California - Northern

[MossyoakLane]

Lynda.....it wouldn't let me quote you!
We did try to wet it.....we mixed it up. and within an hour we had gnats all over it. I gues gnats are bugs....so it's not a big deal.
The girls were unsure of it, but with time, I am sure they would eat it.


Great minds think alike! LOL

You could try fermenting too. If you want to try it it helps tons with wasteful chickens. And they like it. And it makes your soy like tofu so it back to an OK product if you are on a budget. I can bring up a pair of buckets and some of my started water if you like for Friday.
S

We have 2 fresh buckets, without lids. I can't find lids....ugh! I picked them up for $1 each, Do I need lids? I would think I would to keep bugs out?
I would love some starter water!

Have you tried feeding them fermented feed? It is a good way to use the powdery end of the bag crumbles as well as regular crumbles & pellets. I feed all of my chickens both dry and fermented. I know that Shantih feeds her chooks fermented feed, also.

HAH! You beat me, Shantih! Younger, faster fingers, I guess!

I always forget I can ferment it!!! I ferment other things for us. For some reason I keep thinking I can only ferment whole grains.......but I will throw some together for them when we get back from Novato tomorrow.

I knew you all would have a solution...

 

[chiqita]

Have you tried feeding them fermented feed? It is a good way to use the powdery end of the bag crumbles as well as regular crumbles & pellets. I feed all of my chickens both dry and fermented. I know that Shantih feeds her chooks fermented feed, also. HAH! You beat me, Shantih! Younger, faster fingers, I guess!

This reminded me of the line from fried green tomatoes at the whistle stop cafe. "I'm older and I have more insurance" I have considered to be in that part of my life. Twanda!!!!! I have a lid on my fermented buckets when they are outside. Some pie pans are the right size. Or you could cover it with a cloth. After reading your post it made me notice the one thing we don't have is gnats or fruit flies...

 

[PetRock]

After reading your post it made me notice the one thing we don't have is gnats or fruit flies...

Hmm...we don't get gnats or fruit flies with our fermented feed, either. I keep mine in the kitchen in one of those large glass containers with a glass lid. I need it in sight so I remember to stir and feed it!

 

[Chickengirl1304]

Ok 2 silver laced wyandottes
1 gold laced orpington
2 gold laced brahmas
Out and making a bunch of racket!
Waitin on more of each of those as well as the jubilees!
But one of the brahmas has a leg that turns inward and it sits on it can it turn the right way? Or do I need to cull it?

 

[debs_flock]

We have 2 cl pips, 1 col Cochin pipped, 1 gc starting a zip but looks a bit red so worried about that one...

I think my new bator is a lemon. My old one had such great hatches. I was crying about it to my dh yesterday and must have been pretty pathetic cause he said " let's get you the mini " awwww!

Back to staring at the bater window!

Quote:
I rarely even hear it (gotten so used to it). If everyone is happy, it's pretty quiet. If the peeping get loud, that means someone has jumped out and is running around the floor and can't get back into their (or any other) box.

I forgot to add tonight's picture of the babies... here are 9 of them squeezed into one next box! I like to think of it as a big pile of chickie love! I wonder how long they will keep this up... Sorry for the dark picture but the flash was washing them out.

Love the little blue face in the front.

Quote:
The dust is what got them kicked to the shed brooder. I try to keep the door closed to contain it as much as possible and it requires LOTS of wiping down. Right now there are far fewer in there and when I move some chicks around, they are heading out the door. I have far fewer chicks/poults due to hatch right now. Can't say the same for the end of the month, I'm doing a big hatch of campines to grow out show birds for myself.

 

[zooweemama]

My Hovabator is giving me fits. It keeps getting hotter and hotter. I am unable to turn it down anymore. It spiked at 105- I fell out of bed racing towards it this morning. I about died. I was getting 102 spikes and having to actually crack the lid to cool it. But what happens in lockdown? I candled and everyone is ok. Even my goose egg was still showing movement. I honestly have no idea what to do at this point. Hatchdates start this Monday.

 

[Chickengirl1304]

My Hovabator is giving me fits. It keeps getting hotter and hotter. I am unable to turn it down anymore. It spiked at 105- I fell out of bed racing towards it this morning. I about died. I was getting 102 spikes and having to actually crack the lid to cool it. But what happens in lockdown? I candled and everyone is ok. Even my goose egg was still showing movement. I honestly have no idea what to do at this point. Hatchdates start this Monday. 

I had the opposite problem with mine. It was only 94-96 and I didn't realize it until only 2 eggs hatched! Then I started to investigate. Mine is the digital one so I trusted it. The company was not nice at first but they came around and gave me a new one.

 

[juststruttin]

I was snooping around on the King site and found a $1.50 off coupon for Freedom feed. Here is the link for anyone interested.
http://king-brand.com/new/index.php...ltry-feed-web-coupon&catid=1:poultry&Itemid=3

 

[zooweemama]

I had the opposite problem with mine. It was only 94-96 and I didn't realize it until only 2 eggs hatched! Then I started to investigate. Mine is the digital one so I trusted it. The company was not nice at first but they came around and gave me a new one.

I am using therms I picked up. They have served me well so far. And the eggs are hot to the touch with the spikes. I am amazed the eggs are still ok (so far) but now I have to baby the bator for the rest of this hatch. I will not be hatching for a while after so maybe I will replace the wafer just in case. It is 76 in my house pretty stable temps. I am really stressed about hatch though. I have about 14 chicken eggs hatching, 14 duck eggs hatching and a goose egg...all due around the same time. I am most concerned with the goose egg and the chicken eggs (since I am hatching some for a friend).

 

[lizanne]

My Hovabator is giving me fits. It keeps getting hotter and hotter. I am unable to turn it down anymore. It spiked at 105- I fell out of bed racing towards it this morning. I about died. I was getting 102 spikes and having to actually crack the lid to cool it. But what happens in lockdown? I candled and everyone is ok. Even my goose egg was still showing movement. I honestly have no idea what to do at this point. Hatchdates start this Monday.

Could your thermometer be off? I've noticed that if it wont turn down, or up anymore, I can loosen the wing nut a little bit, and it will turn after that. That's so stressful!!

2 of my grocery store eggs have hatched, 4 pipped, and 3 are just chillin'. I think one of the 3 passed a while ago, but I couldn't see into the egg well enough to decide one way or the other. I'll post some pics a little later.