I do the same as you but I'm fortunate to have a Lowe's and HD within a long walking distance.
I'm there twice on the average day.
I have to return a box fan I bought yesterday for the building with the smallest windows (intended as a brooder house). I plugged it in when I got home and it worked. I built a stand for it inside a window, mounted the fan, turned it on and it ran about 3 seconds.
Excellent idea. Are you running electric to it?
Everything.
After over 30 breeds, they are my favorite.
Dark eggs got me interested in the first place. I had Welsummers and wanted more dark layers. I shunned Marans only because I look for the unique or uncommon. I eventually discovered this breed. It took me two years to find some. Yes, they're that rare.
There are 4 varieties of Penedesencas. The Black is a bit bigger and the only DP variety. That's why I chose to raise blacks. The Blacks are famous in Spain for the flavor of the meat and have their own festival - Fira del Gall - where people buy a live rooster at $50 including processing for their Christmas dinner.
http://www.festacatalunya.cat/articles-mostra-1350-cat-fira_del_gall_de_vilafranca_del_penedys.htm
I expected a lot of pin feathers when processing but they pluck very cleanly.
They are unique in so many ways. Along with their sister breed, the Empordanesa, they're the only chickens with a white earlobe that lay a brown egg.
Those are the only 2 breeds with a carnation comb.
If not pressed, they are very respectful of fences.
Most people refer to Mediterranean and some other breeds as flighty. IMO, they construe that to mean that they can and will fly over fences and are a bit unpredictable.
However, what these breeds really are; wary, alert, quick, agile, able to fend for themselves, etc..
Most of the flighty breeds are just aloof and adverse to all things not chicken, not necessarily fliers.
The Black Penedesencas will stay inside a 3' fence. (they may crawl under it but only go over if pressed by a predator) I often keep a flock of roosters inside a 2' fence.
The very reason some people shun Penes is the reason I love them. Clearly, I don't keep lap chickens. These birds are survivors. They are determined to thrive and will do whatever it takes. Blood testing day for NPIP is a real test of resolve.
They avoid all human contact up to about a year of age when they finally decide I'm not going to eat them - yet. They will come running when they realize I may be bringing treats but still won't let me within 5 feet of them. The roosters are a little bolder but still can't touch them. On the plus side, being extremely wary and fleet of foot, it is rare to lose one to a day time predator and that is only when a rooster gives himself up to save the hens from coyotes, malamutes, etc.. I've never lost a chicken to a hawk since I've had one of these roosters with each flock. They do well in a free range or large paddock situation. Close confinement stresses them and don't try to occupy that same close confinement with them. They'll try to break the walls down to get away.
Catching chicks in the incubator is a real challenge before the break for the hills.
This isn't based on any scientific study but experience. This is anecdotal so take it with a grain of salt.
A lot of people like calm, friendly, docile, pet type chicken breeds because they only consider their own personal relationship with their chickens rather than the chickens' relationship with their world at large.
I must say that before I kept Mediterranean breeds other than large laying flocks of Leghorn hens, I lost birds to hawks and other daytime predators - including foxes, coyotes, etc.. Granted those birds were mostly meat and DP breeds like Freedom Rangers, Orps, Wyandottes, etc..
It wasn't till I kept a Black Penedesenca rooster with each free range flock that I was able to forget worries about hawks.
I have also kept Minorcas, Anconas, Leghorns, Sicilian Buttercups, etc.
When I'm in a building among the chickens, I'll hear the roosters make that aerial predator call and I'll step outside to see what's up.
I'll see the last of the hens running for cover. Some run into the coop, but most head into the underbrush. The roosters don't run. In the various runs or out in the field, the roosters are all standing like statues facing one direction. I'll look around and only after all this, do I see the hawk/s coming. They are so alert with such good eyesight, they see them coming long before I could.
Usually, the hawks chicken out and don't dive. When they do, I've seen the rooster leap and fly timed to the hawk's dive, take the hawk down and slowly stride back to his flock.
The first time I witnessed it, I missed the conflict but saw the rooster walking away and a pile of feathers on the ground and I was sure the hawk had killed a hen. There was red around but later I saw that the red was leaves (autumn). Then the feathers started moving. The hawk staggered to its feet, walked a bit and finally flew off.
Nice simple clear diagram.
That's right.
X2
If I can wire and automate an entire automobile assembly plant, I can help put an incubator together.
When it closes due to temperature. It doesn't need power, it only needs to allow power to pass when it is closed.
It is mechanical. I've never used one but it opens and closes depending on temperature. To the best of my knowledge it's the principle of two materials with dissimilar thermal expansion coefficients. It will be closed until it reaches a certain temperature when the two sides will move apart opening the circuit.
AC or DC?
In the US in a 2 wire 120 volt AC system, black will always be neutral, red/colored wire will be hot.
If 3 wire, neutral will be white or grey, colored wire hot and ground will be green.
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/reference/chpt-2/wiring-color-codes/
OH! I thought you were building a coop.
With too much rain. It poured down for 4 hours this morning with thunder/lightning and high wind. Now the sun is coming out so it will be nice and steamy.
I can't even cut grass or weed eat today. I guess I'll muck out coops.
2 pieces of glass is the way to go. The air gap will insulate and eliminate condensation.
Yellow stick from the plus sign to make it a minus sign and turn the 6 into an 8.
Goat cheese would be great. I don't have space for goats or the time to devote.
Andouille is a Cajun/Nawlins thing.
For the hole in the lid or the glass
