Good Morning! in 2018

[kenya]

Wow You must have a big easter bunny, we never get easter eggs that big.

[JimW]

A Rhea egg?

I wish it was a Rhea egg them seem impossible to find in Canada.

It is an emu egg I picked up 5 on Friday.

JimW

I am assuming it's not for decorative purposes and you (or somebody else ) are actually planning to hatch it?

Yes we are attempting to hatch them in my classroom and if anything hatches they will eventually end up at a friend's place who has proper set up.

JimW

[poultry_admin]

Anyone with a last minute entry to the "Picture of the Month - April" contest?
Have a few spots left yet....
Progress: Entries

60%

viewforum.php?f=94

I'll set it up tomorrow morning, so don't be late!!

[poultry_admin]

Hello all!
we had a hickup and I had to re-start the picture of the month poll. We actually had 8 entries, not 7. So I reset it all. If you voted already, please go there and vote again.
Picture of the month April 2018

Thanks!!

[JimW]

Good evening... resting after my daughter's volleyball practice before 6 days of craziness.

A group of my students re hosting 24 students from Surrey, BC they arrive Friday afternoon and leave Wednesday so we are cramping as much Eastern Ontario/Western Quebec activities that we can in that time period... Food tasting tour in Old Montreal, Montreal Biodome, Diefenbunker Cold War Museum, Canadian Museum of History, Brockville Railway tunnel, Burnbrae Egg farm tour, Daily Farm tour, Maple Sugar bush tour, historic stone mill visit, lazer tag, Parliament Buildings tour, visit to RCMP Musical Ride stables, show at the National Art Center.... Should be a great time but busy.

We go out to Surrey, BC as the second part of the exchange in late May. To maximum my BC trip working on bringing back some hatching eggs. lol

Well finally got the incubator set up in my classroom the other day so our little hatching and math activity for my students. They will be tracking the weight loss of our eggs during the 55 day or so incubation, and with a bit of luck hopefully we will get a couple chicks to hatch from our 5 eggs, the chicks will then stay in the classroom for a couple days, eventually going to a friends place.

Here are the eggs ready for the incubator.

JimW

[baronrenfrew]

55 days? sheesh

[JimW]

55 days? sheesh

Yep people seems to incubate emu eggs at different temperatures between 95.5 to 98, so hatch in about 52 to close to 60 days. We are incubating around 96-97 F, so figure around 55 days. So long time plus cannot candle so no idea until past 30 days if developing or even fertile.

Jim

[WLLady]

what a great project for the kids jim! I will have my fingers crossed for something to hatch for you! after all that work and time it would seem cruel if nothing happens.....
you are going to be busy! have a great time looking around. i've been to the RCMP stables...i think that's what got me "into" horses when i was about 5. LOL. couldn't care less about the officers ha ha. just wanted to play with all the horses.

my incubator was peeping this morning-this is the turkey batch i set 27 days ago....2 were on their way out of the shell this morning already at 6am. and another 3 it looked like were pipped. we'll see later today (now i just gotta stop bugging them....) how it turns out. i think there are 10 or so in there. and then tomorrow i set another hatch of chickens, see if my barred rock and marans boys are doing their jobs yet. and also another 10 or so turkeys, and next weekend the jennies that are sitting on at least 15 eggs should (possibly) hatch something. last time they sat they hatched 5....guess it was too much because we lost 3...and they did manage to raise 2 nice girls, which have turned into nice jennies now. 2 guineas will likely be freezer camped this weekend. one i thought was a girl, but i have YET to get eggs, and now the two are fighting like mad, had to be separated, and now they're BOTH picking on the turkeys. so they're going. i just have to actually go and catch them.....maybe early tomorrow morning while the barn is still dark.

[Killerbunny]

Put the Wyandotte pullets into the big breeding pen yesterday. Clearly traumatised, took about 10 seconds for one of them to say "hey girls, I've found the food over here"! Settled down like champs, they're such nice calm birds. We'll see what they think of their suitor, I'll put him in on Sunday. They are clearly hot to trot ATM.
Also have to talk to DHs pet Columbian Wyandotte, she now waltzes into the kitchen and demands treats. Friendliest bird we've ever had and broody raised.

[Happy]

Oh geez. This morning I pulled Stella the baldy chick off her "nest" for the 5th time in 2 days. She hasn't totally committed but she growls and squats and fusses at me so she's on the broody teeter-totter. She's only 9 months old which is still imature for a Cochin. Only been laying for about a month. Ugggh.