Building my first coop! - progress thread

[K0k0shka]

Here's the refrigerator box I used one year.

Yep, that's what I'm thinking of doing. Access on the front and up on something, at kid level, so they can reach in and grab chicks

 

[K0k0shka]

Oh man oh man! I just picked up my incubator (borrowing from a local farm), and my supplies have already arrived - thermometer, hygrometer, egg candler, heating pad, chick feed arriving in a couple of weeks... And my eggs should be here in a few days. I'm not sure what will happen with the run construction, as I'm stuck between the ground being still frozen vs. businesses are starting to close... but at least I can start on the hatch and hope that I'll get the run ready for the chicks eventually.

Should I start a hatch thread? This will be my first time hatching.

 

[adirondak5]

Wow , you're gonna have your hands full for a while it seems . You'll have a few weeks incubating and then a few more weeks after they hatch so still some time to work on your run . Yes on the hatch thread , it will be exciting following along .

 

[K0k0shka]

Wow , you're gonna have your hands full for a while it seems . You'll have a few weeks incubating and then a few more weeks after they hatch so still some time to work on your run . Yes on the hatch thread , it will be exciting following along .

Yeah, but this is the perfect time to be incubating and hatching chicks. Under no other circumstances would I have been home all day every day to check on them every 5 minutes

 

[aart]

Should I start a hatch thread? This will be my first time hatching.

Yes!
First test your therms and hygros!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

Are you going to build a 'pseudo heat plate' with the pad?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate.67729/

 

[K0k0shka]

Yes!
First test your therms and hygros!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

Are you going to build a 'pseudo heat plate' with the pad?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate.67729/

I'll probably have about a week between getting the incubator and setting the eggs, and I'm planning on running it empty for that week in an attempt to figure it out and get it to hold the measurements steady. I read about calibration and will calibrate both the thermometer and the hygrometer, and will experiment with sponges and such to try to find a good approach before the eggs actually go in.

I saw a lot of very good ideas and interpretations on the Mama Heating Pad method. I'm not too crazy about the cave, so I'll try a heater plate instead - easier to adjust heights for growing chicks. I was going to use your setup, but then I saw another variation of it where the plate is suspended on chains, hanging from wooden "legs" with hooks on them. So you lower or raise it by hanging it from a different notch along the chain. I can't find the thread now (it was here on BYC somewhere), should've saved it... But I like that idea.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Wow, that will be a palace for those birds. Nice, ambitious plan. Looks great so far, keep us posted.

 

[aart]

I saw a lot of very good ideas and interpretations on the Mama Heating Pad method. I'm not too crazy about the cave, so I'll try a heater plate instead - easier to adjust heights for growing chicks. I was going to use your setup, but then I saw another variation of it where the plate is suspended on chains, hanging from wooden "legs" with hooks on them. So you lower or raise it by hanging it from a different notch along the chain. I can't find the thread now (it was here on BYC somewhere), should've saved it... But I like that idea.

Thinks the 'cave' is a bad design for several reasons.<shrugs>
Have seen the chains in a couple places, works great if you have a place to hang it from.

 

[cmom]

My suggestion is when you turn on your incubator, put something in it like bottles of water, fake eggs, etc,. That will give you a truer readings than an empty incubator. There are many threads to help. Your climate will have an affect. Good luck and have fun...

 

[K0k0shka]

My suggestion is when you turn on your incubator, put something in it like bottles of water, fake eggs, etc,. That will give you a truer readings than an empty incubator. There are many threads to help. Your climate will have an affect. Good luck and have fun...

Yep, heat sinks. I'll keep a heat sink in there even after I add the eggs. I've been reading for months now... Hopefully I've absorbed enough not to mess this up!