French frogs

[WVduckchick]

How do you get it up to 65% humidity on lockdown then?

ETA: I don't like the idea of restricting fresh oxygen at my altitude.

I never close the vents.

This thread is a good one you might want to join. Ruby found some stuff to help with humidity... Just posted about it in the last day or two
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...co-thread-hatches-etc-pics/1320#post_16660328

 

[FridayYet]

Besides getting my prodigal hen back yesterday I got this in the mail! I had to redneck in a couple of spacers, but boy is this thing easy to use. Those light eggs are actually light blue from a BCM x EE. Some Foley SLW and BD BCM. I have a couple questions though. How full can you fill the water troughs without spilling? Do you trust the humidity reading? I'm having a hard time getting humidity over 25%. SC, do you use the cooling setting? If you do, do you have to turn it off at lock down? So this brand new Brinsea Advance 20 was $232 because it had "some cracks and scratches", but it is 100% perfect. Not a scratch on it. With the instructions I found COBRA papers with the previous owners name on it. I'm guessing the poor guy lost his job and returned this as broken to get his money back. You usually only get COBRA when you have been let go from a job or quit and have no other insurance options. Poor guy.

Like SC said, you might have to fill both channels since we're so high and dry. Unless the eggs came from high altitude, I like to keep the vent wide open to compensate for the reduced oxygen here. Without the pump, you might consider hatching in the Frankenbator if it keeps the humidity up well.

 

[scflock]

How do you get it up to 65% humidity on lockdown then?

ETA: I don't like the idea of restricting fresh oxygen at my altitude.

For me, I use a paper towel. In Utah? Buy the pump. If you want to be totally hands off, the pump is worth it, especially in Utah. Ask Friday and WV. I like running the vent fully open, too, but I can do that with the paper towel in SC

 

[scflock]

Like SC said, you might have to fill both channels since we're so high and dry. Unless the eggs came from high altitude, I like to keep the vent wide open to compensate for the reduced oxygen here. Without the pump, you might consider hatching in the Frankenbator if it keeps the humidity up well.

Forgot about the Frankenbator. That's another option

 

[FridayYet]

Nope, not hands off if ambient humidity is 10%. I keep a trough filled and the pump tops it off occasionally. You can tell when the trough water evaporates since the pump runs almost constantly and can barely keep up. I lockdown with 2 channels full, paper towel across the bottom and the pump still has to come on a few times every hour.

 

[scflock]

Nope, not hands off if ambient humidity is 10%. I keep a trough filled and the pump tops it off occasionally. You can tell when the trough water evaporates since the pump runs almost constantly and can barely keep up. I lockdown with 2 channels full, paper towel across the bottom and the pump still has to come on a few times every hour.

Here, if I top off both channels on day 19 and put the paper towel under the tray, I'm usually good until the hatch is complete. This next hatch is probably going to last 4-5 days, so I'll have to add water through the vent with a straw

 

[FridayYet]

Probably depends on your weather. I can even tell a huge difference between today and yesterday. Ambient humidity is up to 21%, and we may get a few rain showers.

 

[scflock]

Probably depends on your weather. I can even tell a huge difference between today and yesterday. Ambient humidity is up to 21%, and we may get a few rain showers.

My skin would dry out and fall off at 21%. Our average in the summer is 40%, and can get 50 or better

 

[Ravynscroft]

That's funny, that was my nickname in high school, but I never got it because I'm 6'2

I didn't pay good money for a Brinsea to be fiddlin with it on day blah blah blah. I'm going to set it, forget it, and candle at lockdown.

I don't blame you! It only takes a second. I guess I need to get comfortable with the fact that they are at the bottom of the food chain and to do my best and not get too cranked up if I loose one. But that's easier to say with some of the offspring on the ground. 

It becomes much easier once you build up your flock... I just had a really huge set back last year and still a bit gun shy... had all of my grow outs in one pen, entire new line of Am's, OH's Ginger Red OEGB's and many of my flocks first offspring... they got wiped out in one stormy night by a pair of dogs that ripped through 16gauge welded wire... slaughtered every one, almost 50 birds... after that I got way more careful til I had more of each...

Now, except for a select few, if I lose one or 2 it wouldn't be devastating... plus I have a haybale shredder loaded and ready at all times now...

 

[Ravynscroft]

Probably depends on your weather. I can even tell a huge difference between today and yesterday. Ambient humidity is up to 21%, and we may get a few rain showers.

Way too dry for me... we're at 50% and climbing...

My skin would dry out and fall off at 21%. Our average in the summer is 40%, and can get 50 or better

Gotta love those hot steamy nights...

Hey, did you see that Susan critiqued that black yesterday but still hasn't done ours???