IA here

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Trish
What kinds and how many incubators do you use to hatch so many birds of so many varieties? What is your total egg capacity? Generator backup ?

Craig

 

[mrheinz77]

Not good. I'm using a wafer thermostat but the lights aren't hooked up to it. I don't know what to hook together. It is too hot during the day and too cold at night. Is there anyplace in our area that carries thermostats? All I could find were water heater thermostats but they were for gas water heaters. I didn't realize how many eggs I had until I put more in the Hovabator today and both shelves are completely full. (Yes, I realize Hovabators don't have shelves). I need a thermostat. Ugh.

 

[mrandmrschicken]

We had a very strange thing happen yesterday. As we were cleaning up after the huge party/celebration of life from the day before, I was hearing this strange bird call. Then as i looked out in front of the house, here came these 5 little dicklings! They could not have been more than 2 days old. Fearing a cat would get them, we scooped them up and i put them in a pet taxi, a large homemade one and put some chick feed in and and some water and tucked them into a corner of the garage out of sight from the other chickens. Later we saw a mother wood duck and a father in the yard but i thought it might be too late to set the duckilings free. They already had 8 in tow behind them. I', so afraid they will get run over and eaten I don't know how they will manage such a large brood! Guess I'll google and get more info. I will post pics when we are back from the cities.

 

[FlashPointFarm]

Hey Jim, I'd order a GQF thermostat online. I've heard of others having the same troubles with water heater thermostats that you are having.

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[FlashPointFarm]

Hi Craig,

We use Nature Form commercial incubators that hold 2000 eggs. We have 3 incubators and 1 hatcher. We also use a dickey, a GQF 1202 and my trusty hovabator for my "special" eggs.

And yes, there is generator back up on the farm.

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[karimw]

It's a good thing you don't KEEP all those babies Trish! I think it's time to trim down my flock - the little ones are coming put my ears! The problem is I need to let them grow up so I know which ones to keep!

 

[mrheinz77]

I took the heavy beast ( my 32" * 32" * 48" home made incubator) to a friends house to have the lights hooked up to the thermostat. Its plugged in right now seeing what it does. I'm tired of turning 200 eggs by hand. 7 Silver Spangled Appz... hatched yesterday along with 3 Guinea keets (placed with an unsuccessful broody after hatching), 3 WC Blue/Black Polish, and 1 splash Jersey Giant (died today though). Split Black Orps, Delaware, and Speckled Sussex go into lock down tomorrow. Sultans hatching today. 1 is out and 2 more are pipping. Finally something is hatching.

Does anybody in Iowa have Langshan, Jersey Giant, or BLRW eggs they would want to sell or swap for?
Later,
Jim

 

[pbjmaker]

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I got some JG eggs in the mail (BBS) and they were shook to death. Completely detached air cells. That person is sending me some more - I really am interested in this breed myself even though they are super slow growers.

 

[mrheinz77]

The ones I got came in the mail too. They were BBS. 7 of 14 fully developed. Only 1 Splash hatched. My incubator was at 97 for a while so that was probably the problem with the Giants, Langshan, and Ia Blue. I was hoping to get some more local so they wouldn't have to be shipped so far or where I could pick them up.
Later,
Jim

 

[LadyWoodsong]

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I guess they knew the place to be, Eric! Kinda like Dr. Doolittle?

Wow, do you think they belonged to that wood duck family? 13 ducklings? I should tell my husband about them, he LOVES wood ducks. The only thing is that we live in the middle of DNR ground that has three ponds. I'm sure they wouldn't stick around here.....which actually probably wouldn't be such a bad thing, but we get a lot of duck hunters around here.