- Sep 5, 2012
- 166
- 30
- 98
Hi All, unable to build a satisfactorily working steam-powered rooster, we have decided to - at least for now - grow biological ones! Actually we're hoping we're raising all hens (don't think roosters are allowed in our city, but hens are). My wife read (here) that you can hatch fertilized eggs from Trader Joe's, so we did!
She made an incubator from a Styrofoam ice chest, 15 watt bulb, computer fan and water heater thermostat from the Home Despot ----- and it worked! And it is completely steam powered ... in my imagination (ignore that cord going to the wall!). Well, the electric generators use steam - no, I'm not obsessed with steam - not at all. Anyway, the homemade incubator stayed within a 99 to 102 degree range, so we thought we'd give it a trial run.
Cracking the Julian code, we found a dozen eggs at TJs (fertilized) that were only 8 days old. Should have brought a flashlight to candle at the store, because 4 had busted air sacs and had to be eaten. Of the 8 eggs that went into the incubator, one turned out to be a dud (no bullseye) - one grew a blood ring and died - and six got to the hatch phase. Of those, five lived - so we're saying our success rate was 5 out of 6 or 7.
They are 2 week olds Leghorns (or California Whites - which are almost all leghorn) and living in an old rabbit cage for now. They're growing white feathers, and we're rooting for no combs - and no red in the combs. All hens would be great - all roosters ... um, back to the drawing board. We should know in 2-3 weeks from what we've read.
They're very skitterish but are getting used to us - and may be imprinting on our hands. We hand feed them some and pick them up, which they don't like. They respond to soothing cooing noises. My wife ordered some meal worms to farm - have fed some - and they go crazy for them! Several already scratch out little holes in their wood shavings to "nest" in. They're very cute.
Well, a steady supply of eggs would help fuel out steam powered takeover of the world! After all, mad steam geniuses do have to eat. My wife is looking to expand the flock - Seramas - Silkies - Sultans ... our yard isn't that big! We'll see.... This is a great site, and the posts here have helped us a lot. Thanks!
She made an incubator from a Styrofoam ice chest, 15 watt bulb, computer fan and water heater thermostat from the Home Despot ----- and it worked! And it is completely steam powered ... in my imagination (ignore that cord going to the wall!). Well, the electric generators use steam - no, I'm not obsessed with steam - not at all. Anyway, the homemade incubator stayed within a 99 to 102 degree range, so we thought we'd give it a trial run.
Cracking the Julian code, we found a dozen eggs at TJs (fertilized) that were only 8 days old. Should have brought a flashlight to candle at the store, because 4 had busted air sacs and had to be eaten. Of the 8 eggs that went into the incubator, one turned out to be a dud (no bullseye) - one grew a blood ring and died - and six got to the hatch phase. Of those, five lived - so we're saying our success rate was 5 out of 6 or 7.
They are 2 week olds Leghorns (or California Whites - which are almost all leghorn) and living in an old rabbit cage for now. They're growing white feathers, and we're rooting for no combs - and no red in the combs. All hens would be great - all roosters ... um, back to the drawing board. We should know in 2-3 weeks from what we've read.
They're very skitterish but are getting used to us - and may be imprinting on our hands. We hand feed them some and pick them up, which they don't like. They respond to soothing cooing noises. My wife ordered some meal worms to farm - have fed some - and they go crazy for them! Several already scratch out little holes in their wood shavings to "nest" in. They're very cute.
Well, a steady supply of eggs would help fuel out steam powered takeover of the world! After all, mad steam geniuses do have to eat. My wife is looking to expand the flock - Seramas - Silkies - Sultans ... our yard isn't that big! We'll see.... This is a great site, and the posts here have helped us a lot. Thanks!
