Michigan Hatchers! What'cha got cookin?

[EnsignIdonia]

Taprock I hope to see pictures. That sounds great.


Our odd duckling was declining. He couldn't stand and no matter what we tried he couldn't straighten his spine. His eyes were stuck shut . We culled the poor thing

I'm broken hearted over it and disappointed in our hatch/live rate. Less than 30 percent. We are going to set chicken eggs next week.

 

[jlynnet]

We lost power today during the crazy hail storm. Not sure if I'll hatch anything or not. We should have hatching by tomorrow. I got it plugged into the generator, but I'm not sure if it was unplugged for too long.

 

[naglady]

@jlynnet, last yr in dead of winter we lost power for several hrs, during incubation.. i just put a heavy blanket on the bator, and they did fine, just keep it insulated the eggs will stay warm.. i think it was like 12 hrs. to.. i worried at the time, but had a good hatch still..

@Ensignidonia so sorry you had to cull a baby.. but on a good note, i think you did good for a first hatch, my first hatch i had one chick and had to help him out at day 25.. I think first hatch is mostly learning for most of us.. you will find your second hatch will be much better.


@glad my husband didnt want chickens no way no how.. sometimes we have to do something for ourselves.. he sure came around, he doesnt mind them now, but doesnt want to take care of them which is fine, i like that part, but will collect eggs for me when i am not home..

setting chicken eggs today in with my 2 goose and 2 turkey eggs i set last sunday..

 

[jlynnet]

I have one chick hatched! Another has pipped, so we'll see.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Yay! Keep us posted, jlynnet!

 

[gladahmae]

Oh I HOPE they all make it out all right! What a terrible day to lose power!

My turner is full. I actually had to steal egg-holders out of my extra turner to put what I collected today in there too! (I have the OLD 'claw' cup style turners.) Now my issue is, the temperature readout on my incubator says 99.5, but I also put 2 OTHER thermometers in there to have something to check against it, and ONE is reading 94.3 and the OTHER is reading 96! They're "outdoor" digital thermometers, so I can't calibrate them in ice water (tried the 'stick in in a plastic bag' method last year and water got in and fried that one). Soooooo yeah. Need to get that figured out asap. I'm wanting to get them in the incubator tonight and right now it's not cooperating with me!!!

 

[naglady]

@jlynnet good luck with your hatch.


glad go to wallmart and get one of the $2. fish tank thermometers, and caliborate that, and then you can calibarate your other gauges against that one, so you know if they are to high or to low.

 

[gladahmae]

Walmart is 40min away at this point, and won't happen tonight.

I put a jar of water in there, and I'm going to let it sit for about an hour and then temp that using an oral thermometer we have. I checked all of the thermometers I've put in it against the 2 thermometers we have in the house, and they all read within about 0.5deg of eachother, so I'm trusting THOSE more than the one on the console of the incubator. It was dead on last year, so I don't get it. Can never be easy.......

 

[jlynnet]

We're up to 3 chicks now. Once they start they break out fast, just a slow process this time.

 

[gladahmae]

I'm so glad to hear that!!


Turned my incubator control panel up to "102" last night, and FINALLY the thermometers in it are reading 99 or 100. I had to go into town today to get feed, drop off eggs, and get allergy meds for my toddler, so I grabbed an aquarium thermometer too. Checked it against a jar full of snow, and just put it in the incubator in a jar full of 100deg water. Will check on it after lunch and HOPEFULLY set the eggs then. I'm up to 42 now. And I could probably squeeze in another 4 if I really wanted to.

This is where I'm going to run into trouble. The PLAN was to get 30 meat birds for just our family. Then I talked to my mom today and apparently THEY want 15, and my AUNT wants 15. So DH is going to pick up 30 more on his way home today, which means I have to make ANOTHER brooder. AND it also means that the "extra" a-frame is no longer extra and will need re-tarped and used for the new 30 meaties. Which means that I can't use it as my "chick pen." Crap crap crap crap crap. Will probably have to build something for chicks now.