July Hatch-a-Long (including 4th of July hatch-a-long)

[CindyinSD]

Eggs are set! I’m really struggling with temps in the incubator. I’m not sure which thermometer to believe! Both the cheap digital ones are reading high 38.2/38.5, but the glass one that I calibrated with ice water (when calibrated with ice, it was .5* high), is right at 38, meaning the temp should be 37.5. I tend to believe that the temps are a little high since the eggs that successfully hatched were 1 day early...but they were small eggs.

I have it set to 37.3 on the incubator to get these temps.

would you leave it as is or adjust it down a bit in case the digital ones are more accurate than I think?

Buy a good meat thermometer. Like this one, which I love. https://www.thermoworks.com/RT610B-12 You can trust it. Put the probe as close as possible to your incubator's probe and change the incubator thermometer to match the meat thermometer. Then take it and try it against that remote bbq thermometer you paid around the same price for. You'll wonder why you ever bought a cheap meat thermometer or paid so much for what you hoped would be a good auxiliary incubator thermometer. The price was $35 when I looked just now.

 

[CindyinSD]

Crazy! Panic hoarding combined with many people getting into self sufficiency and buying backyard animals I guess?
Or are people finding worse and worse substitutes in the big Toilet Paper Crisis?

I suspect HWC cloth, like nearly EVERYTHING, is currently made (or more likely ATM, *not made*) in China.

 

[CindyinSD]

You're lucky, I guess. The guy in the video is in New England and I'm in Ohio. We've been out of HWC in stores for some time now. I overheard a lowes employee telling a customer yesterday that lumber should be coming in again in August and that the supply source is dry for now. Hopefully soon! I've got a chicken tractor to finish.

I suspect (if you can get it) a combination of 2x4 fencing plus chicken wire might be as effective as one layer of HWC (prolly more expensive). The chickenwire isn't very durable in constant ground contact, though. (As I have learned, to my sorrow.)

 

[FortCluck]

No one is dead or had to be culled today!!! It’s a day to praise that’s for sure.

Oh and Sookie and her twin are still here! I thought one passed away but nope, Sookie just has LOTS of feathers that came in

 

[CindyinSD]

I know. I see stuff like this and want a 3d printer.

I already wanted one, but I'd never figure out how to use the software.

 

[CindyinSD]

Turns out my dad lied about giving her all 4 eggs yesterday and only gave her two


But oh well. Doesn’t really matter. Now she actually has 4 lol

I thought none of the girls laid today because they were scared of her or something

Cause there were no eggs.

But turns out two more were laid and she has taken them.

So she now actually has 4. He gave her a white one and a brown one yesterday and now she has another white one and a green one too. I’ll probably let her keep another egg or two if they lay any more so she has about 6 and then start taking them haha suppose I should mark them so I know which is which

Yes. You NEED to mark them right now. Go out and do it--it will only take a moment. Don't let them get spread out any more (three days max) or the hatch will go on too long and she will abandon the late ones. I carry a sharpie always (for this purpose among other things). Go now. It will only take a few minutes.

 

[FortCluck]

Yes. You NEED to mark them right now. Go out and do it--it will only take a moment. Don't let them get spread out any more (three days max) or the hatch will go on too long and she will abandon the late ones. I carry a sharpie always (for this purpose among other things). Go now. It will only take a few minutes.

Don’t tell her to bug that hen again

 

[FortCluck]

I already wanted one, but I'd never figure out haw to use the software.

My son could teach you he was using one at school and knows everything. He’s smarter than me and I’m ashamed and proud of it!

 

[AgnesGray]

I suspect (if you can get it) a combination of 2x4 fencing plus chicken wire might be as effective as one layer of HWC (prolly more expensive). The chickenwire isn't very durable in constant ground contact, though. (As I have learned, to my sorrow.)

I'll upload a picture of what I did for now. Can't get chicken wire either, but we had some of the big hole kind in the barn. You can kind of see in this picture. It's not ideal, but I put a portable electric fence around it and put the cockerels that we're causing trouble in it.

 

[RoseHawke]

I suspect HWC cloth, like nearly EVERYTHING, is currently made (or more likely ATM, *not made*) in China.

Even the mealworms I buy for the wild birds comes from freakin' China!