FEB HATCH-ALONG THREAD ...COME JOIN US.... EVERYONE!

[Brookhavens]

I have bought a gazillion thermometers and hygrometers for hatching and finally decided that the simplest is the best. No matter what type of thermometer or hygrometer you use ALWAYS calibrate them before each hatch. I originally bought the one at walmart ($9) that has both the temp and humidity and thought it would be great to use. After having 2 terrible hatches when I finally calibrated it I found the temp to be off by 4 degrees and the humidity was reading 12% lower than it actually was inside the bator.Yes the digitals are easy to read but they are very difficult to calibrate. I ended up going on ebay and buying these: scientific thermometers

They cost $20 but you get 10 of them. $2/each which is pretty cheap. The only drawback is they are in Celsius but after using them for so long I find them easier to read than F. 37.5 C =99.5F
These are very easy to calibrate too. Just fill a glass with crushed ice and water to the top and let it sit for a few minutes. Stir it up a little and then place the thermometer in the water making sure it does not touch the sides or bottom of the glass. Your thermometer should read 0 Celsius. If it is off you just need to add or subtract and you know what the correct temp is. I like these because you have extras in case one breaks. You will never need another thermometer besides these.

Next is the hygrometer I use. I found these on ebay also and they work wonderfully. They are easy to calibrate and have not failed me so far. I have 2 in my cabinet incubator and 1 each in my hatchers. HYGROMETER

I also bought one of these to calibrate my hygrometers but you can simply use Salt/water/ziploc bag to do the test also. Look on Youtube for a few videos on how to do it. These little bags work great and are reusable. I figured for $4 I didn't have to be messing with salt and making a mess every week. Just pop the hygrometer in and let it sit overnight. Calibration Kit

So for a total of $31 I will never have to buy another thermometer or hygrometer again. I will never have to worry if my thermometer or hygrometer are working correctly because they are always showing the correct readings.

 

[PugBug]

Thats the thing....... where do you go with them all? and since i build myself i am getting tired of building new coops and runs ! they are all in tractors(5) but would like to stop and expand some runs for all of them as they dont have lots of room as much as id like anyway. I built some large cages in my bath which i hope to take apart in spring and make into more tractor coops but if i keep getting chicks that I want to keep not sell i wouldnt be able to use them
Oh well it all works out .but now the bathroom 4 diff brooders and 2 more batches have to be in there soon...GUHGH
where will they go? Havent figured it out yet

What I did was make brooder boxes out of clear plastic totes, have them & the bators in the dining room for now. Later in warmer weather Lars is going to convert the tack room in the barn for my feed, bators & brooders. I have an acre of land here @ my house. We're going to tear down the old coop- and this time around I decided to buy a couple of 'coop kits'- I got 2 to start w/ from ebay. I'll put the bigger chicks in them for now, but later (warmer weather again) I want to convert the whole coop kit into just the 'house" part, then add a big in closed run area to each 1. The way they come it has a roof over the whole thing, part is the roosting box w/ exterior laying boxes, then has a ramp going down into the little in closed pen. Pretty neat looking, but not enough room as it is in the long run- thats the reason for later adding a big in closed run. I'll have 1 of these for each breed. I'm also hoping to talk Lars into building an arbor over part of the yard near these pens then fencing around the sides of the arbor (it's gonna be huge if I get my way LOL ) in that, I want to put our old ornamental pond & fountain, fix all this up for the call ducks I am hoping to hatch.I want it to look like my own private Eden! I can just envision sitting out there reading on a bench (after I've wiped off all the poop I'm sure will be there) and visiting w/ my ducks & chickens

Now all of this last part I'm planning, Lars does not know about yet

gonna wait to let him in on all this once all the coops & pens are finished....

 

[PugBug]

So for a total of $31 I will never have to buy another thermometer or hygrometer again. I will never have to worry if my thermometer or hygrometer are working correctly because they are always showing the correct readings.

If the 1 I got last night does not help, I will have to go w/ somehthing like this- geez this is all getting complicated LOL!

BTW my little lav orp chick in the bator is still breathing good, moving around a bit- I'm gonna wait it out to see if it can finish hatching on it's own over this afternoon.

 

[Roxannemc]

Roxanne my spare bedroom now has 8 brooders in it!!! I bought those 55 Gallon storage containers ($18 @ Walmart) and cut 2 squares in the lid and attach hardware cloth. I usually keep the lid off until they start testing their wings. I walked in one day and there were like 10 chicks sitting all along the top edge.

8 wow HAHAHA ..shoulda got a pic of that!!! FUNNY!
I have some in one container and others in huge box my son had my grand daughter big radio speaker thing in and others in the big cages
Hope I dont need more big ones only baby ones for those leaving a few days after hatch.Do have to get another brooder light that will make 6!!maybe 2... Some are out with the bigger ones.Wish it was warmer use them. but cold windy and starting to snow.
.

 

[Roxannemc]

What I did was make brooder boxes out of clear plastic totes, have them & the bators in the dining room for now. Later in warmer weather Lars is going to convert the tack room in the barn for my feed, bators & brooders. I have an acre of land here @ my house. We're going to tear down the old coop- and this time around I decided to buy a couple of 'coop kits'- I got 2 to start w/ from ebay. I'll put the bigger chicks in them for now, but later (warmer weather again) I want to convert the whole coop kit into just the 'house" part, then add a big in closed run area to each 1. The way they come it has a roof over the whole thing, part is the roosting box w/ exterior laying boxes, then has a ramp going down into the little in closed pen. Pretty neat looking, but not enough room as it is in the long run- thats the reason for later adding a big in closed run. I'll have 1 of these for each breed. I'm also hoping to talk Lars into building an arbor over part of the yard near these pens then fencing around the sides of the arbor (it's gonna be huge if I get my way LOL ) in that, I want to put our old ornamental pond & fountain, fix all this up for the call ducks I am hoping to hatch.I want it to look like my own private Eden! I can just envision sitting out there reading on a bench (after I've wiped off all the poop I'm sure will be there) and visiting w/ my ducks & chickens

Now all of this last part I'm planning, Lars does not know about yet

gonna wait to let him in on all this once all the coops & pens are finished....

POOR DH doesnt know whats in store!!!HAHA Does sound so nice.I would love a bigger area.
I Have a huge metal shed /garage that could really work if it was insulated and even have some bats of insuation . but a lot of complications to do it
Have 9 acres most unused but still its outside my fenced yard .... i worry about hawks and other creatures Need a way bigger chicken yard b/c of so many tractor coops and runs!.

 

[silkiemelon]

I candled all 28 eggs... only 3 appear to be infertile!

There were 3 others I was unsure about because they were so porous, but I'll candle again in a couple days.
But still, 25 out of 28 isn't that bad at all!

 

[PugBug]

I candled all 28 eggs... only 3 appear to be infertile!

There were 3 others I was unsure about because they were so porous, but I'll candle again in a couple days.
But still, 25 out of 28 isn't that bad at all!

That sounds great! I hope they keep doing well 4 U!!!

 

[PugBug]

My little lav orp is still doing good, still in the shell in bator, but it's made some progress. I'm just watching, making sure the wet paper towel is around it to get rest of membrane from drying too much.

Tomorrow is lock down 4 the others. I've not candeled them since day 7, will do that tonight b4 putting them in other bator tomorrow.

Coop kits came today, got them put together- cute design & will be easy to add on to later. Gonna get the elec. hooked up tomorrow, then put the big chicks in them.

 

[ChickenChaser34432]

Hi everyone!! Somehow I missed this thread but better late than never. I set 40 eggs and 35 made it to lockdown which began yesterday . I have one pipped so far. Hatch date is 2-1-13. I have a BR ROO and Hens as follows: BR, BO, Production Red, and mixed My flock is free range so some will be pure BR and the rest mutts. Some of my favorites have been mutts though!!!!

 

[3Dchicken]

A few min ago, I checked the 3 eggs- last night I had 2 rocking a bit. This morning nothing- but I had a feeling that since I had that prob. w/ shrink wrap chicks Tues, that maybe I should make a small hold to check. The 1st egg, shrink wrapped membrane w/ chick that died b/f full development. 2nd egg, again shrink wrapped, but fully formed- dead! It was also upside down, very large chick- It must have gotten stuck. Then I am panicking so opened 3rd egg- shrink wrapped but still alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I went ahead, peeled membrane back a tiny bit just to give the chick some air- and it really started moving & cheeping!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wrapped the egg it warm wet paper towel, returned it to the bator. I saw a little blood, but now it's stopped free bleeding. I've still got a chance w/ this one Thank You Lord! If I had not opened it, I have no doubt I would have had a dead chick. My Grandma always said 'go with you gut feeling- always, in all things'
I am hoping that all the eggs in the big bator will have a chance now that I've fixed the humidity prob. I have more my 2nd set of lav orps going into lock down tomorrow!

And yea! My mar. basque eggs arrived a few min ago too!

YAY!!!