5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[chicken pickin]

Just finished testing my new Sportsman 1502 with 90% hatch on chickens. Now I'm on day 3 with Emus. Wish me luck

OHHHHH Emus So very Exciting!!!!

 

[JLaw]

What whoops said use cardboard to line it. I cut little hole in card board then zip tied it to bars on my dog and cat pet ports.

 

[Gardeningmama]

Goodness you've been busy. Still trying to catch up on 160 post's since this morning!!

 

[abmaddox1981]

I'm trying yo be good. really! I said I wouldn't candle til day 14. Augh! I don't think I can wait.....maybe just a peek when I turn.....

 

[bantambury]

I started with newspaper, switched to pine shavings after a week, then switched to sand. The sand DID NOT help with the dust. It did make cleaning easier (used a kitty litter scoop), but the dust was just as bad.

hmmmm.....the kitty scooper sounds good. also, the chickens could use the sand as a grit...correct?

is it ok for chicks to be in sand?

Bookmarked this..thought I knew most of them..thought wrong.

agreed. I will do that too. I thought I knew most....there are still a few breeds missing though, like jap bantams, or JB

What whoops said use cardboard to line it. I cut little hole in card board then zip tied it to bars on my dog and cat pet ports.

so once you do that did you use a heat lamp?

 

[bantambury]

I'm trying yo be good. really! I said I wouldn't candle til day 14. Augh! I don't think I can wait.....maybe just a peek when I turn.....

I know right? I cant candle till the 26th....I want to do it on my bday, the 25th.......I think I may?

it doesn't hurt to have a little peak!!! hahahaha

 

[Cynthia12]

Goodness you've been busy. Still trying to catch up on 160 post's since this morning!!

Good luck. Here, I'll give you a boost along...

 

[chicken pickin]

I am also 32, and admit my 'problems'. LOL My 12 year old asked me if I was turning into the old chicken lady like the 'cat lady' in movies..... I just rolled my eyes and told her no.

Then on another note my 7 year old is just as bad as me.... so is she a crazy chicken lady too? Maybe a mini chicken lady. LOL

Lol same here. Im 32 and my 3kids think sometimes think Im nuts they say I love my chickens TOO much. They are on board though and they help enable me and I can say to DH aw come on they are for DD not me lol. My oldest is 11 and she is now in love with Silkies that is what we are hatching now, they are for her to start her own flock. My 7yr old loves the farm animals she snuggles the crap out of them but doesn't tend to them much and my 6yr old is my little farmer buddy she wants more animals she helps feed and water them, her New Years wish is to have a bigger farm. She wants cows(thanks DH for putting it in her head) We might need some more land

we are running out of room.

 

[chickengirl1193]

I am thinking about using sand instead of shavings, this time.  I converted the coop to sand, and I love it!  Do you have a cardboard box you could cut down to fit in the rabbit cage?  That way, the kitties couldn't get their naughty little paws through. 

that's a good idea! after Christmas ill have lots of cardboard lol

hahahah! and hey....what ever works, works!


oh! lol! out of my 3 cats, one goes back and forwith between the other two....the other two avoid eachother!



let me know if it works! I may do that too!

yeah my dogs and cats are like that also, one day best friends the next they hate each other

get some 2 x 2 wooden pieces from lowes and cut to make 2 identical rectangle frames  sandwich the hardware cloth between the frames and you will have a lid to use while brooding without destroying the plastic lid.  Then when not brooding you can store all brooding supplies in the plastic box with the plastic lid to keep dust free.  The hardware lid will double as a great fly away prevention when the chicks hit 3-4 weeks old.

Also if possible brood in a room with a door to keep cats out.  once done brooding if you don't want to store the hardware lid, you can place it outside over some grass in the brooder run to make a nice area for the chicks to eat grass without eating to the bare ground.

Line the tote with a thick plastic while brooding to make cleanup easier.  The plastic can be gathered up like a giant bag every 5 days or so and a whole new set up put in place.  no having to touch the litter that way.

thanks for the great ideas! I think I'll be able to make the top using scrap wood and then ill invest in a big plastic tub for storage of the bator also (cuz im planning on not having it running all the time....) and I can use the rabbit cage at first cuz thats small

What whoops said use cardboard to line it. I cut little hole in card board then zip tied it to bars on my dog and cat pet ports.

yeah ill either use my dog or cat crates or the rabbit cage, depending on how many hatch and how much room ill need!

 

[Gardeningmama]

My littlest likes to watch me candle the eggs. Makes me nervous as all get out. But today after lunch here he comes bringing the flashlight to me. He had somehow turned it on, twist cap and all. I thought for sure my eggs were goners but instead he wanted to candle my every expanding belly. Not bad for a 2 yr old. Who knows maybe someday he will make a great male midwife.

I swear kids amaze me now days. I'm pretty sure at 2 I was probably still getting my hand smacked for eating dirt! Now, my 4 year old can navigate an IPod or Smartphone better than I can..

Quote: That is awesome...I really want to see pics when those hatch. I've never seen Emu babies before!

Quote: Whew..thanks for that! I've been reading forever!