Consolidated Kansas

[sunflowerparrot]

My broilers (cornish cross) will be 2 weeks old on Wednesday... I would like to put them out in the hutch on that day (the lows for the first week will be between 57 and 71). They will have access to an enclosed boxed area within the coop that will have pine shavings and dried cattails. I would like to keep them in there for about 2 weeks before putting them in the grow-out pen for their last 2 weeks before harvest. Will they be ok going out Wednesday based on the lows? (I do not have a heat lamp - but there are 27 of them that can huddle.) They are so fat right now - not really growing persay, but getting fat - they can already barely not stand and most of them just lie down in front of the feeder and just eat - eat- eat... it's kind of sad to see them like that.

Typo on lows.. should read between 57 and 61 (not 71).

 

[medawinks]

My kids and I just put a group of adorable chicks in the rabbit cage/ brooder with a heat lamp and watched them all get a drink before snuggling down for the night at their new circus home It is so sweet to hear them cheep! Even is they aren't girls, the kids really enjoy this stage. Mom does too

Thanks Danz! My kids and I live you, and your zoo and your dogs too! A drive down to the bird zoo has become quite a favorite family jaunt, now complete with traditions of stopping for hot pickles and a frosty. Kids!! They are finally showered and getting in bed and Mom is crashing too. Yes.... Fall is always crazy busy.

 

[mommahen10]

Thanks for giving me all the details HEChicken, this hatching thing is becoming more and more like serious business. I can't lock things down and just leave it closed because I'm hatching eggs that will span a few days. I'm scared to cool them and put them all in at once because I have no way of knowing the temps, so I need more thermometers. Adding that to my list now. I'm going to talk to my boys about building something better. I have to open the incubator to turn the eggs, that's twice per day. I've been watching the dates to see when to stop turning them but then I still have to open it to turn the ones that still need turned. I think they humidity is high enough now since there is condensation on the window, but I really think they're all dead now, it's been a rough ride this time for sure. I have second chick that has the unabsorbed yolk and isn't fairing so well. The sack ruptured and it was so messy and I about passed out seriously because it happened as I was moving it out of the incubator to a new little heated box i made just for him, I was scared of it rupturing because he was walking all over the incubator and it was dragging on the wire. He just laid there like he was dead for a while, and we got the bleeding to stop but he bled so much. He seems so weak now. I keep making him eat/drink but I just feel unsure that he will make it through the night. Also, the styrofoam incubator doesn't have any sort of fan. Can it be added to it somehow? Is the heating element strong enough to take out of the incubator and use it to build another, I like the idea of not having to open it to turn the eggs. My list of what I need keeps getting longer. I keeping thinking of things that maybe we could use to make an incubator. What's hardware cloth? I'm definitely not hatching again until we have things set up better, I'm so upset about this hatch I want to throw away the incubator. I feel like a chick murderer. Shame on us for not being better prepared and learning before diving in.

Welcome ChicknBaron.

 

[ChicknBaron]

Right now i just have too many irons in the fire!!! (they need to have a little smiley animation with him pulling his hair out, cause this would be a great place for one) I have eggs in the bator, chickens to care for and to protect from a stray cat, i just can't stay away from BYC long enough to do home work, AND school and sports! ohh it's crazy busy this time of year, but thats what makes life interesting! the eggs are set to hatch Octorber 1st or 2nd so hopefully i do well for my first time

I'm using a little giant, still air bator from TSC, so far it hasn't let me down! Wish me luck!!!

 

[Hawkeye95]

I don't either! I was thrilled when I moved in and had neighbors with roosters I could hear crowing. I love hearing mine (except when I'm in my lawn chair reading my Kindle and he lets off inches from my ear and deafens me). I don't understand people who don't want to hear it. I would far rather hear a rooster crowing off and on throughout the day, than listen to a dog barking non-stop around the clock.

me too!!!

Hawkeye, I know what you mean about other people's reactions to chickens. I told an old friend from high school that I hadn't seen in 40 years at our reunion that I have chickens & she just turned her nose up like it was distasteful & then she had said we should meet for lunch some time & after she found out I have chickens I guess she is no longer interested. I have found my old city friends to be that way & even my own family turns their noses up at my chickens & what I do. I don't even care any more, I have just decided to surround myself with people who understand my passion for animals & chickens & other birds & forget the rest. I have no time for people who put down what I love to do, life is just too short to waste trying to explain yourself to people who don't care anyway. I plan to spend the rest of whatever time I have left on this earth doing what makes me happy for once. I spent way too many years taking care of others & trying to please them.

Well now it just seems like I have reached a sort of plateau with the sick chicks. They seemed to be getting better & now I just don't see much of anything happening with this one pullet especially. There are still some out in the grow-out pen that aren't well yet either. I'm not sure what to do for the next step. They have had 3 different antibiotics now. Does anybody have any suggestions?

I could have wrote this!!! LOVE! Sorry about your sick chicks. So if they are still sick, then it must be a virus, right? Just will have to run it's course?

My husband loves goats. He grow up with chickens and ducks and geese and bottle-fed calves and goats. Goats are his favorite; he says they're a lot of fun. If we ever get moved out of town and have enough room, we'd definitely have goats. Maybe after you've mastered calves, you'll be able to convince all those goat-haters to give goats a try.

What you're talking about in a later post, a somewhat self-sufficient hobby farm, is my dream as well. DH is a little more conflicted than I am about the possibilities and limitations of that kind of thing. He still wants us to be able to take off for a week or two on the motorcycle. I still enjoy riding, but really since the sciatic/back/pelvic problems of the last couple of years, it doesn't excite me as much as it once did. I've become ever more hermit-like over the years; DH not so much.

I guess I would be a goat-hater. Nah, I don't hate them, they're cute! But I certainly don't want one, either! LOL Sounds like we all think alike around here with the gardening, etc..!

My broilers (cornish cross) will be 2 weeks old on Wednesday... I would like to put them out in the hutch on that day (the lows for the first week will be between 57 and 71). They will have access to an enclosed boxed area within the coop that will have pine shavings and dried cattails. I would like to keep them in there for about 2 weeks before putting them in the grow-out pen for their last 2 weeks before harvest. Will they be ok going out Wednesday based on the lows? (I do not have a heat lamp - but there are 27 of them that can huddle.) They are so fat right now - not really growing persay, but getting fat - they can already barely not stand and most of them just lie down in front of the feeder and just eat - eat- eat... it's kind of sad to see them like that.

Shanna said the SAME thing about her broilers! She said she got to the point where she was longing to kill them, because they were so gross and go so heavy and just plopped down in front of the feeder and never moved.


***Side note*** Where is Shanna??? I hope she comes to our gathering at HeChickens like she did at Karen's!! Trish-- maybe you ask tell her!

My kids and I just put a group of adorable chicks in the rabbit cage/ brooder with a heat lamp and watched them all get a drink before snuggling down for the night at their new circus home It is so sweet to hear them cheep! Even is they aren't girls, the kids really enjoy this stage. Mom does too
Thanks Danz! My kids and I live you, and your zoo and your dogs too! A drive down to the bird zoo has become quite a favorite family jaunt, now complete with traditions of stopping for hot pickles and a frosty. Kids!! They are finally showered and getting in bed and Mom is crashing too. Yes.... Fall is always crazy busy.

GREAT picture!! So cute! Danz has the best dogs! LOL

What's hardware cloth? I'm definitely not hatching again until we have things set up better, I'm so upset about this hatch I want to throw away the incubator. I feel like a chick murderer. Shame on us for not being better prepared and learning before diving in.

Welcome ChicknBaron.

Hardware cloth is also used for rabbits. It's the tightly welded wire--- looks like small squares. It comes in two different sized squares. Don't get too upset, this is how you learn. We've all been chick murders! Or maybe not all of us-- I think Danz can hatch about anything. But if it makes you feel any better, I tried hatching some VERY expensive eggs from Checoukan (those black rosecombs) and I killed them all! I didn't realize it at the time, but my therm was not working and I had adjusted my incubator to my therm and I set it way too high! So I fried all those poor eggs. It was terrible. I felt horrible about it. But that was when I started doing a LOT more reading about it and realized you need back up therms and good hygrometers and I now run my machine with 3 therms and 1 hygro that I salt test every now and then. You'll be okay and you'll get better. Hang in there. It does sound like that chick will probably die. Don't take it too hard, you sure didn't mean to, and that counts for a lot!

 

[mommahen10]

Thanks Hawkeye. It does just make my heart sink. I've already asked my husband to check on it before he leaves in the morning so he can just take care of it before I have to see it. I will definitely set up better before trying again. What's the purpose of checking the salt? What do you check for salt? There are meters for about everything, do I need an expensive on or just more than one. I will do back up thermometers too. I do notice that there are warmer spots in the incubator too. Some eggs when I turn them just feel warmer. I need to go turn my later eggs again, just in case they're still alive. Sigh. Night.

 

[medawinks]

Trying to catch up....

Welcome to all the newcomers!!!! I am envious at your bravery to hatch eggs at home. I am still way too much of a newbie. Chicks in the brooder keeps me on edge checking on them! I would never be able to keep an incubator closed.

HEchicken, I think that is so neat about your friend watching the chick hatch! My best friend bought two EEs after seeing ours

Tweety, I sent you some smoothie recipes but for some reason it bounced back. I will try again or just use the computer message on BYC. I use tapatalk on my phone most of the time. I haven't forgotten you. I wish things were going down better for you. Your birds are adorable! Little tweety baby especially!!

Hawkeye, I am super impressed with the tshirt!! Too cool! I also saw a copy or quote with a pick of your precious DD with a beautiful silkie. That pic is priceless! It needs it's own tshirt

Drat... Second alarm went off. Any more I couldn't function without all my alarms to keep me on track!

Hope everyone has a good day!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Right now i just have too many irons in the fire!!! (they need to have a little smiley animation with him pulling his hair out, cause this would be a great place for one) I have eggs in the bator, chickens to care for and to protect from a stray cat, i just can't stay away from BYC long enough to do home work, AND school and sports! ohh it's crazy busy this time of year, but thats what makes life interesting! the eggs are set to hatch Octorber 1st or 2nd so hopefully i do well for my first time

I'm using a little giant, still air bator from TSC, so far it hasn't let me down! Wish me luck!!!

Are you in 4-H as well? If you're under 18 yrs old, you can still join one if you haven't already. You could show your birds and do Showmanship with them. It's really a lot of fun! Good luck with your new incubator!

Thanks Hawkeye. It does just make my heart sink. I've already asked my husband to check on it before he leaves in the morning so he can just take care of it before I have to see it. I will definitely set up better before trying again. What's the purpose of checking the salt? What do you check for salt? There are meters for about everything, do I need an expensive on or just more than one. I will do back up thermometers too. I do notice that there are warmer spots in the incubator too. Some eggs when I turn them just feel warmer. I need to go turn my later eggs again, just in case they're still alive. Sigh. Night.

The hygrometer doesn't check for salt. That is how you calibrate it. You get a cap full of salt-- pour salt into a measuring spoon, wet it down, stick it in a ziplock bag. Then stick your hygrometer into the ziplock bag, and try to press out as much air as you can. I then am able to push the reset button on my hygrometer thru the baggie and then scoot it close to the salt. The salt should produce 75% humidity within the baggie. Leave it for 3-10 hours. I left mine for about 5 hours. You can do it overnight, as well. Anyway, after that, check and see what your hygro is reading-- it should be right on 75% or very close. Mine was off by 9 tenths, and that's fine. Just make a note to yourself what your hygro is off by and then you can add that in or subtract it when you put it in your incubator. Since I know mine is consistently off my 9 tenths, I just add that back in every time I look at it. I probably need a better hygro, because it is off by a LOT. Here is the one I bought: http://www.amazon.com/Xikar-Rectang...TF8&qid=1347884832&sr=1-7&keywords=hygrometer Having said that, I would NOT recommend it. LOL!! Choose another one off of Amazon or else where and be sure to read the reviews on them to make up your own mind. I really like the ones that you can salt-calibrate because then you can be sure it's reading correctly.

Trying to catch up....
Welcome to all the newcomers!!!! I am envious at your bravery to hatch eggs at home. I am still way too much of a newbie. Chicks in the brooder keeps me on edge checking on them! I would never be able to keep an incubator closed.
HEchicken, I think that is so neat about your friend watching the chick hatch! My best friend bought two EEs after seeing ours
Tweety, I sent you some smoothie recipes but for some reason it bounced back. I will try again or just use the computer message on BYC. I use tapatalk on my phone most of the time. I haven't forgotten you. I wish things were going down better for you. Your birds are adorable! Little tweety baby especially!!
Hawkeye, I am super impressed with the tshirt!! Too cool! I also saw a copy or quote with a pick of your precious DD with a beautiful silkie. That pic is priceless! It needs it's own tshirt
Drat... Second alarm went off. Any more I couldn't function without all my alarms to keep me on track!
Hope everyone has a good day!

That is so neat that your bestie got a couple of chickens because of you! Way to enable others!! YAY!! hehehe! Thank you for the comment on my t-shirt, I can't wait for it to arrive!! I also really love the pic of my daughter with the silkie. It's a little on the dark side (it was getting close to evening outside when I took it). I'll have to try for another photo to get a better one, but even so, I do love that picture!

 

[HEChicken]

Thanks for giving me all the details HEChicken, this hatching thing is becoming more and more like serious business. I can't lock things down and just leave it closed because I'm hatching eggs that will span a few days. I'm scared to cool them and put them all in at once because I have no way of knowing the temps, so I need more thermometers. Adding that to my list now. I'm going to talk to my boys about building something better. I have to open the incubator to turn the eggs, that's twice per day. I've been watching the dates to see when to stop turning them but then I still have to open it to turn the ones that still need turned. I think they humidity is high enough now since there is condensation on the window, but I really think they're all dead now, it's been a rough ride this time for sure. I have second chick that has the unabsorbed yolk and isn't fairing so well. The sack ruptured and it was so messy and I about passed out seriously because it happened as I was moving it out of the incubator to a new little heated box i made just for him, I was scared of it rupturing because he was walking all over the incubator and it was dragging on the wire. He just laid there like he was dead for a while, and we got the bleeding to stop but he bled so much. He seems so weak now. I keep making him eat/drink but I just feel unsure that he will make it through the night. Also, the styrofoam incubator doesn't have any sort of fan. Can it be added to it somehow? Is the heating element strong enough to take out of the incubator and use it to build another, I like the idea of not having to open it to turn the eggs. My list of what I need keeps getting longer. I keeping thinking of things that maybe we could use to make an incubator. What's hardware cloth? I'm definitely not hatching again until we have things set up better, I'm so upset about this hatch I want to throw away the incubator. I feel like a chick murderer. Shame on us for not being better prepared and learning before diving in.

Welcome ChicknBaron.

Okay, if I can address a few of these things one at a time? Please don't be offended if I use a numbered list - its just how my brain organizes things....

1. It would be best to avoid setting eggs with too many hatch dates - what is known as a staggered hatch. Experienced people do it but it adds an element of difficulty and when starting out, I think it is best to keep it simple if possible. Rather than set eggs as they are laid, you can hold them out until you have enough to set them all at the same time. Some people will collect eggs for 14 days. I prefer 7, since they do lose viability over time. While collecting them, put them in a carton with the big end UP, and set one end of the carton on a large book. Twice a day, alternate which end the book is holding up. This keeps the yolk from settling. Once you have enough eggs saved up, you can set them all at one time in the incubator. That way they will all go into lockdown at the same time and hatch on the same day.
2. I also open the incubator to turn my eggs. When I started out I used to avoid opening it, and instead hatched in egg cartons, tilting the whole incubator on a large book, reversing that multiple times a day. I have had better hatches since I abandoned the egg carton, lay the eggs on their sides (as they would be under the hen), and turn them manually, by one at a time rotating them 180 degrees (if you use a sharpie to mark and X on one side and an O on the other, it is easy to rotate the 180 each time). To turn this way, I have to open the incubator. What I have learned since between my first hatch and now is the importance of ventilation to the whole process. In short, the embryos and chicks need far more ventilation than I first thought, so opening the incubator doesn't hurt a thing. I think of it as simulating the hen getting off the nest for a short constitutional break. My incubator recovers extraordinarily fast so there really isn't any cool down of the eggs anyway.
3. Try to turn them an "odd" number of times per day - 3 or 5 or 7. The hen turns them about every hour (I think I read that somewhere anyway) so while I can't commit to doing that, I figure the more times I do it, the better. The reason for doing it an odd number of times is so that they are not in the same position every night.
4. Little Giant makes an incubator fan that you can buy at TSC, Atwoods etc. I got one of those and added it to my styrobator. It is flat - not even an inch high - so sits under my rack next to my water bowls. It was super easy to hook up. You will need those plastic electrical things that are used to join two wires together, and an old cord that has the prongs to plug into the wall. Strip the cord back until you see the wires. Meanwhile, the incubator cord will end in wires. Take an incubator wire and a cord wire, twist them together, slip them into a plastic thingy, and continue twisting until it doesn't want to go any further. Do the same with the other two wires, then plug it into the wall and it should immediately start to spin. Hope that makes sense. If not, let me know and I'll see if I can get you some pics. I really feel the fan is important as it helps to even out those warm spots you mentioned and keep all of the air in the incubator an even temperature. Also, if you place it right next to a hole, it will draw in the fresh air, keeping the whole thing well ventilated.

Hope this helps some!

Right now i just have too many irons in the fire!!! (they need to have a little smiley animation with him pulling his hair out, cause this would be a great place for one) I have eggs in the bator, chickens to care for and to protect from a stray cat, i just can't stay away from BYC long enough to do home work, AND school and sports! ohh it's crazy busy this time of year, but thats what makes life interesting! the eggs are set to hatch Octorber 1st or 2nd so hopefully i do well for my first time

I'm using a little giant, still air bator from TSC, so far it hasn't let me down! Wish me luck!!!

Luck!!!

Thanks Hawkeye. It does just make my heart sink. I've already asked my husband to check on it before he leaves in the morning so he can just take care of it before I have to see it. I will definitely set up better before trying again. What's the purpose of checking the salt? What do you check for salt? There are meters for about everything, do I need an expensive on or just more than one. I will do back up thermometers too. I do notice that there are warmer spots in the incubator too. Some eggs when I turn them just feel warmer. I need to go turn my later eggs again, just in case they're still alive. Sigh. Night.

The salt test is to calibrate the hygrometer. I won't pretend to understand the science of it but I guess at a certain salinity, the hygrometer should read a certain humidity so the salt test tells us whether it is reading accurately or not.

Take a gallon-size ziploc bag, and a mug. In the mug place 1/2 cup salt and 1/4 cup water, mixed together into a mushy paste. Place the mug in the ziploc bag. Place the hygrometer in the bag but not in the cup. Zip it up and wait. Most times you will hear to wait 12 hours but I've had better results waiting a full 24 hours. At the end of that time read the hygrometer and it should read 75% if it is reading accurately. If it reads higher or lower than that, you can still use it - just adjust your readings by that amount. I.e. if it reads 70, it is reading 5% low so you can adjust by that amount when reading it during incubation. The thing about humidity is it doesn't need to be quite as precise as temperature so its okay to know it is reading "about 35-40%".

 

[checoukan]

So, here is a story for you. Would like your imput on how I should handle this.

Judging team is at the state fair. All judging is over. Scores are calculated.

Kicken Chickens Senior team. Won.

Ribbons handed to the team members.
Hands were shook, congradulations said.
Team was told they would be able to go to nationals, and compete.
Were walking out the door to leave and come home.

Two other teams jumped up as our team was leaving, started screaming demanding a recount, were all behaving very bad.
Calcutations were redone with the teams standing over the judges.
Our kids were told they did not win, one of the other teams coachs came over jerked the ribbons out of our kids hands, handed them to their kids, and said" NOw can we have pictures with the real winners"!!!
I think heads need to roll.
Our kids stood there in shock were very gracious, about the whold thing.
Kinda doubt if we will send kids to state poutlry judgeing again.

Now this is what I have been told. If anyone was there and can tell me something different, please do. Sounds like someone needs to get something straingtened out? Don't you?