EDUCATIONAL INCUBATION & HATCHING CHAT THREAD, w/ Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs

[Pensmaster]

Hey, even someone with a rag can get seven with one blow..

I let small, non fuzzy spiders stay alive. IF they don't get near my house.

That's a start

Yea but this ones funny. I'll try the spoiler

 

[BantyChooks]

Autocorrect. I fixed it already. 



I wanna see! I wanna see!!!!!

Uh huh....

That's a start

Yea but this ones funny. I'll try the spoiler

I'll be waiting anxiously- NOT

 

[Pensmaster]

Autocorrect. I fixed it already. 



I wanna see! I wanna see!!!!!

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

[BantyChooks]

Gotta go hit the hay, after I've inspected it for spiders

 

[Pensmaster]

Gotta go hit the hay, after I've inspected it for spiders

Stay away from the hay.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

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I'm heading to bed as well. Good night!!!!

- Ant Farm

 

[Pensmaster]

I'm heading to bed as well. Good night!!!!

- Ant Farm 

Not far behind.

Super busy day for a day off.

 

[BullChick]

@kajira

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm always late to these discussions.

Quick question, I just made a incubator but I bought a led light bulb. Led was the only kind they had in the store below 60w. Will it put off enough heat?

LEDs don't generate any appreciable amount of heat.
That's the beauty of them, why they are so energy efficient, longer lasting and more durable.
They're electronic light emitting diodes. Basically semiconductors that produce visible light but the minimal heat produced is absorbed in a heat sink.
Incandescents produce heat because they produce light by heating a filament that glows white hot. 90% of the energy used is released as heat.
CFLs generate some heat because the energy flows through gasses between electrodes thereby producing UV light and heat.
So the 40watts on a LED package is equivalent light output to an incandescent bulb, not actual energy used.

You could use halogen if you can't find incandescent.
Ceramic heat emitters are more efficient and metallic heat elements are more efficient yet.

In this case, my post office is to blame. In any case, they are the final straw for eggs and chicks.
It was the wind. It's scary during the day too! It sounds like someone is trying to beat the door down!

But how else would we transport animals across the country so cheaply?

try to find a 40w appliance bulb but NOT TEFLON COATED

i got mine at my grocery store, and they have them at my hardware store too

for the life of me i could not find them at walmart

Another good reason not to shop there.

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thanks I am putting him in a pen with my silkie and black frizzle.does anyone know what breed turken he is

Turken is the breed.
Or do you mean what variety of Turken is it?

My daughters dog, doesn't hurt the chickens, but chases the chickens/turkeys.... my big male turkey's starting to get fed up with it. I'm going to have to get him a shock collar (the dog, not the turkey) to get him to stop before the turkey decides to stomp the little dog into the ground.

It all started when he played this chase game with my EE astrid. He'd chase Astrid, then Astrid would turn around and chase him back.... he thinks it's this great fun game... but astrid's the only chicken who liked playing it with him. He hasn't figured that out yet.


And, someone gave me a stomach flu thing, I feel like i'm going to die. My husband's on animal duty tonight.

I wish the roosters would get fed up with our dog chasing hens. I don't think they see him as any real threat.

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Gotcha.
Found this under the sink. Can't find anywhere on it about teflon. What do you think?

It would say rough service. Those are usually higher wattages like 75 and 100.

Thank you

Last question. Humidity this time. What should the humidity be during incubation and then what does it need to be during lockdown? I think I read 60's and then up it to 80's but not sure

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Thank you! First time trying to hatch. I've been reading quite a bit and everything is slightly different. I'm nervous about getting it right but I'm excited for new chicks!

Not a set number. All eggs are different in their size and porosity so you'll have to play it by ear.
They should lose 0.65% of their weight each day so that's why some need higher humidity and some less.
You can start at about 30-40% and see how the air cell grows. At any rate, you want to get the humidity much higher for the hatch. If the windows fog the humidity is too high.

...

Also I have learned a 4 inch fence is not high enough. I had a chipmunk striped chick in with my Doms and PC...this cannot be. I checked each opened egg to make sure they were marked PC and D. They were. Then I noticed I was one PC short from last count. I found it in the other section, the chicks were crawling over the fence. Luckily I did not have anything striped in that section other than legbars....


I think I have about 10 more frost white legbars!!!!! Myers Hatchery eat your heart out!! You too My pet chicken!

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OH and NOTE to others make TALL fences in hatching trays.....

The first time I tried to pedigree eggs in the hatcher, I used plastic berry baskets. The little Houdinis ignored that and were all over the place. I mostly use mesh shrimp bags now with a draw string. After I tie the drawstring I add a rubber band.

I ferment their feed
You can ferment anything that have carbohydrates in it= any type of grains, bred, potatoes ect.
The fermentation is a metabolic process that take place in an aneoronic= without oxygen environment
The fermentation can be made by Fungi = yeasts, and this fermentation produce Ethanol =Ethanol fermentation (THIS ONE YOU DON'T WANT IN YOUR CHICKEN FEED!)
The second type of fermentation is made by different types of Bacteria and one of the important is the Lactic fermentation, made by the genus Lactobacillus THIS IS THE TYPE THAT YOU WANT!
The benefits of it are tremendous here some :
1. The fermentation take down the levels of phytic acid , it is an antimetabolite that reduces the absorbance of minerals from the feed.
2. It henhance the level of vitamins especially the B complex.
3. The microbes that ferment are basically prebiotic microbes that give a bust to the chickens microflora keeping it healthy.

How yo ferment
1.Take 3 glass jars that can contain 1 day ration of feed and water.
2. Put the feed in the 3 jars cover with cleen water at list 10 cm over the feed, I usually add some bio yogurt or a capsule of human prebiotic, but you don't have to.
3 stear and cover the jar with a cloth
4. Wait at least 3 days stear very day,see if there is bubbles (

)
5 after 3 days give the first jar and replenish it with new feed and water
And so on
You should smell it befor giving it to the birds it should smell like a sour bred, if moldy or have alcoholic smell trow the batch.
And make a new one!

I ferment too.
I use 5 gallon pickle buckets and just sit the lid on without locking it down.
As I understand it, different bacteria and yeasts have various tolerances for oxygen. Sometimes I start with the feed completely covered with water but not always. I tend to get bubbling by the second day.

This is great info! I also ferment my chooks feed. I use Chick Boost Probiotics in the ferment bucket. I do 5 gal bucket as 1 days feed for all, feeding it in the late morning, and just before roosting at night! Also, I put dried ground up herbs such as: Rosemary, Thyme, Marjoram, Parsley and Oregano; as well as some spices: Cayenne pepper, Crushed Red Pepper, Ground Clove, Cinnamon, Fresh Grated Ginger, then I add Raw Pepitas (Squash/pumpkin seeds).

What do you think about this Chick Boost Probiotics product as the source for extra vitamins and probiotics used in the fermentation:

Sodium Min 9.3%
Sodium Max 11.1%
Potassium (K) Min 3.6%
Potassium (K) Max 4.3%
Salt Min 14.3%
Salt Max 17.1%
Vitamin A Min 200,000 IU/10 gm
Vitamin D-3 Min 96,400 IU/10 gm
Vitamin E Min 82 IU/10 gm
Vitamin C Min 306 mg/10 gm
Ingredients: Maltodextrin, Sodium bicarbonate, Salt, Potassium chloride, Dried Enterococcus faecium, Fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Ascorbic acid, Vitamin A supplement, Niacin supplement, Vitamin D3 supplement, Riboflavin supplement, Vitamin E supplement, Thiamine hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 supplement.


Chick Boost™ contains Probiotics, Vitamins and Electrolytes to aid in the health of hatchlings.
Chick Boost™ should be mixied with fresh clean water, provided everyday for the first 8 weeks, at which time they can be switched to Egg Boost.
Chick Boost™ introduces beneficial bacteria to the crop which assist the chick in developing a positive bacteria culture in its digestive tract. Commercially hatched chicks are raised in a clean enviroment and are not exposed to natural flora found in the hens digestive tract. Because of HCl gastric secreation which starts at day 18 of incubation, a newborn chick is at high risk for disease. More than any other animal chicks should be provided beneficial bacteria right after birth.
Beneficial Bacteria in the digestive tract help to crowd out the bad bacteria. This is known as selective exclusion and will help the animal fight off bad bacteria.(E. Coli, etc). A healthy gut leads to a healthy immune system to help combat disease and stress.
Chick Boost™ mixes easily into water and is recommended that as soon chicks are born that the water is made available to them.
1 –10gm scoop is included, mix 1 scoop per gallon.

There is another product that is produced by the same entity, HenBoost, it is a little less in the % min/max of nutrients but also apperantly contains an enzyme for digestion, which when I had previously compared the ingredients they were pretty much the same, except the Chick Boost was stronger.

The vitamins and minerals in there are helpful but there is only one type of probiotic bacteria.

A couple things I have used are Gro2Max powder and plain Kefir.
Kefir has 12 different probiotic cultures.
Gro2Max has 3 bacteria and 2 yeasts formulated specifically for chickens.

Looky what I got yesterday!

I am soooooo eggcited!

But now I have to purge the eggs I started last week to get these in there

I am broken in two about it, the bator my friend has doesn't have a turner right now, and I am not capable of hand turning them, and the eggs I placed last week wont be ready for lock down for another 10 days otherwise I could use her bator as the hatcher.... and these new eggs can't wait that long as the eldest ones were pulled on 2/18! At least the purged eggs wont go to waste! I will be giving them to my dogs to eat! They love eggs, fresh and warm so this shouldn't be any different than say Balut.....

What breed are the dark eggs?

West Side local I guess you could say. I am in California, these came shipped to me from Washington State

Not local. Local means no shipping - hand carried.

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My last hatch is a week old.

I have 34 eggs due to hatch in 10 hours. I've been hearing peeping since yesterday morning. @BantyChooks

Just a broody hona. I'm headed on a 7-day Caribbean cruise so it's out of my mind!

That's great. Have fun. What islands are you visiting?

Wow, have a great trip. Take nice pictures to share and make us envious

My son finally sent me some pics from our trip.

I will never get it......

Neither do many native English speakers so don't feel bad.

I think that if it saves labor,time and money NO CHANCE that it will disappear!

I had seen it before but wasn't sure how it actually worked till I saw your video. Thanks.

They must use queen excluders below the tapper body. Otherwise there would be the chance of larvae in the extractor body.

All by myself... Don't wanna be...

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Yes, if someone is selling hatching eggs, they should be shipping fresh eggs.

I try to ship eggs that are up to 3 days old.

On the bee issue. I'm thinking of getting some wild ones for garden and helping them survive here. They don't collect pollen for honey so the Buckeye pollen paralysis won't be a problem.

It's fairly easy to make native pollinator houses. The holes need to be at least 6 inches deep to make females. Shorter holes produce all males.

@Fire Ant Farm
Is this too high?

How do you elevate it as the chicks grow?

Here's an update on my life with my chickens. To catch anyone up who isn't familiar with what happened, I lost most of my flock to a massacre by my neighbors dogs about a year ago. The only survivors were a serama mama and her 3 babies that were being housed in a separate area. I had spent hundreds getting a flock started of specialty breeds, they were young and in their coop when the dogs came over and got into the coop and killed all of them. It was devastating...but here I am nearly a year later and these are the birds I have now; 4 partridge brahmas (1 rooster, 1 hen and 2 month old chicks), 2 mauve orpington pullets, a pair of chocolate orpingtons, 4 barnevelder pullets (2 black and 2 blue), a pair of silver laced orpingting teenagers, an assortment of other layers (for the eggs) and 11 babies. I ordered 10 chicks from My Pet Chicken that arrived last Tuesday. I sold 4 of those chicks and then went to the feed store and bought 5 more...haha, love chicken math. Speaking of...after I bought my chicks, my husband told me to go count how many chickens I have!!! Count them?? Who counts how many chickens they have? He apparently doesn't understand chicken math! I'll have to fill him in one of these days. I gave my seramas back to the lady I got them from because they weren't fairing well with all of my full sized chickens. Anyway, I must go feed all those birds but wanted to fill you in first.

I never know exactly how many chickens I have. I have to count each building in my head and then do the math.

hi yall i need an idea for a roosting rack i am going to put one in the hen house possibly today possibly 3

The wider the better. If you live in a cold climate, the roosts need to be at least 2" wide but 4" is better.
In freezing weather they have to be able to cover their toes at night. If their toes are uncovered, they get frostbitten.
It is good to round off the edges to thwart bumblefoot.
If the roosts are at different elevations, they need to be separated enough by height or distance that a chicken on a lower roost can't peck at the vent of a bird on a higher roost.
Most birds will try to get as high as possible so those higher on the pecking order will end up on the top roosts.

 

[BullChick]

But how else would we transport animals across the country so cheaply?


How do you elevate it as the chicks grow?

It isn't cheap if nothing arrives alive.

They make a bigger one or bend the current one into a higher arch.