Recent content by cwalsh2

  1. cwalsh2

    I just tried out a new thermostat on my brooder Success!

    We had a record cold March this year. I brood in a large cardboard box in my garage. The temperature in the garage fluctuates from 46 to 75 degrees daily. I usually use 2-100 watt light bulbs for heat, and mostly cover the top with a blanket to keep the heat in. in 1 week I go to 75 watt bulbs...
  2. cwalsh2

    ISA Brown x Amberlink cross

    My Amberlink/ISA Brown cross chicks are 14 weeks old now, and beautiful. Both lines were developed from several other breeds, that showed up in the cross. Next year I an breeding Tetra brown cockerels to these pullets, as they were developed for egg production, just like the Amberlink, and ISA...
  3. cwalsh2

    Topic of the Week - Raising People Friendly Poultry

    If you want gentle yet productive layers, that are extremely tame, get Hybrid layers such as ISA browns or Amberlinks. Do nothing but feed and water them, and they will still follow you around and be extremely gentle. The down side is that you cannot chase them back in the pen if they get out...
  4. cwalsh2

    Humidity Concerns

    It sounds like most success is close to my figures. I run 40% till the second day of lockdown, then raise to 60%. When chicks start haching the humidity will climb to over 70%, from all the wet chicks. That is OK. When hatching 20, it only climbs to 62%, but they still almost all hatch. I have...
  5. cwalsh2

    New Dickey incubator.

    I just finished my 3rd hatch, with the Dickey. All very successful. 42% humidity, raising it to 62% on the second day of the 3 day lockdown. I am setting eggs every 11 days so the humidity is raised to 62% for 3 days in the middle of every cycle, but they are hatching great. No plans to change...
  6. cwalsh2

    Amber link

    You can't make Amberlinks or ISA Brown's. These lines were developed by Hendrix genetics, from years of selective breeding for egg production and egg quality. My 24 Amberlinks have been averaging 166 eggs a week. You will be hard pressed to get this kind of production from any random cross. You...
  7. cwalsh2

    New Dickey incubator.

    I just finished my first hatch. 90% hatched with no mortality and 100% of the chicks are healthy. I collected eggs for 12 days, so they were 0-12 days old. I kept humidity at 40% till lock down ,then 62% It went to 74% when it was full of freshly hatched chicks. I am 100% happy with my Dickeys...
  8. cwalsh2

    Good times for Dickey Incubators

    I just finished my first hatch, with about 90% hatch rate. No sick chicks and no spraddle legs. I kept relative humidity at 40% till lockdown, then 62% It did go to 74% when it was full of freshly hatched chicks drying off. I am well satisfied with my dickey bator. Also the eggs ranged from 0-12...
  9. cwalsh2

    ISA Brown x Amberlink cross

    Things are going well with the ISA brown/Amberlink cross. Over 100 chicks hatched from 115 eggs. 7, brown varying from dark to very light to striped like a brown leghorn. and the rest are white. 100% healthy, and no mortality. Now in 20 weeks I should see how they lay.
  10. cwalsh2

    ISA Brown x Amberlink cross

    I like to hatch my own, in my incubator, but I also like the extremely productive lines of layers developed by Hendrix genetics. I have 23 Amberlink hens, that are almost 100% productive, laying 23 eggs daily at least 6 days a week. I put 3 ISA brown roosters in with them, and after a month...
  11. cwalsh2

    Dickeys incubator any one modified theres???

    I have found .4 degree makes at least a day difference.
  12. cwalsh2

    Good times for Dickey Incubators

    Mine has only 2 . one top and 1 bottom, in the back. Cover the humidity tray except for 1" and the vents 1/3 open, should get you 40-50%. Fine adjust by opening vents more to decrease humidity. Mine is in a room the farthest from the wood stove so the temp fluctuates. I bought a 3/4 inch thick...
  13. cwalsh2

    GQF sportsman vs Dickey incubators?

    I read it in a hatching guide on line someplace, and my% went up with my styro jobs when I started hatching at a cooler temo. I sold the styros and now use a Dickey. I like it.
  14. cwalsh2

    New Dickey incubator.

    Yes, the temp and humidity are viewed through the front window. I just candled my first setting of eggs on day 9. 7 were clear out of 150. They look great. I only want around 60 chicks,but set extra's because I don't know what I will get for a hatch rate. The humidity is easy to adjust by...
  15. cwalsh2

    New Dickey incubator.

    I just got my new Dickey incubator going. I love it. I got the model with 3 incubating trays and a hatching tray in the bottom. I debated between the 2x2 and this one, but Mr Dickey mentioned that with tray covers 13.40 Ea. any tray can also be used for hatching. I was happy to see that the...
See more
Back
Top Bottom