INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[kittydoc]

Good luck

Good luck with your hatch, I've got 2 pipped myself

Same to you! I wish it weren't so darned cold, but we'll keep them inside for at least this week and maybe the next, then see when we can move the brooder box into the garage. As long as it's above freezing, we have both a regular heat lamp and a Brinsea brooder to keep them warm. These last two winters have left me looking forward to retirement and moving south, where it's easier on our aging bones and on the chickens, too!

 

[ChickenLady2014]

Same to you!  I wish it weren't so darned cold, but we'll keep them inside for at least this week and maybe the next, then see when we can move the brooder box into the garage.  As long as it's above freezing, we have both a regular heat lamp and a Brinsea brooder to keep them warm.  These last two winters have left me looking forward to retirement and moving south, where it's easier on our aging bones and on the chickens, too!

I'm looking forward to that myself someday. Winters keep getting longer every year. It's seems I can't make it thru a winter anymore without falling on the ice doing chicken chores and getting hurt. Can't wait for spring and getting garden stuff going.

 

[pbirdhaven]

@birdman55 It worked--I just wasn't scrolling down far enough. Many thanks!

 

[pbirdhaven]

Absolutely gorgeous guy!

Thank you! He's pretty special to me.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Snooki's morning foot soak

what a cutie

These are pics from several years ago--my first time hatching peas and one chick's feet were badly crippled.



So I built him orthopedic shoes.


And his toes straightened.



I named him Trooper because he was such a little trooper about the whole thing. He is a midnight black shoulder.

Beautiful!

Quote: Its so much different with live mealies! Its a huge chase game when I get them out here, just hilarious to watch. Super easy and cheap to keep also.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Oh and our water valve has frozen 4 times today!

This summer we will be bringing the bladder tank inside to the basement, not outside in an underground bunker.

It is CAAAAAREEEEEPY down there...and gross!

We had pipes freeze last bad cold spell, holding our breath! I hate going under the house, spider webs

No way DH can fit in the crawlspace.

Here is the bunch!
All 20 chirp'rs




We got 6 ISA, 6 white brahma, 4 RIR, 4 white leghorns, and couldn't help myself 2 EE's!!


Couldn't pass those two pullets!

Toooooo adorable! Congrats!

Pipping is in progress! These are the first chicks of my own breeding, so I'm excited to see what they will be like. I've NEVER had a hatch actually go to 21 days before, and these are all pullet eggs whose parents all hatched on Day 19 and 20. These will go over into Day 22. I was starting to get worried, so broke lockdown yesterday to make sure they were still alive. It's going to be a late night with me sleeping in the spare bedroom with the bator! (It was also a new incubator, which added to my concerns--you never know!)

More news tomorrow!

Excited for you, and waiting for updates!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Chick radar on... Rural King in New Castle had all pullets... Barred Rock, White Leghorn and Jersey Giants. $1.99 each. Also had 2 cages full of bunnies! And yes, I was strong and came home with seeds, not chicks

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Will go up to Muncie Rural King this week, and hopefully Orshlen's in Greenfield if I have the time to see if chicks are out yet. TSC in New Castle have bins, no chicks yet.

 

[ChickCrazed]

I can't believe it is chick season already! Crazy!

I have been working on building my first incubator and even built my own egg turner!!!! I "finished" yesterday and am now testing and making modifications. Everything was working beautifully all day yesterday, but I woke up to a temp of 103. I'm not sure what would cause a temperature spike? I am using a stc-1000 electronic temperature controller if anyone has any ideas, the controller was properly reading the temp at 103 (and my backup thermometer also read 103), I'm just not sure why it allowed it to get that high. I am using 2 60-watt bulbs to heat the joint, have 2 large fans, one blowing over the bulbs and the other pointed down to blow the hot air down. I have plenty of ventilation holes. Anyway, I am gathering eggs this week and will be setting this weekend. Hopefully that gives me enough time to get this figured out! I think I'm going to try 40 watt bulbs and see if that makes a difference unless anyone has any other ideas!

So far total cost for incubator and turner is around $175.

Here she is. It is an 140 quart cooler and will hold and turn around 70 eggs when full!



Auto egg turner. Ignore all the extra holes, there was some trial and error on getting the dowels in the right spots lol.

 

[birdman55]

great job on the build...

morning everyone...i would say good morning but not so good here the well pit froze last night even with a 250 watt light in there ...just another day in the frozen tundra....