Colorado

[Chesterchook]

This is my happy moment of the day  

Awesome!

 

[wsmith]

Gooey stuff, I looked!

lol

 

[Pozees]

never...we've been debating why they cross the road now for decades.

 

[Pozees]

Yay!!!!


I only hatch 18 or so eggs so have no need at this time for anything bigger. You definitely want the turner. People have a hard enough time taking medication at a prescribed time...imagine trying to remember to turn the incubator throughout the day.


My EEs are being stupid right now. I get maybe one or two green/blue eggs a day and that's it. My phoenix has completely stopped laying.

I am in complete agreement. I have not bought one yet, and am still deciding whether to just buy a couple of silkie hens for now who have already been broody once, they are apparently among the most likely to go broody, or just wait and see if one of my own girls obliges. If I bought the silkies I'm looking at, the shipping would be high - $75 to ship 5 or 6 and I really only want 2 or 3. NPIP breeder though, which I don't think is all that common among silkie breeders. Have to keep thinking it over I guess. Ideally I would like to hen hatch as much as possible, but I know there's an incubator in my future. Whenever that happens, it will have a turner.

 

[ScottnLydia]

I am in complete agreement. I have not bought one yet, and am still deciding whether to just buy a couple of silkie hens for now who have already been broody once, they are apparently among the most likely to go broody, or just wait and see if one of my own girls obliges. If I bought the silkies I'm looking at, the shipping would be high - $75 to ship 5 or 6 and I really only want 2 or 3. NPIP breeder though, which I don't think is all that common among silkie breeders. Have to keep thinking it over I guess. Ideally I would like to hen hatch as much as possible, but I know there's an incubator in my future. Whenever that happens, it will have a turner.

I know I'm new here, but if you're looking for an incubator, I can highly recommend the Brinsea Octo models. we have been having terrific success with ours. We got it with the auto rocking cradle which works flawlessly. One of my favorite things about this particular incubator is that I can adjust it to hold different sized eggs at the same time, i.e., I can incubate quail, chicken and turkey eggs, and rock them at the same time.

We also got the Brinsea Brooder, man is that great! We call it the electric hen since it mimics a hens belly so well. Only 14 to 16 watts instead of 250 for the red light, we'll pay for it in a couple of months of electric bills! The chicks run in and out from under it when they need to, more naturally, and as a bonus we haven't had any pastey butt at all!

~S

 

[suncatcher]

I am in complete agreement. I have not bought one yet, and am still deciding whether to just buy a couple of silkie hens for now who have already been broody once, they are apparently among the most likely to go broody, or just wait and see if one of my own girls obliges. If I bought the silkies I'm looking at, the shipping would be high - $75 to ship 5 or 6 and I really only want 2 or 3. NPIP breeder though, which I don't think is all that common among silkie breeders. Have to keep thinking it over I guess. Ideally I would like to hen hatch as much as possible, but I know there's an incubator in my future. Whenever that happens, it will have a turner.

I too thought I would wait until one of my hens went broody, but as a plus with an incubator you can incubate whenever you want, and not have to wait if and when your hen goes broody. I had wondered if a fan is needed as our air here in Colorado is soooooo dry. Does anyone have any experience with an incubator and fan here in colorado??????? I would love to have a Brinsea, just not sure it is in the budget right now........... Have also been on the incubation thread, and they have some good ideas on how to turn the eggs with little trouble, lots of great ideas there.

 

[suncatcher]

Not sure if everyone knows it, but tonight is going to be the Geminids Meteor Show. If there is no cloud coverage should be a great show! http://www.spacedex.com/geminids/

 

[Pozees]

I know I'm new here, but if you're looking for an incubator, I can highly recommend the Brinsea Octo models. we have been having terrific success with ours. We got it with the auto rocking cradle which works flawlessly. One of my favorite things about this particular incubator is that I can adjust it to hold different sized eggs at the same time, i.e., I can incubate quail, chicken and turkey eggs, and rock them at the same time.

We also got the Brinsea Brooder, man is that great! We call it the electric hen since it mimics a hens belly so well. Only 14 to 16 watts instead of 250 for the red light, we'll pay for it in a couple of months of electric bills! The chicks run in and out from under it when they need to, more naturally, and as a bonus we haven't had any pastey butt at all!

~S

I was wondering how that one works as far as decreasing the temperature - a light is so simple, just move it further and further above the chicks.

 

[wsmith]

Lots of new folks on the Colorado Thread! Welcome to al!

If you haven't already, could you tell us a little about yourselves? Where you are, what kind of chickens do you have, how many, etc etc..... I know some of the info is sometimes in your signatures, but this makes it more personable....

 

[ScottnLydia]

I was wondering how that one works as far as decreasing the temperature - a light is so simple, just move it further and further above the chicks.

It's basically a warm surface. a plate, if you will. You can adjust the height to 3 different positions, depending on how tall the chicks are. When first hatched, it's at the lowest position and they can snug their little backs right up against it, just like mamas breast. As they get older, you can move the position higher, but the chicks also spend less and less time under it, just like they would with a broody.

I guess that's why I like it so much. besides the energy savings (substantial), it seems more natural for the chicks and they seem healthier for it (to me).

~S