Hatch day May 30, 2014

[RobinB84]

Just wanted to see if anyone else is due to hatch on May 30th. My second set (hoping better than the first since they aren't shipped). Ready to hatch along if anyone else has their incubators on

 

[luvmypets]

Well i dont have the bator on but i do have a staggered broody hatch. GL on hatching!

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

I do (Been keeping in other threads not hatch-a-longs, I have 62 or 63 eggs set from breeding pens. 11 RIR 15 Meat project (Austra-White X CX Outlayed ever other breed in the pens in a week!!!) 12-13 WLH and remainder BLS (BA x BPR) I think, LOL was 5 dozen-ish. I ahd them wrote down somewhere and since they are on bottom of stacked trays I don't have gumption to double check right now. LOL

 

[RobinB84]

Wish mine would go broody!!! They lay and could care less about sitting! LoL

Glad to see a few of us hatching at the same time. Wow 62!!! I have 16 this time.... 2nd hatch in a bator 1st time wasn't so hot. Am almost through with my first DIY incubator and hope to switch the eggs over when we candle Friday. This time I am using no shipped eggs!!! Only my husband's gamefowl eggs. Crossing my fingers!!

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Good luck.
Only reason I can do as many as I am is because on my Cooler-Bator. Its hodge-podged together With 99% recycled supplies. Just bulbs and eggs are fresh from some place. Even the thermo/humidity (whatever its called) was recycled, but NIB. Bio security issue and they replaced EVERYTHING. But I don't mind, I get a few materials this way.
I have 2 old LG still airs that I am using for hatchers (Was incubators until 1st hatch.) although may cut back to 1 hatcher, not sure yet. Depends on how much mess I make this spring with chicks, and ducklings.

 

[RobinB84]

I am working on a coolerbator too. Tried the water heater thermo and wasn't too happy, so I am waiting on an STC1000 now. Hopefully that'll do the trick (I have 4 days to finish it up eek)... My LG is also being retired, after its first hatch... It will now be the chick ICU. LOL I had one I had to help last time and I think I shrink wrapped one while helping another

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Mine was made 1 night when I was bored and I was just tinkering around in garage. It looks like crap but is working absolutely great. I have hatched ducks, guineas and many chick from it. My thermostat is a pigtail barn heater thermostat. Its used for ambient barn temps but works great and keeps 99-100 constant. Its like this but not sure of brand http://www.qcsupply.com/commercial-industrial/fans-ventilation-controls/thermostats-timers/10004-peco-thermostat-tf115.html. also has a pigtail 12 ft. long on it for power control. I can plug whatever I want into it, space heater, heat lamp etc. I should find another for winter heating coop, but that 1 was $1 with heaters attached and I recycled the Heaters for like $10 so I got paid for taking the 1 part I wanted from them.

 

[RobinB84]

That's awesome. I may ask you some questions as I try to whip this thing together. What do you do about turning?

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Still hand turn all my eggs. Tried egg carton with tipping last year detested it, but that's me. Am lazy but more restrained budget makes me keep to the cheap side. Profit this year actually is in the black but still won't go bananas besides hatching a few hundred chicks...... do I have enough yet???? Wife even made offer buy me another bator if I "needed" it. A cheapo styro but have had luck for 8 years with them.
I have 2 shelves that are stacked. Made from 1x3 wood and welded hardwire that hold the eggs well enough. No issue with circulation or heating. Each shelf hold 60+ chicken eggs. Could add another if I wanted since the top is 6 inches from top of 1st shelf. But as it is I have "adequate" hatch space. Filled to the brim I could cook over 200 eggs (counting what the 2 LG's hold, but hatching in these for now) if I wanted. But until I get brooder room ready I am not gonna set a weeks worth of eggs (20 dz. table eggs a week that run with BSL roosters, and whatever the breeding pens lay). When pure roosters mature and I sort down table egg flock I might get to close to that. But now I am content with what I am hatching.

Come fall, when roosters are mature I will have RIR,BO,BPR,WLH,BA pure breeds. And a lot of BSL. This isn't counting meat birds (My own CX X) or ducks (Rouen, back up to 8 from 1, and more hoping to hatch.). Wife kids and family friends are all on my side this year (Not always the case in past.) even neighbors are donating used poultry equipment for the birds. Honestly it comes down to 1 simple fact. EVERYONE wants my eggs. SO nice to be loved (Even if its only for my eggs/birds LOL). And I have open invite to a farm store as an outlet for eggs, but as it is I have more orders than eggs so far. I need a 5 month FF button please.