FEBRUARY Hatch-A-Long 2015:Please Read First Post To Join H-A-L

[dldolan]

Joining in now!
I am doing an experiment: Bantam Calico Cochin vs old Brower incubator! Hatch day Friday(ish).

Under Little Lucy: 3 Pita PInta Eggs and 3 Splash Marans


In the old Brower (left top in cage are mine -1)
are 5 OE (three green eggs and two lt brown should hatch out OE. Different crosses). 3 Pita Pinta, 4 Splash/Blue Marans. The extra egg in the count is my friends and has been moved back over!


Ethel did a great job with chicks last September. Am thinking of giving her any & all chicks that hatch, and helping her with a bigger box and a brooder light to keep all babies (LF) warm after they get too big for her.

Here is her safe house set-up. Front wire facing/door is closed all day, except while I'm letting her out, so no other birds can mess with her eggs. I've had her in a wine case box so she can easily keep all eggs warm. I'm thinking of moving her to a bigger box which can accommodate 10-12 chicks for a few days, assuming at least that many will hatch. I'll clamp the brooder light in the top right corner outside, so it helps but doesn't get too warm for her in there. Thoughts?

 

[Purpletie3]

Joining in now!
I am doing an experiment: Bantam Calico Cochin vs old Brower incubator! Hatch day Friday(ish).

Under Little Lucy: 3 Pita PInta Eggs and 3 Splash Marans


In the old Brower (left top in cage are mine -1)
are 5 OE (three green eggs and two lt brown should hatch out OE. Different crosses). 3 Pita Pinta, 4 Splash/Blue Marans. The extra egg in the count is my friends and has been moved back over!


Ethel did a great job with chicks last September. Am thinking of giving her any & all chicks that hatch, and helping her with a bigger box and a brooder light to keep all babies (LF) warm after they get too big for her.

Here is her safe house set-up. Front wire facing/door is closed all day, except while I'm letting her out, so no other birds can mess with her eggs. I've had her in a wine case box so she can easily keep all eggs warm. I'm thinking of moving her to a bigger box which can accommodate 10-12 chicks for a few days, assuming at least that many will hatch. I'll clamp the brooder light in the top right corner outside, so it helps but doesn't get too warm for her in there. Thoughts?

Awwee...What a cute fat little chicken! How's your rabbit hutch working out for her? Looks like a great idea for a broody space.

Is the wire floor too large for the chick toes?

 

[Purpletie3]

Today is lockdown day for the teeny tiny belgium quail, 3 speckled hamburg and CCL/OE/BCM. Due SAturday. hoping my hovabator can behave as a hatcher again. I check the fan and wiring and everything is working. Must be the weather changes and swings making it wonky.

 

[ChickenLady2014]

Today is lockdown day for the teeny tiny belgium quail, 3 speckled hamburg and CCL/OE/BCM. Due SAturday. hoping my hovabator can behave as a hatcher again. I check the fan and wiring and everything is working. Must be the weather changes and swings making it wonky.

Best of luck Purpletie3 with your Sat. hatch. I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you

 

[Purpletie3]

Best of luck Purpletie3 with your Sat. hatch. I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you

Thanks. I know two of my batches must have just got too cold in shipping and only developed 4/26 and 3/8. But, the little belgiums developed well 12/15 although there are a few saddle shaped. I will be okay with whatever hatches.

 

[dldolan]

Awwee...What a cute fat little chicken! How's your rabbit hutch working out for her? Looks like a great idea for  a broody space.

Is the wire floor too large for the chick toes? 

She was broody almost two weeks before I could give her eggs, so I wish she were heavier! Sweet little cochin. I am planning to cover the wire bottom with papertowl for the first week so the chickees can get around without worry. I think the wire is reasonable at 1cm x 2 cm, which doesn't seem to show up in the photo, I see! This Is my first opportunity to use the "Broody Suite" since I acquired it, so hopefully it will go well. The front face makes an easy ramp when put down. There is also a bantam-sized hole cut in the side (covered right now and behind the broody box in the photo) and I can attach a ladder for mama and chicks to use if the other birds are too inquisitive. Not worried about the other bantam cochins, but the two RIR in with them can be a nuisance!

 

[Chick Phil A]

I set 42 in the Hovabator on Saturday evening.

3x mutt
5x olive egger
11x RIR
23x White Leghorn

All of the above layers are crossed with my monster easter egger rooster (I believe he is 5-6 years old now)

Candeling later tonight

 

[Purpletie3]

I set 42 in the Hovabator on Saturday evening.

3x mutt
5x olive egger
11x RIR
23x White Leghorn

All of the above layers are crossed with my monster easter egger rooster (I believe he is 5-6 years old now)

Candeling later tonight

Looks nice! Good luck with this!

 

[Purpletie3]

She was broody almost two weeks before I could give her eggs, so I wish she were heavier! Sweet little cochin. I am planning to cover the wire bottom with papertowl for the first week so the chickees can get around without worry. I think the wire is reasonable at 1cm x 2 cm, which doesn't seem to show up in the photo, I see! This Is my first opportunity to use the "Broody Suite" since I acquired it, so hopefully it will go well. The front face makes an easy ramp when put down. There is also a bantam-sized hole cut in the side (covered right now and behind the broody box in the photo) and I can attach a ladder for mama and chicks to use if the other birds are too inquisitive. Not worried about the other bantam cochins, but the two RIR in with them can be a nuisance!

I think that's a great set up! should be protective enough for them!

 

[emvickrey]

I had one of those old metal bators as my first one. It was given to me by a relative that tried hatching with no success and gave up. I hatched out some in it but not as many as I did after I got an LG. I felt I had to baby sit the LG and it sat on a table next to my chair in the living room. I peaked in it all the time and everytime the temp went to high or low I would freak out and either open it to let heat out or turn it up. It was a constant battle. Now I think if I wasn't staring at it all the time I would have had better hatches. Now I have 2 hovobators. I also have a cabinet I built but I can't get the temp to regulate. I added another thermostat to the bottom heat element but DH hasn't looked at it to make sure I have it gooked up right. I probably do but I have this thing about fire and want him to take a look. I did it last year in the spring and he hasn't looked yet. I also can't get the humidity up but when I used it before I was having chicks hatch right in the turners early. It's got spaces for 5 turners and I use the ones for the LG's. That way I can slide them out and take the whole turner out to transfer the eggs to the hovobators which are intended to be the hatchers. I had it set up in the living room so most of the time when I heard peeps I would get them out but it didn't always work that way.

I've also got 3 or 4 sets of quail rails I don't use anymore I need to sell to get them out of the way. I guess I can post them on Craigslist. Thinking out loud actually works sometimes. lol