Hattiesburg Mississippi! I need to know you're out there!

[theCoolAimee]

Hi! I hope someone out there will help me represent the Burg.

 

[TomBishop]

Hi CoolAimee!

I'm also in Hattiesburg and added some chickens in my backyard. I'm new to BYC, but look forward to chatting with fellow chicken enthusiasts in the Burg.

 

[DloChicks]

I lived in Oak Grove many years ago! Now we are in Dlo and my daughter is trying this chicken coop idea for 4H. How hard is it to brood chickens in late May, early June in our heat? I'm just hoping she has 6 left to show! Thanks

 

[CamiLynn]

Brooklyn here! I have way too many chickens at the moment, but love them. I'm always looking for hatching eggs of breeds I don't have....just putting that out there

 

[DloChicks]

My daughter, Grace, is in 4-H and we are just getting started on her coop (too much RAIN!). If we stay on target, she'll get 20 day old chicks at the end of May. We're worried about brooding them and keeping them alive until the County Fair. Do you have any advice? My grandpa raised chicks this way, but I was 6 years old and I can't remember a thing! What do you do about our heat when they are that young? Thanks

 

[MrRoy]

Hello DloChicks,

Glad to hear your passing down a great hobby and learning experience to your daughter. I am trying to raise more interest in BYCs in the Burg among my friends and neighbors.
I was wondering what your worries were about brooding in May. You should have no problems. Brooding chicks is as simple as a box lined with shavings, with food, water and a light for warmth. I would be happy to help you out or let you use my homemade brooder box. It's nothing fancy but it has raised my flock of 28. I am currently working on my chicken tractor.
Message me if you are interested.

 

[DloChicks]

People seem not to want to hatch in the hot weather. Now its even hotter! I'm a little scared to try a homemade incubator, but I've looked at a few ideas. How do you go about turning the eggs 3 times a day? Grace is in school and I haven't quite figured out how to work that out. She wants all of these fancy Polish, Sultans and Houdans and I'm having a hard time locating the colors she wants. She wants to show at the fair and she knows she'll have to raise them for a good quality bird. We are really new to this and just learning. Does it get too hot in August to regulate the temp for the incubator? I was thinking about just getting her a Silkie because they stay broody and hope for the best. Thanks

 

[MrRoy]

Homemade incubators are very simple and easy to make. You can search the web and find many variants. I really doesn't matter the time of year as long as you monitor temp and humidity inside the bator. It also helps to keep the bator in a climate controlled room indoors that does not have a lot of temp fluctuations. Before you buy eggs for hatching, try to get some tester eggs from a local farm etc who has roosters and hens. As long as the eggs have not been washed you should be able to hatch them. They will likely be mixed breed birds unless they only have one breed.
The key is to get your bator to hold the correct temp and humidity for at least 24 hrs before introducing the eggs. As far as turning, that should happen 2-3 times a day. 3 is best. This helps with even chick development. Otherwise the chicks will be deformed or lop-sided if they make it to term. If you have the money you can buy a bator that has a turning (more like a tilting) device built in. I have also seen the engineer- type folks make them from old clocks and computer parts. Kids these days can be pretty smart at figuring things like this out, so challenge yours to do so.