4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[champer]

I'm a retired widow, it's just me and the animals. I can't imagine how you folks with little kids and outside jobs manage with the hatching and brooding in the house manage everything. Y'all deserve medals!

 

[mommaclucker]

lol cute. try 3 yr old twin boys LOL welcome to my life. My boys climb in the coop on their own

Lol I couldnt imagine twins. I have a 20 year old daughter and a 17 year old son then a 4 year old son and my 1 year old son. My one year old does the same he likes to sit on the ground and watch the chickens he doesnt understand or just doesnt care about chicken poop

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Lol I couldnt imagine twins. I have a 20 year old daughter and a 17 year old son then a 4 year old son and my 1 year old son. My one year old does the same he likes to sit on the ground and watch the chickens he doesnt understand or just doesnt care about chicken poop

Good old hose. Ive noticed in the last year since they've been running through chicken duck turkey horse pig and goat crap surprisingly they've been sick less then any other time in their lives

 

[cluck-cluck]

hmm never thought of the shower easier clean up lol My boxer and I have an understanding she knows not to bother the chickens or she cant eat any of there food crazy dog loves the layer crumble she always goes in the coop when I feed the girls and has a nibble or two with them I dont guess it will hurt her hasnt yet anyway

and

My dogs LOVE the chicken food... I always thought it was weird... They love the horse grain too!

That's funny because my chickens keep wanting to get into the dog food, LOL. My poor Chihuahua is afraid of them, LOL, and very perturbed when they steal his food!

Thats my 1 year old son with my girl Max shes a 5 month old fawn boxer you cant even imagine the trouble those two get into some of the stuff ive had to clean up Ive been tempted to put them in the coop and bring the chickens in lol

Oh how cute he is! And I adore Boxers, they're such regal dogs!

I'm a retired widow, it's just me and the animals. I can't imagine how you folks with little kids and outside jobs manage with the hatching and brooding in the house manage everything. Y'all deserve medals!

Me either! So glad to be a hausfrau now, even so I'm probably the worst in the world, LOL.

Lol I couldnt imagine twins. I have a 20 year old daughter and a 17 year old son then a 4 year old son and my 1 year old son. My one year old does the same he likes to sit on the ground and watch the chickens he doesnt understand or just doesnt care about chicken poop

Oh my gosh, you started all over again! LOL. My youngest is 11 and I had her when I was 38 years old (yah, I'm 49) I have an age spread too ;P At least when you're an older parent you tend not to over-protect (anymore, LOL) and I kinda think, if the kid survives, they're stronger, like MarineCorpFarmr said

So I've cleaned up my incubator, and I've just plugged it in to make sure it's adjusted right. I put in these glass cubes I had from another project to cover the bottom where I normally put the water, in order to limit the surface area of the water while also increasing the depth so I don't have to refill so often. I hope that's going to work! I'm wondering if the solid glass might work as a thermal mass? Not sure on that... I'm sure glass can get warm or cold, but not sure if the energy stored is enough to even out the incubator like water in bottles would??

Anyway, we're almost a week away! Gotta get ready! (gotta finish my darn coop!

 

[midwest]

Anyone have a wafer thermostat that they would sell cheap?

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

So I've cleaned up my incubator, and I've just plugged it in to make sure it's adjusted right. I put in these glass cubes I had from another project to cover the bottom where I normally put the water, in order to limit the surface area of the water while also increasing the depth so I don't have to refill so often. I hope that's going to work! I'm wondering if the solid glass might work as a thermal mass? Not sure on that... I'm sure glass can get warm or cold, but not sure if the energy stored is enough to even out the incubator like water in bottles would??

Anyway, we're almost a week away! Gotta get ready! (gotta finish my darn coop!

Clucks- you want the surface area for evaporation to increase the humidity. Solid glass imo would be a good thermal mass. Like bricks glass would warm slow but cool slow as well (thermo-conductivity i believe)

 

[sherry57]

Thanks so much! I have a question though, just for our understanding. The science project instructions said to keep the box as airtight as possible with duct tape. I'm confused why they would tell us to do that, when according to your experience they need air flow with air holes?

So we're going to try again... wish us luck! Does anyone think we still need a fan in there? We're going to get a temperature monitor in there and styrofoam the sides (thanks Bnewns!), get a hygrometer, keep it running to check the levels, and start again with all y'all on 12/11. Can't wait!

Pics of our homegrown incubator:





~Sheree

We have another question about our project here for all y'all experts

After "lockdown" at 18 days, when/if we are successful and get chicks, aren't they going to get into the water pan and drown or make a mess? We were going to take the water pan out when they started, before we learned from you all how crucial lockdown was. Should we modify our setup somehow?

Thanks!
Sheree

 

[crissycriss]

Thats my 1 year old son with my girl Max shes a 5 month old fawn boxer you cant even imagine the trouble those two get into some of the stuff ive had to clean up Ive been tempted to put them in the coop and bring the chickens in lol

These pictures are precious! Love max too she is a beautiful boxer.

 

[Daloorashens]

Holy Moly this thread is BUSY!!! Looks like I might be able to participate afterall, DH gave me the ok to have chicks in the basement for a little while, which means I need to clean it

, lol... Right now all I'll have is some EE eggs to put in, but at least they'll be easy to sell come spring!! wishing my FBCM and Amer pullets would get going and lay some eggs for me before Dec 11th

 

[Lacy Blues]

Anyone have a wafer thermostat that they would sell cheap?

I believe that McMurray has them for less than $10, I'm thinking closer to $5

We have another question about our project here for all y'all experts

After "lockdown" at 18 days, when/if we are successful and get chicks, aren't they going to get into the water pan and drown or make a mess? We were going to take the water pan out when they started, before we learned from you all how crucial lockdown was. Should we modify our setup somehow?

Thanks!
Sheree

If you have some hardware cloth you can form it to cover your pan and extend down around the sides. That way they can't get in. It won't hurt them to open it quickly and cover the water pan or you can do it before lockdown.