Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[3riverschick]

Ok, lifted the lid and got everyone arranged. Took out the 2 broken shells. Much better. Rotated the incubator so the chicks were in the shade from the overhead light. They really liked that and settled down a bit. Something for me to remember.
Thanks so much for your help!
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Am really happy to see the excelsior (also called "wood wool") pads mentioned. They are just great. Won't ship chicks without them. Consist of curly-Q thin wood ribbons affixed to brown Kraft paper. Great for giving birds a foothold so they don't slip. Plus the poop tends to fall thru to the paper. There is a directory of excelsior pad manufacturers on the Net. Possible to find one with a canceled shipment on the dock who will cut a deal to get it shipped out. Some of those longer than 40 hour heaters spike hot (uncomfortable to stand on directly for the birds) until they level off for the duration. Agree with putting heater under the pad. or tape to side of box. One thing, if you are using heater pads with 3 red lines running across it, do not cover the lines with tape or the pad will cool.
Best,
Karen
U.S. Excelsior Manufacturers Companies
Manta has 14 companies under Excelsior Manufacturers Companies in U.S.
http://www.manta.com/mb_35_E01AD05K_000/shavings_and_packaging_excelsior
I got mine here: http://www.americanexcelsior.com/woodfibers/

 

[thedragonlady]

Hi,
The Brinsea Mini Advance holds 7 large size fowl eggs. Once they hatch , there is not a lot of room for the other chicks hatching. What do you think of lifting the lid and removing the shell from the incubator so there is more room for the chicks to move around. The other side of this is, what will it do to the humidity and do I need to worry about this?
Thanks,
Karen

You can lightly mist the eggs if the humidity drops too much. This really works for waterfowl too at hatching time. It stops the shrink wrap effect.

 

[Robert Blosl]

I http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/01/whats-chicken-tractor.html

I went to this site that was posted above for the chick warmer. I just have old fashion light bulbs with a hood from wall mart.

The day will come when the light bulbs will be extinct so will have to go with something else. Maybe broody hens for me.

On this site above I saw this chicken tractor that I liked. I got to make me about four this year and redo my whole chicken operation because of the neighbors dogs. We have a trailer court down about a half a mile from us and people come and go and there is a pit bull mix and he will bring a little dog. They have given me fits this year and he is smart enough to open doors three to four feet off the ground. So I am going to make a chicken pen four feet high with two by four inch no climb dog wire and have electric fence wire going up six inches, 12 inches 23 inches and then one on the top at four feet. This should keep him and his little dog friends out, the skunks from digging underneath the pen and my pet possums who have been coming to visit me for 20 years. I hope to have some of these chicken tractors in there so I can let my chicks to run loose. I still have two other pets and that is the Great Horn Owl at night and the Hawks during the day. They can come down and pick up a bantam in a second.

I have been catching brown squirrels in a small have heart trap this week I caught 5 so far. I did not kill them I take them fishing with me and try to feed them in my boat some stay some head for land. They eat my bird feed in my bird feeders. In New York my wife says its illegal to transport a squirrel in your car ten miles down the road and let him loose. I wonder if its wrong to put a skunk in your SUV and do it to.

I caught one skunk in my trap and I did not know what to do so I waited ten days and then I got rid of him. Once they spray the smell last for a long time and god forbid if they spay your dogs and they come in the house. He was right next to my white rock breeding pen and that's all I needed to have him mess up that mating last year.

I finally got my incubator working well and bought a egg thermometer and have it setting on 99.5 the incubator seems to run a degree higher with the regular thermometer but the last chicks hatched on 21 days so I guess its all right. Any one use one of these things?

I hatched another black and white chick last night for you who don't know what the heck I am talking about its a Mottle Java from a rare old strain a man had here in Alabama that we thought was gone. A fellow brought me two males and three females in Jan and I am trying to increase the numbers and keep his flock for him till he gets back from Afghanistan. They lay huge eggs and are getting tamer. Lots of vigor for a old family of possible inbreed birds.

Is Mr. Urch shipping out lots of chicks this year? If so what breeds do you have?

That's it for me the email section and personnel messages have been free for a few months for blue chickens. Thank goodness as this sets my wife off and have to give her my valium when I get these requests. Anyone out there having wonderful success with your blue chickens? Well I am gong to go and make some Alabama Foot Ball team pens for some friends.

Look forward to your messages.

 

[lildinkem]

Bob do you think appliance bulbs will change? I know these flourescent bulbs do not like to work when it is cold. I would think that type of lite bulb maybe around for a few more years.
OR MAYBE a heating pads?

 

[ocap]

I caught one skunk in my trap and I did not know what to do so I waited ten days and then I got rid of him. Once they spray the smell last for a long time and god forbid if they spay your dogs and they come in the house. He was right next to my white rock breeding pen and that's all I needed to have him mess up that mating last year.

Is Mr. Urch shipping out lots of chicks this year? If so what breeds do you have?

Look forward to your messages.

I have heard that if you trap a skunk in a live trap, hold a large "blanket" between you and the skunk so he can't see you, walk toward the trap and cover the skunk trap and all with the blanket. Then place the trap in deep water all the while keeping the blanket "hiding" the skunk so he can't see you.

I have 25 Urch chicks arriving tomorrow. Buckeye, Silver penciled wyandotte, and Australorp.
His White Jersey Giant Cock died so I had to change my order slightly when he telephoned this morning.

 

[3riverschick]

Which light is right for 1 day old chicks?

Hi,
6 out of 7 hatched, 1 clear.
The 60 watt is not enough. Which is the best choice?
1. a GE Plant Light, floodlight shape , "Gro and Sho" 75 watt, white light
2. GE Miser outdoor floodlight 85 watts, red light.
3. Feit Electric Indoor/Outdoor Flood Light , 75 watt, red light.
Thanks for your help!
Karen

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Hi,
6 of 7 are pipping now. The other one was very cold when I found it. May be clear. Today is day zero on the Brinsea. I can hear them chirping from across the livingroom.
The Mini Advance reads 99.8 instead of standard 99.5, I am guessing that is from the extra moisture from the chicks hatching.
Best,
Karen

Chicks generate heat when they hatch so 99.8 is not surprising in such a small unit.

 

[fowlman01]

Which light is right for 1 day old chicks?

Hi,
6 out of 7 hatched, 1 clear.
The 60 watt is not enough. Which is the best choice?
1. a GE Plant Light, floodlight shape , "Gro and Sho" 75 watt, white light
2. GE Miser outdoor floodlight 85 watts, red light.
3. Feit Electric Indoor/Outdoor Flood Light , 75 watt, red light.
Thanks for your help!
Karen

I start out with 100 watt old fashion incandecent bulbs, then 75 and all the way down to 40 watts as they grow. I am hording incandecent bulbs as the 100 watts are not being made and this year they stopped making the 75w..and so on until you can't get them unless hyou smuggle them in from some third world country. I haven't used a thermometer in the brooder for years. Just watch and listen to the babies.....they will tell you what they need. I have seen them lean on the bulb when they get cold....not sure why they don't singe themselves, but they don't. The wattage (heat) is dependent on the size of the brooder. These plastic storage boxes hold heat pretty well.

It is another crazy thing that somebody thought would be good for the world. Most of the alternatives that are being sold are very dangerous (filled with mercury) not to mention how expensive they are and IMO they don't work well unless you double or triple the lumens . If you want a 75w light you need to use 150 and wait for it to get to that brightness all the while remembering all the bad things it says on the box..... lots of warnings about mercury etc. If these things use mercury why are they such a good thing???????????

In the early 50's I remember my dad complaining about all the new "regulations"......hahahah.....little did he know!

Walt

 

[cluck-cluck]

Ugh double...