2014 breeding season begins, post your results

[MinxFox]

I started out with 2 Hovabator Genesus 1588s to incubate in (with auto egg turners) then I added a couple of cheapo still air Little Giants that I added PC fans to to hatch in, because I was super anal about hatching in my 1588s and getting them all yucked out, lol (plus I always had staggered ongoing hatches happening). I've since graduated to a new Dickey cabinet incubator with all the bells and whistles (just incubating), and now I do all of my hatching in a rebuilt GQF cabinet 5 tray hatcher.

There are lots of good quality incubators andhatchers out there (such as R-Coms and Brinseas) depending on your budget and hatching plans... but IMO the Little Giant company should stick to just manufacturing feeders, waterers and buckets only, not incubators! They disappoint a lot of people/kill a lot of eggs

I have heard good things about the hovabator genesus 1588 as well.

I have always loved horses but when I was born my Grandparents were just getting rid of their horses. They bought my half sister her own white pony and she didn't care for it so they figured I wouldn't want a horse. Well it turns out for a looong time I really wanted a horse very badly, but eventually I focused more on wanting peafowl very badly. Now I am not sure if I would want a horse because of all the care. I think I should just hang out with people we know that have horses that way I can ride them and pet them all without having to worry about them like I would if they were mine. I do really love paints and appaloosas. I love Clydesdales too (I especially loved them when I was around 5) and I like Gypsy Vanner horses. My current favorite horse might be the leopard appaloosa. I haven't ridden horses much in my life but when I get to it always creates a special memory.

 

[DylansMom]

I loved (and still love my Hovabator 1588s) and always recommend them to any newbies that are first starting out with incubating (usually in the Guinea Fowl section tho)... but I have had zero luck with Peafowl eggs in mine, trying 2 yrs in a row now. With as busy as I am, I have a really hard time with keeping up on the hand turning, so I am sure that's the issue. I discovered that (if you can) once you "go cabinet"... life is good (or at least easier), lol.

Wow, sorry they didn't work better for your peas. Last year was actually my first year using an incubator, always let the hens handle it but that was never wildly successful. I set a lot of eggs because I didn't expect stellar hatch rates, but we did great..... 95% early and lower later because I was setting some shipped eggs. We hatched 45 peas in all. Smaller incubator helps keep me reined in, otherwise I'd be hatching every egg I could find. Speaking of which, time to turn the eggs.

 

[casportpony]

I prefer brutally honest, that's one of the things I miss about my old horse vet, lol. I know you aren't trying to be mean and people like me would rather not have advice sugar coated.


Not pea related, but did I read that you also have horses?


-Kathy

[COLOR=0000FF]Yep, I'm a Horsey Girl... wanna go riding? LOL.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000FF]I dont' show or anything (I did compete in a lot of Gymkhanas as a kid, and I beat everyone on with my 14.1 hh Palomino Paint mare in the pony class, so I got hated on fast, lol). I have owned, trained and ridden all my life.... I also tie my own custom rope halters and leads and sell those locally. And not to give away my age (lol) but I've been on horses since I was 3... I used to get a lead rope, sneak out and make reins on the halter, hop on and ride my aunt's evil little mean bully of a POA all over the place, (and freak my poor gramma out bigtime, lol). Got my first horse when I was 7 (the Palomino Paint) and haven't looked back since. Grew up on horseback, riding all over the Mendocino Coast... beach and redwoods, Now I'm inland, and old, and don't ride much [/COLOR]:/

I know a couple of horse people in your area... The Hiskins and Dr. McCarthy

-Kathy

 

[PeepsCA]

I have always used a little giant incubator and had success with just about any egg I have tried in it. I do keep it very clean and add water glasses to it to regulate the humidity. I have two temp/humidity gauges in it and keep it closed and in my spare bedroom where it does not have great temp changes, so maybe that is why I have had good luck with it so far. I am wanting a large cabinet incubator but just don't have the extra money for the nice one I want. I also have a hovabator for the hatch outs or another little giant if my hovabator is full. This is my first year with pea eggs. So I will have to see if it does ok with these.

I do know quite a few people that have decent luck with Little Giants... it all depends on the situation, incubator room set up, room temp and especially the egg turning devotion (besides proper sanitation), but over the 4+ seasons that I have had mine they just fluctuate way too much to have decent hatches. I have a hard enough time trusting them enough just for hatching, which is a little more forgiving than incubation. I couldn't sleep at night if my PF eggs were in one, but that's just me! 'Grats on your success with yours tho!

 

[PeepsCA]

Kathy, I have not met the Hiskins yet, but I do know Dr McCarthy (from Sierra Equine... then GV Equine), she has been one of my vets for 10+ yrs

(Mostly I trailer to Loomis Basin tho, for the major stuff).

(Edited, cuz I forgot she is GV Equine now, I just have her name and # on speed dial, lol).

 

[mandyok]

Thanks! I hope to have lots of pea babies this season. I will let you know if everything comes out ok. Like I said this is my first year with pea eggs so it might go horribly wrong I just hope it works out.

 

[Birdrain92]

My incubator works really well for me. I usually only have none, 1 or 2 eggs not hatch. Jadea's first batch were the only down rate. I've incubated 2 wild turkey eggs both hatched, bunches of duck eggs, wild duck eggs only have two not hatch, Indian Runner ducks all hatch out, chickens every clutch I incubate there's only one egg that doesn't want to hatch and peafowl other than Jadea only one egg. First clutch I incubated for peafowl eggs was a group of 3 and 2 hatched out. IMHO I think this incubator is awesome. Also reason why I don't do lockdown is because I know that a hen will get off her nest to eat and drink, I don't think a hen would just stay on her nest and not eat or drink until are her eggs hatch. My IR duck would get off her nest to eat and drink everyday and rotate her eggs. I don't rotate the egg when the chick is peeping and pecking, though my hen still rotates them and she was able to hatch out cute ducklings of her own. I know the thread is suppose to be about peafowl and but I just felt like everybody should see the cute little ducklings. There are 2 male and 2 female ducklings.

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Birdrain, I have to say, off the topic of peas as well, that I really love your ducks!

Cute duckings!

 

[DylansMom]

My incubator works really well for me. I usually only have none, 1 or 2 eggs not hatch. Jadea's first batch were the only down rate. I've incubated 2 wild turkey eggs both hatched, bunches of duck eggs, wild duck eggs only have two not hatch, Indian Runner ducks all hatch out, chickens every clutch I incubate there's only one egg that doesn't want to hatch and peafowl other than Jadea only one egg. First clutch I incubated for peafowl eggs was a group of 3 and 2 hatched out. IMHO I think this incubator is awesome. Also reason why I don't do lockdown is because I know that a hen will get off her nest to eat and drink, I don't think a hen would just stay on her nest and not eat or drink until are her eggs hatch. My IR duck would get off her nest to eat and drink everyday and rotate her eggs. I don't rotate the egg when the chick is peeping and pecking, though my hen still rotates them and she was able to hatch out cute ducklings of her own. I know the thread is suppose to be about peafowl and but I just felt like everybody should see the cute little ducklings. There are 2 male and 2 female ducklings.

They are adorable.

 

[mandyok]

So cute