Crossing my Red Ranger Hens.

[jolenesdad]

I have a dream of going off grid and I am trying to figure out a way to incubate eggs with an alternative method. Guess I need to invest in broody hens or delegate the limited solar power I will have for an incubator because I can't think of a way to regulate temps with alternative heating methods. I came up with a Compost heated brooder idea but I am still working on it. It would be large pipe going through the middle of a Compost pile where the middle would be too hot and the 2 outside ends being too cold and the chicks would move to the ideal spot... I would have the composting Agents saved up in a bag, just mix and add water and it heats up.... I want this for an emergency brooder if the power goes out on a bitter cold day.

there was a thread on here once where someone discussed building a brooder room heated with hot water pipes.

you’re pretty resourceful and handy, I bet you could figure something out.

 

[Compost King]

there was a thread on here once where someone discussed building a brooder room heated with hot water pipes.

you’re pretty resourceful and handy, I bet you could figure something out.

I am not sure what the structure will be made of since I have a silly rule about only using discarded materials when making a structure (with in reason, I have to buy screws, hardware cloth and sometimes specific lumber) I am hoping to find some sort of duct work or large pipes and put Commodity Feed Pellets from the local feed mill over it in a contained situation, add water... hardware cloth the 2 ends which will not be covered by the compostable materials. I foolishly bought the Pellets thinking chickens might eat them but they won't. So I put them in the worm compost and after I emptied my left over morning Coffee pot it heated up really hot in the middle in less than an hour. The heat lasted at least a week. The bags are only $7.50 for 50 pounds and I only composted about 15 pounds at a time. Thats when I came up with the idea of using them in an emergency as a heat source if the power went out.
One of the problems with raising chicks in later fall or early winter is that if the power goes out when the temps are going below 20 at night it may be hard to keep them alive. Temps below 20 used to be rare here but it has happened 3 winters in a row now.
Some people suggest not hatching chicks in winter or late fall but its actually the best time because they start laying sooner when they reach maturity as the days are still getting longer. One of my pet peeves with spring chickens is that some of them mature as days are getting shorter and it delays their Point of Lay sometimes beyond thier first birthday, wasting feed. To me the best time to start hatching is Sept 21 to Dec 21 then your Pullets are reaching that 6 month point as days are longer than night and the days are still getting longer.

 

[Molpet]

There are kerosene incubators and people used to keep eggs by the wood stove... both require a lot of attention to temps and hand turning

 

[BlueBaby]

There are kerosene incubators and people used to keep eggs by the wood stove... both require a lot of attention to temps and hand turning

Didn't women also hatch them in their bra's before, too?

 

[john_wrightson2003]

Didn't women also hatch them in their bra's before, too?

 

[Molpet]

Didn't women also hatch them in their bra's before, too?

LOL yes someone on here did that. Couldn't do too many that way.

 

[john_wrightson2003]

LOL yes someone on here did that. Couldn't do too many that way.

 

[123RedBeard]

One of the problems with raising chicks in later fall or early winter is that if the power goes out when the temps are going below 20 at night it may be hard to keep them alive

That's what they make generators for ... keeps your fridge going too!

 

[Compost King]

Generators get stolen in the middle of the night, its a sad part of life but they can't be inside and people hear them in the middle of the night and know where to find them. You can lock them in a cage and force a thief to spend to much time getting to it to deter them but I came to the conclusion that it wasn't work the investment when the power goes out about once every 5 years here.

 

[jolenesdad]

it becomes less and less of a problem the MORE and more chicks you have brooding together to share heat. ;-)

The answer to most issues, is pretty much HATCH MORE.