INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[SallyinIndiana]

Hey hatchers!

What thermometer & hygrometer are you guys using?

I don't want to have to buy several to get one good one.

John

For the hygrometer in my still airs I use 2 cheap ones from ebay but am considering getting a more expensive one. The thing is I watch the air bubbles and adjust so the number is only a starting point. I kind of think using my ebay one is like using a scaled that is not zeroed out to find out how much weight a child gains in a month. Sure the actual starting and ending weight may not be spot on but the change in weight should be close. So I set the humidity to make the cheapy model say 45% then every 7 days I candle air bubbles and adjust the humidity up or down based on the air bubble getting bigger. For lockdown I typically increase the humidity by 5-10 degrees. For by ebay cheapies they register the lockdown humidity at 70% until a chick hatches and wow then it shoots up to 90% for at least 30 minutes.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

[COLOR=006400]pipd~[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Frou-Frou must like cooler temps. She probably doesn't want her eyeliner to run. You'll need to add central air to that new coop you just built. [/COLOR]

Don't think it hasn't been considered! Anything for my babies. So here is the egg I spoke of:

To the left is a suspected Frou-Frou egg, found in her usual spot like the other. The middle is the one I posted about before and the one pictured in my hand above. To the right is one of my Sebright girls' eggs for size comparison. None of them even move my egg scale. I went back and looked at the picture I took of Frou-Frou's first egg, and this one is even smaller than her first one was! Silly girl is going backwards!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Finally caught up on the thread. I swear this thing grows faster than my chicks!

Welcome to all of the new members! If anyone would like to be added to the member list just shoot me a PM and I'll get you taken care of!

To the thanks for keeping the member list updated you are more than welcome. It really doesn't require that much time in my life.

DH and I spent the weekend building our coop. We got rained out on Monday, which was unfortunate, but it did allow us to get some things done inside the house, though it also means that the ladies are in the house for another week! DH is a bit of a perfectionist and I have a tendency to overdo things a bit, so I guess this is what happens when we try to build a coop together. We're hoping to get the last side framed in tonight and start the roof and sheeting after that.


Alfie, our English Bulldog, thinks we're building him a shade Pavilion.



Sweet Belle checking out her new digs.


First side framed in. Nesting boxes are below with 2 windows above.





DH enjoying his victory for the day. 3 sides done.


And of course, the ladies first day outside!

Quinstar ~ I think the method old salt recommended I use to raise the coop off of the ground matches up with your pictures very nicely. I was hoping you could take some closer shots of how the posts connect to the floor. DH and I are not builders but if I have pictures of the nails. screws, bolts, whatever is used to connect the pieces, then the people at lowes are very helpful. Without pictures DH and I get nowwhere.
Also how deep should I bury the posts? All opinions welcome here.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Quote:
I use the hygrometer that can on my incubator. I know it isnt exactly right, but with humidity as long as I know around the area is I am not that concerened. At walmart I bought a $0.97 thermometer. It works good and is spot on.

 

[gunchief25]

When I first integrated my two flocks, it was a struggle to get the younger ones in the coop. The first night I had to manually put almost all 15 in. After that it was 12 and then each night the number got progressively smaller until they all went in on their own. The entire process took about a week. The only issues I have now are that the older ones still bully the younger ones when it comes to eating and the two groups aren't fully integrated yet. Although I have been noticing the EE hens spending more time with the younger ones. I foresee a time when this will settle as the younger birds will get larger than the older ones.

Yes my younger ones are pretty well already larger than the older ones. The older ones still peck at them from time to time but not nearly like they use to. When I let them out to free range they all pretty much flock together lately and seem to be getting along great. The older ones use to try to run them away from the scratch feed but now seem willing to share.

 

[pbirdhaven]

Hey hatchers!

What thermometer & hygrometer are you guys using?

I don't want to have to buy several to get one good one.

John

If you want to invest in more than came with the incubator, go to a pet store that sells reptile supplies. Check out the ones there and pick one that reads the same as most of the others--that's a pretty good indication of accuracy.

Alternatively, use the thermometer that came in the package (check it by leaving it close to another thermometer for a while) and put a moist sponge in the incubator. When the sponge starts to dry out, rewet it.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Second time in 3 days I had 7 eggs. The first time, I had 5 the day before so I thought I might have missed one. Yesterday I had 6 and today 7 so I must have an EE laying but I don't see the color. Almost white tinted. Maybe a touch of green but it is hard to tell. I am guessing the smallest in the middle is the EE egg. I am a bit disappointed in the color. Any chance it will change? Also, I get a white one every day. I think one of the White Rocks lays it, even though they are supposed to lay brown. Looks like I may have a double yolker there.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Second time in 3 days I had 7 eggs. The first time, I had 5 the day before so I thought I might have missed one. Yesterday I had 6 and today 7 so I must have an EE laying but I don't see the color. Almost white tinted. Maybe a touch of green but it is hard to tell. I am guessing the smallest in the middle is the EE egg. I am a bit disappointed in the color. Any chance it will change? Also, I get a white one every day. I think one of the White Rocks lays it, even though they are supposed to lay brown. Looks like I may have a double yolker there.

The egg color will not change, it will lay one color its whole life. And if it is actually a white rock it will lay a brown egg, not white unless it is a mutt

 

[Old Salt 1945]

Quinstar ~ I think the method old salt recommended I use to raise the coop off of the ground matches up with your pictures very nicely. I was hoping you could take some closer shots of how the posts connect to the floor. DH and I are not builders but if I have pictures of the nails. screws, bolts, whatever is used to connect the pieces, then the people at lowes are very helpful. Without pictures DH and I get nowwhere.
Also how deep should I bury the posts? All opinions welcome here.

Print the pictures and tell the guy at Lowes "this is what I want to do, what do I need?

Keep in mind that it may be cheaper to just build the platform and buy a storage shed to set on it. Anchor the shed to the platform or it will blow away.

John

 

[danand]

I spent part of yesterday cleaning coups and adding roosts, moving some of them around. So I cleaned out nest boxes and added some too. Well my girls DO NOT like straw!! Oh the fights this morning!!! I added some old(clean) grass hay and everybody's had calmed down. Funny how picky they can be. Also I decided to keep one of the Millie Roos and he joined the LF flock 2 weeks ago. He thinks he's big stuff and is trying his darnedest to mount any girl he can. Pretty funny to see him on top of a full sized LF!! I also decided that my Banty buff brahmas should join the LF. They are almost as big as the Lf. So far no one seems to notice or care. There was one fight between that roo ( Bart) and the Millie roo (rob Roy). So now if I can get the silkies in with mixed Bantys and then all the Millie's into 1 coup I'll be ready for winter and everything will be easier. Fingers crossed!!