Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[gjensen]

Incubating eggs and hatching chicks is very simple and very easy. If you have a good incubator and good eggs.

I like to keep it simple. I get the humidity in the 50% range and it will fluctuate from 45-55%. I raise it to the 60% for the hatch. I will check it more often during the hatch to make sure it is not getting too high. If it drops a little, I do not worry about it.

I leave them alone for 24 -32 hours. What hatches, hatches. What does not, does not.

I have had good luck.

Before I purchased a good incubator, my results were more variable. It was more challenging to control the conditions.

I sweated every little detail when I was starting, and did not know some things. Now that I realize how simple it is, and have a good incubator, I do not even think about it.

I do not help chicks out. My first experiences with incubating, I did. Nothing good came of it. I came to realize that the best I could do was hatch in as close to ideal conditions that I know, and let them worry about the rest. I did have improvements with this by hatching the eggs upright. It made a difference, and I learned that on here.

 

[ronott1]

Incubating eggs and hatching chicks is very simple and very easy. If you have a good incubator and good eggs.

I like to keep it simple. I get the humidity in the 50% range and it will fluctuate from 45-55%. I raise it to the 60% for the hatch. I will check it more often during the hatch to make sure it is not getting too high. If it drops a little, I do not worry about it.

I leave them alone for 24 -32 hours. What hatches, hatches. What does not, does not.

I have had good luck.

Before I purchased a good incubator, my results were more variable. It was more challenging to control the conditions.

I sweated every little detail when I was starting, and did not know some things. Now that I realize how simple it is, and have a good incubator, I do not even think about it.

I do not help chicks out. My first experiences with incubating, I did. Nothing good came of it. I came to realize that the best I could do was hatch in as close to ideal conditions that I know, and let them worry about the rest. I did have improvements with this by hatching the eggs upright. It made a difference, and I learned that on here.

Thanks!

A good incubator is very important. It is fun to build your own but they can have problems. Personally I would not trust expensive eggs to an incubator using a light bulb for heat.

Also invest in an accurate thermometer and of course practice on now cost local eggs.

 

[3riverschick]

Incubating eggs and hatching chicks is very simple and very easy. If you have a good incubator and good eggs.......

Before I purchased a good incubator, my results were more variable. It was more challenging to control the conditions. ....

Hi George!

This is why I have a Brinsea digital. It may be small but the humidity takes care of itself.
All I have to do is add water to one of the wells every other day. Keep a bottle of
bottled water next to them. Easy peasey. Because they are small, opening them is
not a problem . Humidity and temp shoot right back up, usuallly within less than 2
minutes. I don't candle eggs. Just leave them alone. The auto turner can be set to
stop automatically at 2 days. The digital display on top counts down the days and
shows if the turner is working or not. Frankly, I think paying hundreds of dollars
for the auto humidity plastic tank to hook up to it is overblown. So easy to add
water and only very other day. I can buy 2 Mini Advances for the price of their 20 egg
incubator. The advantage for me, is I can do a bunch of test hatches and not have to
worry about bags for eggs or the chicks getting mixed up. Plus, 5-7 chicks is just right
for my 96 qt. translucent plastic tubs from Walmart. Next year, I plan to buy 2 more.
That's 28 chicks per hatch and about the most my system can grow out at a time.
Best,
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Hi Fellowlisters!!

The chicks seem to be doing fine. Am seeing nice poops, no pasty butt.
The brooders are holding at 84 to 87 degrees. And the chicks seem to be
doing fine at these temps. When I crank it up to over 90, they lay down
and flatten out like they are way too hot. Is this because for generations
their strains were bred in very northern climes? Should I just go by symptoms
which say they are fine at the lower temps? They are one day old.
Best,
Karen

 

[ronott1]

Hi Fellowlisters!!

The chicks seem to be doing find. Am seeing nice poops, n pasty butt.
The brooders are holding at 84 to 87 degrees. And the chicks seem to be
doing fine at these temps. When I crank it up to over 90, they lay down
and flatten out like they are way too hot. Is this because for generations
their strains were bred in very northern climes? Should I just go by symptoms
which say they are fine at the lower temps? They are one day old.
Best,
Karen

They sound very healthy!

The thermometer is likely off.

The temperature for the brooder should start at 95 but only under the light. there should be cool spots that they can go to.

The behavior is more important than the thermometer. Spread out and panting is a bad thing.

Premier and brinsea make contact heaters that take the worry out of brooding.

 

[3riverschick]

They sound very healthy!

The thermometer is likely off.

The temperature for the brooder should start at 95 but only under the light. there should be cool spots that they can go to.

The behavior is more important than the thermometer. Spread out and panting is a bad thing.

Premier and brinsea make contact heaters that take the worry out of brooding.

Hi Ron,

Yah, but they are too pricey for me. I'm fan of the sweeter heater too. http://sweeterheater.com/
But too pricey. The hygrothermometer is a Bonaire. Good quality, but it did get very dirty last season.
I cleaned it for this season but will test it tomorrow with another thermometer and see how it does.
Thanks,
Karen

 

[ronott1]

Hi Ron,

Yah, but they are too pricey for me. I'm fan of the sweeter heater too. http://sweeterheater.com/
But too pricey. The hygrothermometer is a Bonaire. Good quality, but it did get very dirty last season.
I cleaned it for this season but will test it tomorrow with another thermometer and see how it does.
Thanks,
Karen

the Premier contact heater is half the price of the Brinsea and is slightly bigger.

I have seen a cost analysis that said they pay for themselves quickly in electricity savings. Of course you would need to be brooding chicks more than once a year.

I think the chicks turn out better- more like if they were raised by a Broody.

 

[fowlman01]

I use an 60 watt incandescent bulb to brood. That is the old school way to do it. One bulb with a reflector handles about 10 large fowl chicks. If they are cold thy get up close to it and if they are to warm they move away. It is as simple as it can get....and it's cheap.

Walt

 

[3riverschick]

I use an 60 watt incandescent bulb to brood. That is the old school way to do it. One bulb with a reflector handles about 10 large fowl chicks. If they are cold thy get up close to it and if they are to warm they move away. It is as simple as it can get....and it's cheap.

Walt

I am using 250's now in each brooder. They are running about 86 degrees in day 2. I know that's a bit cool , but the chicks
seem to be doing fine. When I crank temps up to proper for that day, they seem to wilt. I have to wonder if the red light has
something to do with it. Didn't have that problem last season with the white lights last season. Proper temp caused no wilting.
Or maybe the 250 reds cast the same temp light over a larger area ? I don't know. Anyone?
Best,
Karen

 

[subhanalah]

I am using 250's now in each brooder. They are running about 86 degrees in day 2. I know that's a bit cool , but the chicks
seem to be doing fine. When I crank temps up to proper for that day, they seem to wilt. I have to wonder if the red light has
something to do with it. Didn't have that problem last season with the white lights last season. Proper temp caused no wilting.
Or maybe the 250 reds cast the same temp light over a larger area ? I don't know. Anyone?
 Best,
 Karen

I believe a lot of times, the recommended temperature can lead to pasty butt. I think the super high temperatures are necessary when they are drying off, but after the first day or so, once they are up and moving, I think they prefer it a bit cooler.