Egg Candling

I was told you can candle around days ten and fourteen. I maybe took a bit more liberty with those recommendations. Candling is basically when you shine a light through the egg to see what is going on. You may see a blob (the yolk) floating around, the size of the airsac, the ring of death or veins. Lots and lots of veins connecting to a little embryo. Several of my eggs were very dark shelled so it was hard to tell if the egg was viable or not. It is important to get rid of any eggs that aren't going to make it to term because then you have to worry about the air pressurizing and a stinky rotten egg exploding disgusting bacteria all over your incubator and contaminating all of your eggs.
I loved candling. Once I started I couldn't stop. I had friends over to see this amazing web of veins I would see in the viable eggs. Some were impressed others were good actors and told me what I wanted to hear but the experience for me was grand any time I could do it. I tried to take pictures. I even tried a little video with 3 assistants so everyone could see how you can see the little chicken moving around maybe even see a little foot. Those didn't work out all that great so I am going to have to pull better examples off of the internet. I tell you though there is something so fascinating with being able to have life contained in a shell held in your hands. Before lockdown we had candled the eggs and of the 24 I ordered 18 looked good. I figured I had beat the 50% odds given to me for mail ordered eggs. Well for the rest you will have to wait for my hatch day post.

Baby Monkey

I know it is wrong and it is not for everyone but here at the Bergz we get a good laugh at this. Who doesn't love pigs and monkeys? Anyway just something to tide you over until I catch up on my egg progress.

In the Incubator

After I got the eggs in the mail my next job was to place them in an incubator, or as those of us in the biz like to call a "bator".  After doing some reading I went with the Hova Bator brand- chicken people seem to have success with it.  Basically it is a controlled temperature environment for the eggs.  I put a little water in the bottom to add humidity to the air-this step is more important later as the eggs begin to hatch. 

My responsibility for the first 18 days was to turn the eggs 3 times a day (you want to do an odd amount of turns).  You can get automatic turners but I was too cheap to get one and after about day two I wished I had just bought one.  Standard procedure is to mark one side with an "x" the other with an "o" so you remember which side is which.  I went with "x's" and numbers (Lucy and I have a chart to fill in after all). Obviously we are passed day 18 so I thought I would write this step before jumping to where we are now.

Egg Arrival

The Post Office called and delivered it right to my house.

A little worried about the packaging job.

Unpacking eggs for photo shoot.

I was looking forward to the creme colored eggs that were going to be the Golden Penciled Hamburgs.  None of them took properly so I had to get rid of them.  I kind of figured they wouldn't because they were the smallest.  Maybe next time.

My Easter Eggers and more brown egg layers.

Lucy and I are real proud of our latest chart.

I am a little behind documenting my latest chickening but here is a start.  I ordered 24 eggs via mail.  They say that mail order eggs have a 50 percent hatch rate and beyond that I have to worry about how many roos I end up with.  I admit it wasn't enough to get the chicks.  I needed to see the process from beginning to end.  There are sooooo many things that can go wrong with hatching my own eggs but I am excited to see it all happen.  I am also excited to have a little more variety in my flock.  At the rate it is going I am going to be surprised if any of the little chicks make it.  The truth is this latest project is causing me so much anxiety.  I thought that I would just have to turn them three times a day and it would be sweet. Not true. Here are some things I am worried about.
Bad eggs going rotten and exploding rotting bacteria all over my other eggs and having to cull the lot.

Embryos developing and then dying from contamination or something else.

Sticky chicks

Shrink Wrapped Chicks-when the chick cracks open the egg and their isn't enough outside humidity and the membrane shrinks and dries suffocating the chick.

Malformed chicks

Having full yolk sacs attached to tummies.

The list goes on and on.  This will be the longest 21 days of my life.  I already told Mark never again but I am glad for this opportunity in an educational sort of way.  I am sure if it all works out I will change my tune but MAN this is stressful.

Babysitting Reports

Mark and I went out last night and when we got home Lucy had filled out the following babysitting reports on Maya and Ed's behavior. I like how in spite of Maya's higher score her reward is "barely achieved". Her reward was being able to switch our her original ear piercings for the first time since she had them pierced many months ago. I have been waiting patiently for a moment when I could get something out of something that was going to happen anyway. Just another great Berg parenting tip. :) Aida also informed us that she thinks that she has had enough free practices and should be getting paid. Lucky for us a 50 cent creme egg will do when the time comes. We told her we would think about it after a few more practice runs. ;)

Maya's Report

Ed's Report-Reward unknown

Creepy Momma

I couldn't help myself.  He was too cute sleeping with "Big Dawg".  On a side note Eddie has decided to rename our dog Tess to Chloe.