7th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2016 Hatch-A-Long

[Pensmaster]

Home made?  I will make a guess and say,, you can or you don't have to.

I have a bator with a fan, and when the eggs go into lock down, the fan still runs.   I also have a bator with no fan ever.  When the eggs go into lock down, no fan.  

Yes homemade. Has worked well for me. Hopefully will do with these as well. Really want them to hatch. Pretty chickens and productive. Of course that's what the Internet says and we all know how at goes.

 

[venymae]

Going to candle and lockdown tonight after kids go to bed, everyone looked good last time, but they did make two car trips since then :/

 

[darkbluespace]

Question for everyone. I just picked up a farm innovators heated chicken mat the other day at TSC. I was curious if that would be warm enough to keep chicks warm in the brooder in place of a heat lamp? I will have a heat lamp on them during the day but at night, I'd like to turn it off, mostly cover the brooder and use the mat instead, only because it's going to be in our bedroom and hubby has a hard time sleeping at night with a light on. Thoughts? I've never used one before and have no clue how warm they actualy get.

An interesting thing I heard from someone who raises tons of chickens... puts their chicks under a small cardboard box in the brooder at night. Apparently, they stay plenty warm. I haven't tried it because I don't get up super early.

 

[Pensmaster]

More people need to talk to the older ones. They have seen so much. My great-grandmother moved from Texas to Arkansas in a covered wagon in 1910 with her husband and my grandmother who was only 4 at the time. She lived to see a man walk on the moon. Thought it was bunk but who can fault her culture shock when you span that much technology.

I agree completely. My dad is 99, he's pretty well lost it now but can still get around with full time help. A few years past he sat down with us and went over all relatives. One I found most interesting is his uncle that made the journey west. One letter his uncle wrote tells about staying with their relatives some where mid west. The relatives had a grass roofed mud hut/home. 16 feet by 8 feet if I remember correctly. It was divided in half. Half for the horses and half for the people. Quite the story. The horses made noises all night but they didn't care because they acted as a heater. It was really cold. They did not stay long.
Stories like this are being lost without asking.

 

[bamadude]

Got them in lockdown. 14 total. 13 shipped and one of my Marans. Using egg cartons with holes cut in bottom.

Question do you leave fans running?

Approx how high above the top of the eggs are the fans mounted?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Thanks everyone for the above and suggestions. I think I'm going to return the heater I bought and order one of the Premier1 things. I plugged it in for a while tonight and it's pretty much worthless for what I got it for lol. I'll just use the heat lamp like always until I get it. They'll only be in our room for about a week, until they're steady enough on their feet to be on shavings. Then they'll go out to the big garage brooder.

 

[Pensmaster]

Approx how high above the top of the eggs are the fans mounted?

Just measured 2 1/2" with egg carton. Little closer with turner

 

[shahtir101]

I have 3 little serama chicks and 2 pips! Hopefully with more coming!!

 

[darkbluespace]

I have 3 little serama chicks and 2 pips! Hopefully with more coming!!

Ahhhh, I love tiny babies!! So sweet! e

 

[bamadude]

Just measured 2 1/2" with egg carton. Little closer with turner

Im asking because of the possibility of a chick getting into it.
If it has a nice safety guard u will be fine.
If not...I would turn them off.
I know several people who use big money cabinet bators for 18-19 days and then finish in still air styrofoam bators with great success.