Hi ya'll! So, I am finally going to do this. I'm a little bit shy... but here goes!
I started with my chickens almost one year ago. We bought a dozen... some Light Brahmas, Buffs, RI Reds, Speckled somethings and Lavender somethings.
I'm not real good with the breed names yet. They must have been 2-3 months old when we got them, as it seems like it was about 3-4 months or so before they started laying. We soon found out that we were going to have more eggs than we knew what to do with. I gave them to my kids, my mother, my employees... we sold some... ate a bunch and still have more than we can handle. It dawned on me that perhaps I could hatch some and thus raise some to replace/replenish my stock... or to eat...
So off I went on my internet search to figure out what to do about an incubator and what all is involved in hatching chicks. I've never done it before. It seemed like in every search I did, BYC was there with the most information... every time. Soon I just learned to stop searching and just come here. I've been reading for a while now and finally joined, and here I am.
There are not many questions I can come up with that have not already been addressed in the forums. This is one awesome source of information and so far, I have felt that the members are extremely friendly and helpful. I am honored to be a member and look forward to learning all I can from you all. I'd love to meet some of the local members one day! (I'm in High Springs). I noticed there are several who live near me.
I have set up a homemade incubator in the top of a modified old entertainment unit, with the brooder area under the 'bator where the TV would have gone. It's been set up and running for over a week now. I just set my first eggs on 8/20 at 7:45 AM. Perhaps, if I am successful, I will share the details and pictures of my Bator Brooder. While I feel I have done a good job trying to "educate" myself, I am still so very nervous about this whole thing. It seems silly that I live on a "farm" where we butcher pigs, goats and rabbits for food... I EAT my eggs and I WILL eat chicken... but to think I might 'murder' 30 eggs that I would have eaten anyhow, just terrifies me! Crazy huh? This is gonna be a lot like planting a seed in the ground and just having faith that it will sprout and grow. I can hardly wait till I can candle my eggs next week!
A little 'about me': as I mentioned already, beside the chickens, we raise rabbits and goats. We live on 10 acres and grow blueberries and most of our own veggies. I do a lot of canning. We usually raise one pig a year for the meat. I have a 20,000 gallon pond in the backyard with Japanese Koi. We own our own business since 1988. We have 5 kids (his, mine, ours and someone elses) and 10 grandchildren. That's about all I can think of to say! I just about wrote a book here!
I'm off to go watch SmittenChicken's live cam of the chicks hatching! I can see already that it is good I am seeing this now so I know what to expect!
Thank you ALL for sharing!
Lynnae
I started with my chickens almost one year ago. We bought a dozen... some Light Brahmas, Buffs, RI Reds, Speckled somethings and Lavender somethings.
So off I went on my internet search to figure out what to do about an incubator and what all is involved in hatching chicks. I've never done it before. It seemed like in every search I did, BYC was there with the most information... every time. Soon I just learned to stop searching and just come here. I've been reading for a while now and finally joined, and here I am.
There are not many questions I can come up with that have not already been addressed in the forums. This is one awesome source of information and so far, I have felt that the members are extremely friendly and helpful. I am honored to be a member and look forward to learning all I can from you all. I'd love to meet some of the local members one day! (I'm in High Springs). I noticed there are several who live near me.
I have set up a homemade incubator in the top of a modified old entertainment unit, with the brooder area under the 'bator where the TV would have gone. It's been set up and running for over a week now. I just set my first eggs on 8/20 at 7:45 AM. Perhaps, if I am successful, I will share the details and pictures of my Bator Brooder. While I feel I have done a good job trying to "educate" myself, I am still so very nervous about this whole thing. It seems silly that I live on a "farm" where we butcher pigs, goats and rabbits for food... I EAT my eggs and I WILL eat chicken... but to think I might 'murder' 30 eggs that I would have eaten anyhow, just terrifies me! Crazy huh? This is gonna be a lot like planting a seed in the ground and just having faith that it will sprout and grow. I can hardly wait till I can candle my eggs next week!
A little 'about me': as I mentioned already, beside the chickens, we raise rabbits and goats. We live on 10 acres and grow blueberries and most of our own veggies. I do a lot of canning. We usually raise one pig a year for the meat. I have a 20,000 gallon pond in the backyard with Japanese Koi. We own our own business since 1988. We have 5 kids (his, mine, ours and someone elses) and 10 grandchildren. That's about all I can think of to say! I just about wrote a book here!
I'm off to go watch SmittenChicken's live cam of the chicks hatching! I can see already that it is good I am seeing this now so I know what to expect!
Thank you ALL for sharing!
Lynnae
