BackYard Chickens

I'm currently hatching quail eggs. My hygrometer has been calibrated and I learned it reads low so I've taken that into account. I'm using a hovabator 1602N with turner and fan. When the humidity reads 30% I'll add just 1 Tbsp hot water to a channel and it goes up to 50% and then gradually decreases. It's an AVERAGE of 40%, is that good enough? We have a couple more days until we candle and I can adjust based on air cells, but I can't ever really maintain a steady 40% in there. When folks...

I'm linking this thread to my article on my experiment with different perch materials. Results of the experiment will be posted in the article. Link- https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-perch-experiment.74272/

The vision of this thread is for a collection of attempts and works in progress in making a sustainable meat bird. The birds can be of standard breed or hybrids being bred toward a sustainable standard line. The goal of this thread is to find or be the collection of data in working toward a sustainable bird that can achieve market butcher weight of 4 lbs in 12 weeks. This is achievable in future and butcher weights of 4 lbs in 14 weeks are certainly around today. Reason for 14 weeks and...

We are thinking about using nipple waterers with a heater for this Winter, but how do you teach a chicken to use one? A full grown chicken that is used to the standard waterers?