Consolidated Kansas

[Sand Hill]

Where in SW KS? I am 15 min shy of the OK border South of Dodge.
I have a friend that just started raising quail but I don't think she's doing BobWhites.

I am about 2 miles North of OK border, 13 miles south of Hugoton. Nice to meet a "neighbor" on here!!

 

[tatinatimom]

Hi everyone. I am getting tired of this gloom and fed up with weathermen and their " the storm/air/rain/snow & /or whatever else they come up with has shifted" excuse. I wish I could be wrong 9 times outta 10 and still have a job with GOOD pay!!
Anyway, I have decided to do the HAL that BYC is hosting. I am totally new to the incubating/hatching process so I am a little nervous! Are there any tips or tricks I need to know? Do I need to medicate or do anything special to the chicks after they hatch?
I am hatching eggs from my own flock so I am excited to see what I end up with!!

 

[chicken danz]

Are you doing the Easter HAL? It seems like that is the only one I remember. I have a pretty regular hatching schedule so I just keep doing what I've doing.
I guess the obvious question is what you are hatching with? There's a world of difference in incubators and how you manage them. You should need nothing special for the chicks other than what you would normally use with chicks. If you haven't ever had newly hatched chicks that is a whole different matter.
I just emptied my incubator. I didn't count how many I hatched this week. I did have a few project chicks in there. I am trying to create a blue/gold partridge orpington. I used a lavender for the blue in this case and you can definitely tell which chicks they are. The next ones will be a regular blue for the blue part. I am trying to determine which one produces the best coloring. They should be pretty birds regardless of how they turn out.

 

[CHIKENROOKIE]

Ok, all you smart chicken people out there......please tell me that this is a frozen, shell-less egg, because I still have 2 that have yet to start laying.

I brought it in just a couple of minutes ago, and am waiting on it to thaw.

 

[tatinatimom]

Are you doing the Easter HAL? It seems like that is the only one I remember. I have a pretty regular hatching schedule so I just keep doing what I've doing.
I guess the obvious question is what you are hatching with? There's a world of difference in incubators and how you manage them. You should need nothing special for the chicks other than what you would normally use with chicks. If you haven't ever had newly hatched chicks that is a whole different matter.
I just emptied my incubator. I didn't count how many I hatched this week. I did have a few project chicks in there. I am trying to create a blue/gold partridge orpington. I used a lavender for the blue in this case and you can definitely tell which chicks they are. The next ones will be a regular blue for the blue part. I am trying to determine which one produces the best coloring. They should be pretty birds regardless of how they turn out.

Yes the Easter HAL. I have the Little Giant incubator Deluxe with Turner and fan kit.
The mix you are trying to create sounds awesome. My batch pales in comparison to the amazing chickens you are trying to create. I am excited for you! I hope you achieve your goal with great success!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

tatinatimom, I have a Styrofoam Hovabator with only 22 eggs in it. It will hold 48 so I filled two pint canning jars with warm water and only left one open. The other is only in there as a "heat sink" you know, to help the bator hold the temp. With just the one open, my humidity is something like 30 - 35% today. So I figure adding the other one and using the center channel in the bottom should get the humidity up where it belongs at lockdown. When I used this bator before, I had trouble keeping the temp stable but this seems to be working pretty well, so if you have any trouble with stability this might help. Just start the bator 24 hours in advance to stabilize the temp/humidity.

I have 3 Hovabators, one electronic and one wafer type, plus a very old Hovabator my aunt gave me that I use just as a hatcher. It's all beat up and ugly and works great to put the nasty, messy little hatchers in. I had a Sportsman but realized hubs didn't ever want to see that thing full as long as he lived, so I sold it and just went with the Styrofoam. I'm careful to TekTrol the bators before and after use. I have an automatic turner but didn't want to use it this time... I'm turning them by hand. It gives me an excuse to fuss over them. If I get tired of the fuss, I can always put it in. Can't wait to candle! I have one Speckled Sussex among all the Buff Sussex I am collecting eggs from so I'm looking forward to seeing if I get any Mille Fleur Sussex out of the deal. I just have a thing for polka dots.

Well, guys, I am very disappointed with this weather. The chickens aren't too pleased with it either. I had DD take some treats out to the birds and the little Speckled Sussex came running to her and escorted her back to the coop. She's cute. My EE is pulling some feathers from one of my Aloha girls -- getting bored I guess. I sure hope this weekend is decent and these birds feel more like running around in the yard.

Trish, how is the PT coming on that knee? I was referred to an Electrophysiologist today to see if there is anything he can do for me. My heart medication has stopped working for the irregular beat and I'm not feeling too zippy. Wouldn't you know you would have to chase birds in with that knee?

Danz, how much snow did you end up with up there? Those Orps sound really pretty! That will be fun to see how they grow out.

 

[chicken danz]

Okay the first thing you need to do is invest in a digital thermometer/hygrometer. Walmart has some nice small units with their thermometers that will fit in your LG. You would just need to lay it on top of the eggs in the turner where you can see it through the little plastic windows. The second thing is make sure the unit is on an inside wall without any windows or drafts or air from heat vents. The more even the outside air is the better success you are going to have. I actually took a hot glue gun and plugged the two holes in the bottom of my units. Reason for this was humidity. The little channel they provide for humidity isn't sufficient enough unless you want to fill it several times a day. I filled the holes and kept water in the entire bottom below the screen. Here again is a balance thing. You don't want it up where it will bother the turner or have a lot of water sitting but you don't want it completely dry either.
Then when it was about time to hatch I added a couple of good wet sponges to the screen area, after I took the turner out. Always add warm or hot water when you are adding humidity. If you add cool water it will drive your temperature down. It it feels nice and warm to your hand it's about the right temperature for the incubator. You want the water a warmer than 99.5 because when you open that lid to add it, you are loosing your heat.
The beauty of hatching eggs is that they are forgiving of less than perfect conditions but the better you can provide the right conditions the better hatch you will have and the healthier your chicks will be.
Power outages!!! DO NOT IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES open an incubator if you have a power outage. I recommend wrapping the unit in a couple blankets to keep the warmth in but be sure not to block off the air hole in the top when doing so.
Some of the barnyard mixes are real beauties. My favorite chickens have been mixed bred.
I have just been working on creating some of my own colors the last couple years. It is space and time consuming but really rewarding when it works. Chicken genetics can be very complicated compared to basic genetics. I have so much to learn. I just sell the birds I can't use for further generations including a lot of nice boys that become meat. The girls are all purebred.... just not acceptable colors.

 

[chicken danz]

Deerfield, we were posting at the same time. Sure hope the new doctor can help you out. Your post reminded me of a person who made a homemade incubator and he filled small jars with rocks and water and used them as a heat sink. His temperature stayed spot on. What was amazing was he just had a water heater thermostat which could swing over 10 degrees either way before he added the heat sink. Unfortunately the little giants have so little room in them, but I imagine if a person looked around they could find something that would work.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Deerfield, we were posting at the same time. Sure hope the new doctor can help you out. Your post reminded me of a person who made a homemade incubator and he filled small jars with rocks and water and used them as a heat sink. His temperature stayed spot on. What was amazing was he just had a water heater thermostat which could swing over 10 degrees either way before he added the heat sink. Unfortunately the little giants have so little room in them, but I imagine if a person looked around they could find something that would work.

I've been very tempted to tinker around and put together a homemade incubator, just for fun. Rocks sound like a great idea for a heat sink!

 

[tatinatimom]

Danz & Deerfield you both are a lot of help. Thank you!!! I have no idea what I am doing but there is only one way to learn! My DH is on board with the incubating idea and is driving me crazy because he wants to start now, not with the HAL. I guess he can't complain about chicken math this way
Our only experience with hatchlings is last year when we picked up 7 that had just hatched from Orscheln. This will be way more exciting and rewarding.