I have 150 eggs set as of Saturday Feb 13th.

[Laney]

Dave, I'm glad you're keeping up on things. I like the way you do math too. I figured out I've got 20 Chickens out in the pasture, and I'm waiting for 25 to hatch.....So, how do we work the math so that I can hatch more? I guess I'll have to wait and see how many hatch next Wednesday!

Laney

 

[dave27889]

I am so glad you guys like my math. I usd it when I use to deep sea fish. You know you need a special fishing rod for each situation and for each type fish. The same goes for the tackle. Then you have to have multible rods so each person can fish. Then of course you have to have the special baits and lures. Then you have to have a boat with all the better gadgets so that you can make the trip worth while. Then you have to have a truck or something to pull the boat. Wait a minute. No wonder I was always broke. You don't think I have a compulsion or complex do you. If I do I am in the right place because I see the same thing going on here all the time.
I am going to bed. You folks all take care and good hatching to all. Tomorrow is pay day and boy do we need it. Later, Dave

 

[kid-n-chickens]

I used the same math to incubate all the eggs that I am doing. Enjoy reading your posts, have it marked so I can read it daily! Hope you feel well today!

 

[dave27889]

Okay it has been a couple of days since my last post and this is what's going on. Lost 2 more ee eggs and 1 more Delaware. All 3 looked like they started and just quit. All the rest seem to be doing well. There are no bad smells, weeping eggs or eggs that have blood rings or anything like it. We have seen a lot of movement in the eggs when candeling them. The little old english game birds are really doing well and moving allaround. The Crele that we have really moves when the light hits him. I am really sad that I have lost all but 2 of the EE's from this batch. They really came through some rough weather and I guess that is what took them. I do have 13 other EE's that are in another homemade incubator by themselves. They are all doing great and this is like day 9 for them so they have a ways to go. I have not put up pictures of them because I have had kinda a rough last 4 days.
Had a bit of a scare with the diabeties. Got messing around a little bit Friday night fixing a couple of small things like another incubator, fixing the vacum cleaner and cleaning up after a sick kitten. Did not think I had done to much but you know how it goes. Got up Saturday morning had a small light breakfast of 1 egg and a piece of wheat toast plain and a glass of unsweet tea. I had checked my blood sugar and it was 125 not to bad. I messed around drawing the garden I plan on having this spring and doing a few house chours. I did not want to do much because we were going to a friends birthday party that night. I checked my blood sugar around 10:00am and it was now 265. It should not be that high. I rechecked the meter and it was fine. I even tested Paula's blood sugar which Paula hates needles and blood. Her blood sugar was only 126 and she had waffles with syurp and sweet tea. I then checked my blood sugar again at 1:00 pm and it was 403. That is dangerously high so I called the doctor and they wanted me to go to the hospital and be addmitted. Well to make a long story short. I took a double dose of my metformin three times a day and it went down. I already had a doc appointment for today Monday March 1st. I was there for 5 hours. My blood pressure soared to 190 over 155 and I was a mess. Well things got better blood sugar is now 180 and my blood pressure is back at 120 over 75. I guess it was just the big guy saying you still have a ways to go so pick yourself up and go boy. I am taking the new meds that the doctor put me on, resting some and drinking a lot of water. I weighed in today and my weight was 240 and I am 5'11". I am trying to lose at least 10 lbs in the next 2 months and see how things go. People I really need those prayers and good thoughts. I know that these baby chicks will keep me busy and spring will certinly help get the old blood flowing.
A couple of other notes on the eggs and the forth coming chicks. Tomorrow is the last day for turning. The chicks should start coming on Saturday and Sunday. I just put together a new inside brooder. I went to Lowe's and got the biggest long tub they had with a lid. I then put a keyless porcelain ceiling lampholder (330 watt 120 volt) in the top center of the lid. I then hooked up a water heater thermostat to the light fixture to control the temp in the brooder. I highly recomend putting the thermostat in this type of PLASTIC tub. The thermostate willkeep you from melting the plastic tub and it will keep you from having a fire with the chips that will be with the chicks in the bottom of the brooder. This tub is 18 inches tall and 41 inches long. I also have the exact same set up ready to go if I need a second brooder for all these chicks. I also must say as an electrician used only a porcelain type fixture. They will stand up to the heat of the high heat of the brooder type light. The plastic is okay but you really don't want to take a chance. The metal typeis okay but they hold some heat and will burn you if they touch you. The porcelin type just is a much better option in a case like this.
I have run my new brooder now most of about 6 hours and it is holding up very well. The temp gague is holding around 99.0 degrees to 101.5 degrees. I think for a brooder that is pretty good. The chips are only slightly warm to the touch and the water in the waterer is still cool. This is a brooder that I am using in my home. In fact I am keeping it in the den near us for now. It really depends on how many chicks really hatch out. There is no way we are keeping a little over 100 chicks in the house. I have a big brooder outside that is wired with 5 lights, it'swrapped against the cold and it is in a secure inclousre. I imagine that they will spend the first night or two in the house and then move them to the outside brooder and pen.
I also have a system to mark the chicks. I asked for help in being able to mark chicks and got this good idea from that person. They suggested I use food coloring to mark the chicks. My wife Paula even said she could make up different colors mixing the colors so I could mark them all differently. I think this is a really good idea and plan on using it unless someone else has a better system. Let me know soon okay. P.S. I am using only natural pine shavings in the brooder. I understand that ceader chips are toxic to chicks and that pine chips are okay but that pine shavings are even better.
Well that's enough for tonight. Things are going to get busy around here very soon and I am trying to get things done as I can. It is suppose to rain and then snow here tomorrow night into Wednesday morning. We are suppose to get about 2 inches. That means that we could get no snow or 2 feet of snow. That is Eastern N.C. the weather can change in just a matter of hours. Takecare and good luck in all that you do.
I do want to add one last thing. I have met some really nice folks here and want to say thanks for everything they have done. I already have a couple of people getting set to send me eggs in April. I met William on here and he has some RIR's that are just geourgeous. I am hoping to get some in April and I am also planning on some more BCM's from pasofinofarms if they have any. I also plan on some of Bargains beautiful speckled sussex. Take care and good hatching to all. Talk with you real soon.

 

[IggiMom]

Hi Dave. Sorry about the DM flare. I don't suppose you would consider a small rescue dose of insulin for such things? It sounds to me as if you are getting past the metformin. I am sure that losing some weight would help, but that takes time. (And shouldn't most of us.)

Anyway, how nice that most of the chicks appear to be doing well! Great!

Good luck with lockdown and hatching.

It is the wrong time of year, but I LOVE watermelon corrals for baby chicks. They are just the right size, have no corners for them to congregate in, and I just put the lamp clamped to it.

Maybe I will ask for some at Giant Eagle just in CASE they would have some.

I think the food coloring is a great idea, I may use it, too. And another thing I have heard of, although I haven't tried it, is the little twistie things, like on a loaf of bread.

Catherine

 

[dave27889]

Okay today was the last day for turning the eggs. I checked 7 eggs with a friend and there were 3 that had not made it. There was no movement at all and the eggs were white. The 3 that did not make it were 2 old english gamebirds and the only cerel that i had. These were just added to some that a lady sent me that nobody had bought so I am not sure how old they were. I really was pulling for the cerel. I still have 5 old english left and 1 other that was not marked.
We were expecting things to happen on Sat or Sunday but it looks like Friday could be the start of things. Whatever happens I will be here and let you folks know. It is going to be a busy weekend. Wish us luck. take care and talk with you soon. Later, Dave

 

[bargain]

Hi Dave and all, I've lurked here a few times so now it's time to say it! Praying hard for those eggies and your families health....It's about to get superexciting....We've been doing a little hatching here and hatched out 100% of our BBS orpingtons...PTL and our BCM's....white leghorns lost a few at lockdown, but oh my how cold we have been in the south.

Praying praying and watching...Keep us all posted
Nancy & Jacque

 

[texasgal]

Still hyperventilating over all those eggs ..

But following, nonetheless!

I admire you being diligent with your diabetes. My SS19 is killing himself. Non-compliant. High A1c, high cholestrol, high blood pressure and vitamin D deficient. Insulin dependent, but won't take any other meds.. He is a walking stroke/heart attack .. at 19.

Take care of yourself and keep us posted.. Praying for you and yours! Deb

 

[dave27889]

Thanks everyone. The diabeties is back to normal thank the good Lord. They uped the metaformin to 1000 mgs 3 times a day and put me on a new drug called glimepiride 2mg 1 a day. It helps with insuline production. I am also checking blood sugar 4 times a day now not just 3. It just suprised me that imy blood sugar went to over 400 so quickly. I really started feeling bad quickly. I felt so weak, listless and hurt in my feet and legs. I also was a little dizzy and disorianated.
When I did what the doc said I felt better by the next day. I am making sure that I drink plenty of water now. It's just I was doing all that before and boom it still went crazy.
Anyway I am doing better and things are looking better. The weather here is still crazy. We got 2.5 inches of very wet snow last night ( like snow could be dry) Ha Ha. It came really fast and as of 8:00 it was just quiting. The temp outside is rising and the rest of the week and next week look good. My future son in-law bought the new Farmers Almanac and it called for a cold rain and cold weather for yesterday and clearing for the rest of the week. I don't know how they do it but they seem to get a lot right.
Nancy & Jacque thanks for checking in. I can't believe that the eggs you sent me are doing as well as they are. The box that the eggs were in was really crushed. They never did do anything about it at the post office but that's fine. I only lost a couple and the others seem to be doing very well. I will be getting back with you and let you know how well things go. I have your eggs in a different incubator than the other ones that were the same breed. I have a couple of different ways of marking the chicks so I will be able to see which are from whom. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. They really help. I am so glad we got things right between us it means a lot. You are a true friend and I do appreciate all you and Jacque have done for me. People let me tell you Nancy & Jacque know how to pack eggs. they also have some great poultry.
Now for the eggs. I raised the humidity to 70% this morning and stopped tilting the eggs. I do still have the incubator that has the EE eggs that came late going. I candeled them and some of the other eggs last night and all are doing well. There is only 1 egg so far out of the late batch that did not develope so far. It was the tannish egg #13. It was just kinda clearish. Looked like it may have started and then quit. I have all my stuff going for hatching day. I decided to go ahead and build the 2nd brooder just incase most of the eggs do hatch. I can then also keep the BCM and the RIR's that I have from to different breeders seperate. That way I can kinda keep better tabs on how everything goes. I am lucky that my son Paul and my daughter Helen are going to be home to help with the hatching as well as my wife Paula. Not sure if my Daughter's boyfriend Andrew will be here or not. he starts crabbing this weekend and will start setting his crab pots in the local river and the sound.
I would like to ask you folks a question if I may. One person on here said they thought that bread ties would help Identify my chicks along with the food coloring. I would only need to use them for a day or so if even then. I do have the breeds that are the same but from different breeders seperate but it may also help me identify chicks that hatched together but may have had problems. It would also give me a second way of identifying the chicks incase the food colring came off or if the chicks were so damp at hatching that the dye could not be applyed until they dried some. Please let me know what you think and or give me other ideas.
Thanks again to everyone who has been following this posting. It is really neat and it is so nice to have the extra help and expericence. Take care and I will update as things progress. Take care and good luck to all. Later, Dave

 

[HickoryGuy]

Can't help you w/ the bread ties, but I used food coloring this weekend on wet chicks and it's still holding 5+ days. I marked them good though, an area about the size of a nickle when rubbed in. I bought red w/o thinking, but switched to green because I was afraid the others might mistake the red for blood & pick at it. I don't know if this was a founded concern or not, but I didn't want to take any chances.

Sounds like you have several categories you're wanting to keep track of. If you don't have enough various colors of just ties or just coloring, use some of both & keep track of what's what.