I did it for the money so I could move out of CA and have my own place and raise chickens, and have a huge garden. The money was NOT there, it left me in ruin.
Anyway.. enough of that.. I'm HOME and that's all that matters! I WILL build my chicken biz, even if it's underground. LOL
Incubating eggs for the first time... ALOT of questions
She owed her soul to the company store....
arrrghhhhh name that tune!
Yeah, truckin' kinda tanked with the rest of the economy, didn't it? Foo. Well, hang in there, ZZ. It took me 15 years to get situated on my place, so persistence pays off.
Lavender Ameraucaunas may be the new source of income. Be the first to get them out there!
Thank you.. yes, they are gonna be really nice... and what I love to do all the time... not just part time!
I'll be watching for your ads.
Put me and Billy down for the first on the list ZZ PLEASE
Claire I love the pictures... Thanks for sharing.
I love this group... To the sounds of Toby Keith.. I love this bar...
lolol!!! Singin'!!
Candeling tonight... and if nothing, backup plan is get chicks on Friday night, hide them until the Billy goes to bed, set up Chick TV and when they wake up we have chicks... Leave some broken shells in bator until they boys get up and we discover Babies in the TV... Then clean bator and try again... LOLOL Hoping I dont have to use backup plan.. OH wait what am I saying, I already ordered 4 and will get them tomorrow..
I can't wait to hear the results of the candling!
Except it's been a very long day and I'm going to bed, so I guess I'll have to. I sure hope it's good news when I wake up tomorrow!
=0)
Oh gosh..Me too Jay.. I'm so sleepy.. I'll check in first thing in the morning.. Good Night!~
I'm still up, do post the results.
I'm trying to wait.. but i just can't do it. I'm way too sleepy. Falling asleep on my keyboard actually. Check later.
Ok had an issue here, nothing with the eggs, but we are minus Billy's puppy he is in heaven with my other dog Tiny. I told Billy I had to go do chores, and when I got back he was upset I did not let him go with me. So I told him I flew up to heaven to see god and take Zipper so he can play with Tiny, and I needed him to stay down here with Boozer and Blackie and the rest of the animals. He is ok with that.
So half hearted I grabbed 4 eggs to candle them. 3 look clear, I can see the yolk but no veins, but one has promise of veins and is darker then the rest on the inside. so I popped the 4 back in there and am on the hunt for the link that showed pictures of a candled egg.. I have almost decided to let God decide, and leave them in there for the recomended 28 days and be suprised.
I will bring home the 4 chicks I have set aside at the feed store, so atleast we can have chick tv and that may take his mind off of Zipper. Maybe tomorrow I will feel better and want to candle the others.
Now off to find the link...
Dropping off some information I found while searching for those candeling picture....
The usual advice is to keep the RH at ~55-60% during the incubation, 70% during the hatch (it will go higher due to the moisture released during the hatch and that is okay).
The chicks should stay in the incubator for at least 24 hours (this is suppose to be the best practice and prevent later health problems). All the eggs usually hatch within 48 hours--and the chicks will be fine for that long...but if you want to, you can quickly take some number out after 24 hours. But do them all at once...the problem comes when you keep opening the incubator to take out chicks. Doing it once is not too bad as long as you keep the RH up. Higher temps, in my experience, hurries the hatch, but some books say that the temp can drop as low as 95 F without harming the hatch (that is only during the hatch...not the incubation)...but you really do not want the RH to drop as it will harden the egg membranes and make it impossible for the chicks to break out (they sort of become "shrink wrapped" and unable to move).
MsJestr I'm so sorry for the loss of your puppy! That is so sad.
About the eggs, that might mean that only one was fertile.. doesn't mean you did anything wrong... It could be a number of things.. but yes, by all means leave them in.. you might get surprised.
At least you have one that is for sure developing!
That's good info on the link.
My heart goes out to you and Dear Billy.
What happened with the puppy? I must have missed something... condolences to you and Billy. =0(
Great that for sure one of the eggs is developing and 4 chicks are coming home this week... yay! chick TV.
I'll bet chickens are a lot like other animals.... don't settle well in the dead of winter. Being photoperiodic, it won't matter what the temp is, what matters is the amount of light to them. You'll get more fertile eggs as the light grows, I'll lay dollars to donuts.
Jay,
A coyote got him :( I don't know if she posted that here; she did let us know on Facebook.
Oh bummer. =0(
Actually 6 chicks came home today... 3 Buff, 2 (dont remember the name but they were cute) and one Polish with a grey top pluff.. Happy in the big aqiarium in my room bothering the cat and dog. I keep checking the light and there is space where they can get away from it if it is too warm...
I will move them in the front room tomorrow, but was too tired tonight.
Traps are set again, and well the gun is loaded and I am picking up a shotgun tomorrow... Let then buggers come back, and they are &%@#... I mean out of here... Billy it taking it great, he said this morning he see's Zipper in Heaven smiling down on him... Sometimes the Dork knows just how to take my breath away...
oo i missed on FB that the puppy got taken! I'm so very sorry.
our chicks are in the aquariam next to the bed here. Where we can watch them.
The two I didnt remember was Black Althroup (Not sure about the spelling) The kept me up half the night, between them chirping and the dog and cat watching... Billy is napping in my room now and went to sleep watchin Chick Tv... LOL
Austrolorp?
Australorp.
Aaaah.
Wouldn't want to get busted by the spelling police. Thanks, Catsy. =0)
I always thought black chickens just looked so darn HOT in NM... I know I don't wear black in the summer.
Close call....the spelling police were still sleeping...
Oh crud, my bad, I spelled it wrong all around... and in another link... Wait Billy did it..LOL it was between them and Barred Rocks, and I remember the rocks I had tried to get him, and so I thought we would try a different breed and the lady at the store said they were gentle...
The Spelling Police sleep?
Australorp are very nice, quiet birds. They do need shade, though, in the summer...not that they are sensitive to heat, but they are black.
Yeah, little feathered solar collectors...
What you need is some white Brahma hens, or some nice Buff Orpingtons... Something sensibly dressed for the AZ desert. LOL
o no!!! she's got coyotes, foxes & hawks... those think white chickens are little White "come eat me" flags.. stay away from white. Just build more shade spots!
I learned the hard way.... Darker chickens (not necessarily black just darker than white) are less likely to get eaten. I'm going to build a roof... kinda like you put over a patio over a section of the coop... to give them more shade. Hopefully before July & the 100 degree temps get here. :)
I have 3 of the Buff's and both chicken coops are well shaded, I made sure of that...
Now using a good browser that will tell me I have a misspelled word as soon as I type it, so the spelling patrol can rest
OK More questions... On the calender Monday it says turn off the turner, does it lift out?
If so do I lay the eggs on the bottom and dont turn them? Thursday is the day marked that they should hatch, we shall see.
I have been keeping water in it, and the sponges are standing by, I have the RH up to a constant 62% going for 70 by Monday.
Do I have to do anything if I am lucky to get baby chicks for the first 24 hours?
Do they stay in the bater for that long? then I am thinking I need a separate tank for them not with the older babies for a few days.
Do I need to get something for the first meal?
Just leave the turner in there.. they can hatch right there. You turn it off so the chick can get into position.
You probably won't have to do anything the first 24 hours except watch and fight the urge to pick them up.
They ARE supposed to stay in there that long... gives em a chance to learn to stand and dry off.. refer to same answer above. LOL
Yes, you will need an individual tank for the first few days. Something with a flat bottom so they don't roll down into the corners and can't get up. I use paper towels for the floor and sprinkle a tiny bit of feed around so they can learn to peck at it.
You could boil a couple of eggs to have some egg yolk available. I always start mine on it.. but they will be fine if you don't have it. Just Chick Starter is fine. Some grind it up for the first few days, I don't. There is plenty of small pieces available. A small lid or something fairly shallow for the feeding area.. and sprinkles all around the sleeping area.
You will need to put some marbles or rocks in the waterer so they don't have any big surface area to fall into and drown. They fall asleep in the strangest places!
I like to set the light in a place that they can get away from it on all sides... Like so they don't get stuck in a corner and cook... they will know to move away from the heat or move to it when they need.
Keep the questions comin!! This is so fun! I'm here with ya!!
Opps I asked question in another thread, but I should have asked it here... It the turner has them plastic things to hold the eggs in, how is it going to come out??
And pasting the following to document for my reference...
The pip is the first sign of life emerging from the egg, a crack, or generally a dinky hole that allows air into the shell so the baby can breath while it continues the struggle of breaking out of the shell. In some cases the shell can be so hard that the baby cannot break through and in those kind of cases it will suffocate if help is not available. Some pips can be so small they are very difficult to see. It is amazing how fast you learn when and how to help. Sometimes your successful and sometimes all your efforts are not enough. It's the heartbreak of chick parenting. But there is nothing else like it in my mind. The rush of successful hatching cannot be explained, it can only be experienced. Hay
Catscan
Lodi
United States
March 13, 2010
12:39 AM
Post #7625257
Quote
The first stage in hatching is the "pip", where a chick begins to break through the egg shell with its egg tooth. Before that happens, it has to break through the inner egg membranes into the enlarged air cell at the top of the egg. When it does that, it begins to breath and sometimes you can hear it cheeping.
Then it starts at one spot to break though the egg shell. It looks like someone shot the egg shell from the inside with a tiny bee bee. This is the pip. The chick will then gradually work its way around the top of the shell. about where the air cell is. While it is doing this it is pushing up against the shell with its back and shoulders. The top of the egg starts to come off--sometimes referred to as the "zip" or "zippering". Inside the egg the chick is still covered with the inner membrane which is full of blood vessels. They will eventually clamp off. The chick is also taking what remains of the egg yolk into its body through what looks like its belly button. If you try to take the chick out of its egg before these happen it will bleed to death from the unclamped blood vessels and the "belly button" will be open with part of the yolk still showing. This is bad.
Sometimes, if the RH is not high enough or the zippering has taken too long, the inner membrane will dry out and trap the chick so that it cannot complete hatching. It is like it has been shrink wrapped in plastic film. If the blood vessels are clamped off, you can help the chick out and remove the film. HOWEVER...sometimes the reason this happens is that the chick has something wrong with its legs and hasn't been able to push its way out. This is heartbreaking, because it has come so far and you want it to be okay, but it isn't. You just have to accept it and do what you feel is best.
But most chicks are fine, complete the hatch and tumble out screaming and wet. They tumble and fall around for a few hours while they dry off and learn to walk.
Very rarely, the pip doesn't start at the top where it should, but close to the bottom. This puts the chick in a completely wrong position. Most won't hatch without eventual help and sometime they bleed to death even without help. This "bottom pipping" is, for some reason more common in certain breeds, particularly Araucanas and Ameraucanas.
ZZsBabiez
Lodi, CA
(Zone 9b)
March 13, 2010
07:42 AM
Post #7625637
Quote
Well, that's all the technical stuff about the pip. Now let me tell you the REAL truth about the pip. The pip is what we live for, it's extremely addicting.. People have been known to stare for hours or look at the same spot close to a million times the last few days of the hatch cycle.. The pip is something that will make your heart race like you never imagined. The pip is something so strong, it can make a grown man giggle like a teenager. It can make a teenager hide a tear. It can make a person weak in the knees or give them fits of energy. It can, and does help support ebay and eggbid, so be warned... there is no turning back once you see your first pip.
Then you graduate to someday helping a chick out of the shell... so worried it is not going to make it out alive. The lil tiny thing slides onto your hand, unfolds and opens it's eyes and starts peeeping.. Trust me, there is nothing like it in the world..
I hope this lengthy story helps explain why we are so silly on these threads, why we want to share every detail, and why we love this place so much.
MissJ,
Your turner is the kind with the pointy prong things that hold the egg upright. I would suggest just removing the turner unit. It is normal for the mother hen to get off the nest for a few minutes to get food or water, or to poop. If it were me, this is what I would do.
1. Get some paper towels ready.
2. Have warm water in a little cup or watering can ready.
3. Remove lid of 'bator.
4. Gently lift out the eggs, set them aside on a towel.
5. Remove turner unit. Unplug it also.
6. Set a couple of paper towels down on the metal mesh that is under the turner.
7. Gently sprinkle a little warm water on the paper towels to make them damp. This REALLY helps keep the humidity up high for hatching.
8. Place eggs on damp paper towels on mesh. Set them on their sides.
9. Replace lid
10. Breathe.
That is ideal Claire! The only thing I'd do is put them in egg cartons that are cut down to be shallow. That is for me more than the chicks.. I don't like them knocking the eggs all over when they are hatching.. :)
This is so fun.. I'm jazzed for you MsJestr!!
11. Make tall Whiskey with Verners while you read the instructions so you have to read them over many times, wiping the tears of laughter and let the relief flood thru your brain...
12 Thank Mother Nature, God, and any other higher power for wonderful friends that exist here..
13. Take a big drink and rest assured that you are having new mother worries and that everything will be just fine.
14. Put Claire, Joyce and Cindy on Speed dial.
Thank you Claire for step by step instructions.... and you too ZZ...
NOW UNRELATED TO MY HATCHING
I will be supplying a dozen of my eggs to our local 4 H office for the hatching projects they do with schools....
let me say.. a bright lamp positioned above the bator.. makes a huge difference in seeing the pips!!! (plus the flashlight doesn't die on u)
Flashlight is already stationed there I use it at least 10 times a day when I check temp and RH ok maybe not 10 but when I wake up, before I leave for work, when I get home, sometimes thru the night and again before I go to sleep..
we have the flashlight but was worried about batteries I forgot & it was hard for two or three to see the eggs with just my tiny LED flashlight. The lamp worked wonders.