California - Northern

[Hangtown Farms]

Happy Birthday Deann

 

[debs_flock]

gorgeous Deb...That looks like "verde" the paint color I used at the ranch and just yesterday painted all the coops at my house... NICE JOB

It was called Old Vine.............I thought it blended well into the yard.

Thanks everyone for the comments on my coops/pens. I made a basic design and set my DH loose. Luckily, he's pretty accomodating and willing! We're currently at 26 pens and I've got him thinking about where he can put another bank of them.

That would be fun! More people involved in the taste test would mean more input on how the Bresse compare with our other breeds raised for meat. In the taste test that we did last fall, I preferred the Langshan meat over the Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock and Cornish X meat but Monet and my farm friend's family preferred the SPPR meat. We are planning on breeding both along with the Bresse then doing another taste testing next fall/winter. We are going to try to raise all 3 breeds as close to the French standard as we can. It will be interesting to see how they compare. We may raise a few Marans, too. I've heard that their meat is excellent!

We've done our own sample on quite a few of our breeds. So far my favorite has been the Marans.

Deb - nice breeding pens! What size are they?

The banks with four pens are 6x12 (coop 4x6), and the banks with six pens are 4x12 (coop 4x4). I use the smaller pens for bantams or small groups (trios/quads).

12 dozen?? Holy cow! I remember meeting someone who wanted "..as many as you got!", unfortunately I only had 3 dozen available at that time.

I know, this is the second time she's asked me for eggs like that (the first time was in winter and it was a no go from the girls). I told her to let me know when she was ready for more, LOL

 

[HighNDryFarm]

I everyone, I'm getting ready to set my eggs. We just got back from an overnight trip with my daughter and her family to Butte Meadows for a quick get-a-way....we rented a cabin up there for the night and did some four wheeling and sledding with the kids, very relaxing and fun. Little sad when we went by to see the last log home my brother built before he died. Was kind of hard thinking of him trying to finish that house while undergoing kemo and radiation....wheww.....OK, back to my questions...

In the Brinsea 20, do I put the foam thingys with the bars around them on the sides too? And how far apart do I put them or does that depend on the size of the eggs? Pointy side down or up? Why can't I remember this? The incubator has been on and holding temp and humidity since Wed. Also, what's everyone's opinion on humidity and temp. The Brinsea paperwork says 99.6F and 40% humidity the first 18 days. Also, does that paper thing go in right away? It's in there but I thought I read where someone didn't add that until lockdown?

Thanks!

 

[ronott1]

I everyone, I'm getting ready to set my eggs. We just got back from an overnight trip with my daughter and her family to Butte Meadows for a quick get-a-way....we rented a cabin up there for the night and did some four wheeling and sledding with the kids, very relaxing and fun. Little sad when we went by to see the last log home my brother built before he died. Was kind of hard thinking of him trying to finish that house while undergoing kemo and radiation....wheww.....OK, back to my questions...

In the Brinsea 20, do I put the foam thingys with the bars around them on the sides too? And how far apart do I put them or does that depend on the size of the eggs? Pointy side down or up? Why can't I remember this? The incubator has been on and holding temp and humidity since Wed. Also, what's everyone's opinion on humidity and temp. The Brinsea paperwork says 99.6F and 40% humidity the first 18 days. Also, does that paper thing go in right away? It's in there but I thought I read where someone didn't add that until lockdown?

Thanks!

Yes to all of your questions!

Adjust the rails for the size of the eggs. put the foam on the inside. The default settings have hatched very well for UofA Blues, OE and Marans, Crele Penes and Bresse. Ducks are developing well too.

put the humidity pad in when you set up the incubator.

 

[chickee]

I everyone, I'm getting ready to set my eggs. We just got back from an overnight trip with my daughter and her family to Butte Meadows for a quick get-a-way....we rented a cabin up there for the night and did some four wheeling and sledding with the kids, very relaxing and fun. Little sad when we went by to see the last log home my brother built before he died. Was kind of hard thinking of him trying to finish that house while undergoing kemo and radiation....wheww.....OK, back to my questions...

In the Brinsea 20, do I put the foam thingys with the bars around them on the sides too? And how far apart do I put them or does that depend on the size of the eggs? Pointy side down or up? Why can't I remember this? The incubator has been on and holding temp and humidity since Wed. Also, what's everyone's opinion on humidity and temp. The Brinsea paperwork says 99.6F and 40% humidity the first 18 days. Also, does that paper thing go in right away? It's in there but I thought I read where someone didn't add that until lockdown?

Thanks!

I do not put the spongy insert in on the sides, just inside of the metal rails. I space the rails by counting the groves that hold the rails. Seems like 10 (counting each individual projection that holds the rails) then placing the rail in-between the 10-11 count slot (count them in my photo) I think that makes an almost even amount of spaces to make 4 rows. You need to put the paper in the top from the beginning if you are using the humidity pump. I get perfect hatches with the recommended 99.6 temp and humidity at 40%.

Hope this all makes sense and good luck with your hatch

Here is the picture I recently posted of my eggs in my Octagon 20 already incubating for reference~

 

[ronott1]

Quote:

 

[ronott1]

Quote:

Of course you should be catching up!

We blew the thread up yesterday! We made it into the top ten busiest threads again! Bring it On!!!!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

I do not put the spongy insert in on the sides, just inside of the metal rails. I space the rails by counting the groves that hold the rails. Seems like 10 (counting each individual projection that holds the rails) then placing the rail in-between the 10-11 count slot (count them in my photo) I think that makes an almost even amount of spaces to make 4 rows. You need to put the paper in the top from the beginning if you are using the humidity pump. I get perfect hatches with the recommended 99.6 temp and humidity at 40%.

Hope this all makes sense and good luck with your hatch

Here is the picture I recently posted of my eggs in my Octagon 20 already incubating for reference~

that is one lucky guy that is gonna get those ee's

I happened to also pick up 10 more today from a friend

 

[HighNDryFarm]

I everyone, I'm getting ready to set my eggs. We just got back from an overnight trip with my daughter and her family to Butte Meadows for a quick get-a-way....we rented a cabin up there for the night and did some four wheeling and sledding with the kids, very relaxing and fun. Little sad when we went by to see the last log home my brother built before he died. Was kind of hard thinking of him trying to finish that house while undergoing kemo and radiation....wheww.....OK, back to my questions... In the Brinsea 20, do I put the foam thingys with the bars around them on the sides too? And how far apart do I put them or does that depend on the size of the eggs? Pointy side down or up? Why can't I remember this? The incubator has been on and holding temp and humidity since Wed. Also, what's everyone's opinion on humidity and temp. The Brinsea paperwork says 99.6F and 40% humidity the first 18 days. Also, does that paper thing go in right away? It's in there but I thought I read where someone didn't add that until lockdown? Thanks!

I do not put the spongy insert in on the sides, just inside of the metal rails. I space the rails by counting the groves that hold the rails. Seems like 10 (counting each individual projection that holds the rails) then placing the rail in-between the 10-11 count slot (count them in my photo) I think that makes an almost even amount of spaces to make 4 rows. You need to put the paper in the top from the beginning if you are using the humidity pump. I get perfect hatches with the recommended 99.6 temp and humidity at 40%. Hope this all makes sense and good luck with your hatch Here is the picture I recently posted of my eggs in my Octagon 20 already incubating for reference~

Oh thank you for the photo!!! I had it set where I could only get 19! Saw your picture, took all the eggs out and counted evenly to split them up and I got 25!!!! Thank you! Thank you! How's this look?

 

[redriver]

Since I know a lot of you guys are very experienced hatchers, maybe you can answer my question. I have seen different opinions on how much weight to lose by Day 21. Usually it is somewhere from 11%-16%. I am on Day 7, and my 48 eggs have lost an average of 4.4%. If I go by the 11%, then they are losing too much. If I go by the 16%, then they are probably pretty close to being on track.

So, for those that weigh, what percentage of total weight loss do you aim for?

They are in a Hovabator with a turner. Humidity is about 65% when I first add water, then I let it drop down to about 20% before I add more. I added water about three days ago and the humidity is currently at 49%