got eggs in the incubator

[CheerioLounge]

I'm thinkin' I want a silkie too. Cheaper than an a 'bator!

 

[BarredBuff]

I'm thinkin' I want a silkie too. Cheaper than an a 'bator!

And much, much more reliable.....

I'm thinkin' Delaware right now, hopefully they will come through for me.

 

[Wannabefree]

I'm thinkin' I want a silkie too. Cheaper than an a 'bator!

And much, much more reliable.....

I'm thinkin' Delaware right now, hopefully they will come through for me.

They should!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I will have a hatch on the 24th of araucanas. A couple who are into some of our activities claims they put eggs in lockdown, but they keep them standing in the cart and not on the sides. Say they find they have better hatch rates. Any intellegence there?
I also put in another dozen araucana eggs yesterday, with almost 4 dozen eggs from a sex-link project I'm starting....first hatch ever with sex-links.
Oh.....and regarding origional post....the breeds you mentioned your friend has....if you do your homework, you can create a sex-link project with 3 of those breeds provided you use a buff as your red rooster. But first we need chicks....then eggs. Lol. So you got a good 6 months to think on it.
I got so much organizing and work to do. Repeat customers are already asking me about chicks.

 

[Wannabefree]

rhoda, regarding the eggs standing in the carton...I find I have slightly better results that way too, or in the least it seems that way. The idea behind that is that the big end of the egg is up, which is what they hatch out of, and being positioned upward allows them room to "zip" around and get out quicker than if they were fighting to get that egg top off while the egg is laying on it's side. The top pops easier and they don't have to struggle with the shell halves opening and closing as they push with their legs to get out. Sometimes chicks don't zip completely around, or the membrane doesn't break just right and leaves a "hinge" on the shell, causing them to have to work a bit harder to hatch. IME it can cause them to experience exhaustion early on, and then the chicks may or may not thrive. Now, I always keep them in cartons to hatch, or more recently, I leave the turner in(turned OFF), and leave the eggs in there. I have never had any problems associated with the turner being left in there and legs getting stuck in parts or anything. They wiggle their way out quite well.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Thanx WBF. Araucana eggs are supposed to be tough hatches anyway and I haven't candled, so I have no idea how I'm doing, but no explosions. I'll know in just 4 days. I will give it a try. I can tell you what I have the most trouble hatching is goose eggs. It'd be nice if I can improve on those.

 

[Wannabefree]

I've never had geese so I wouldn't know. The best hatchers I have ever seen are those crazy squawking guineas. 100% hatches MOST of the time. They are astounding!!! Their shells are SO much thicker too, it makes you wonder how in the world the little guys pip to begin with, but they do, and do it very well. I never had a guinea chick with leg problems either. Do you have guineas too? I can't stand all their racket and bullying when they're grown, but they sure hatch well I had a lot of success with them a few years ago.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Yes I have purple guineas and they bully the chickens, but haven't killed any that I'm aware of. I have a stall to use as a guinea coop, but its not closed in yet. I need to tend to that and put in my breeders and kill all the rest to decrease my expenses. I only killed 2 to try out. I must say, it was a disappointment. I did a sticky chicken recipe with guinea and put mushrooms, garlic and seasonings. I was hoping for something that would compare to all the ouhhhs and aughs I'd been reading, but it taste pretty much like chicken. I still have a meat souce, but a mean one, that is kinda wild and likes freedom, but it is cheap to raise, seeings as they prefer to free range and clean my yard and garden of bugs, so its almost all profit. I hatched a lot last year from my breeders, under broody chickens and then finished in the incubator.....I can't let the chickens finish the job because of the custody battles in the coop. Too many dead babies.

 

[Wannabefree]

Yeah I got rid of mine before they killed. I had 8 guineas jump on one roo and beat the mess out of him. Little feathered gang bangers I won't have them again as long as I have chickens. I don't like keeping any of them closed up full time, and I would have to with more psycho guineas :/

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I'm gonna mostly shut up after this post, unless its about incubating, but they gonna have to forgive us, because one subject, does kinda lead to another. I will mostly keep my chickens cooped and let my guineas do what I bought them for......gardening. I will just import some goodies in to the different chicken stalls I have, so they not too deprived. I give them as much room as I can afford, afterall. The guineas can't really be controlled as well as the chickens, unless you have them cooped, but then you aren't reaping the rewards you can get from them. I haven't been able to go completely organic yet, because if a weed grows, I have it and if a bug lives, I probably have that too. One of the downs of living in Paradise. Therefore, an animal that will not destroy my garden, will eat weed seeds as they fall and pick bugs off of my tomatoes, is very welcomed here. I think they won't be too much longer before they start laying again. ......hey!!! There we go...incubating!!! Good, now we back on track. Sorry everybody.