out but the soil is moist. Maybe they are in too much direct sunlight?

Ortho doc told me to limit the tilling to a row or 2 at the time. I laughed at him. He said I reminded him of his sister who blew her meniscus tilling and he told her to slow down - he said "I may be the surgeon, but I am still her brother so she thumbed her nose at me and went on." He said he kind of figured I would do the same HAHA

I think I'll try again on candling my eggs tomorrow. I kinda didn't time them very well. If they DO hatch, it will be about 3 days before I leave to go to Texas for 3 days. Should be interesting asking my folks to tend to 20-25 new chicks for 3 days

What a couple of days. Yesterday wasn't too bad.... federal holiday so it was not too busy at work.
Today was another story.
After getting off work shortly after 1am last night (this morning) I went home, fed the dogs / horses, showered and was in bed by 245. I got up at 630 and went to pick up my nephews for breakfast at the "awful waffle" (Waffle House) before dropping them each at their respective schools (about 15 mins apart).

Then I stopped by and visited with Mr. Old Neighbor and we started scheming how to get some goats . He said they raised his son on goat's milk and he sure would love to have some, but he just couldn't take care of them anymore. The plot thickens.

I left there after about half an hour and headed to the ortho doc for my 3rd injection (of 4) in my knee. The first 2 weren't too bad - not fun, but not too bad. This one has just about put me out of commission. My knee is bruised and swollen and hurts like hades.

From the doctor I drove to the next town to pick up some CDs a friend made of slideshow photos of my dogs. Then I went a little further into that county to get hay for Buddy and his ownership papers.... the little brat is officially mine.
Home to unload hay and stack it, feed the horses, take the dogs out, quick lunch before getting ready for my older nephews baseball game. Baseball game and then to work. I will be so glad when 1am comes!