New Dickey Incubator - 48 Bantam Eggs - All Done.

[MAllen]

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Hi Miss Jayne,

Seems to be working well here also. The humidity is real steady 50/51% so far.

 

[MAllen]

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Wow!! That's really great!! What incubator do you use? I hope to be doing the same come Oct 15th.

 

[swheat]

The same one you setup today. A Dickey. I also have a sportsman, but I like the Dickey better. I got my fingers crossed for your hatch !

 

[MAllen]

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Great! Just came from your website, really good! One thing I've noticed from visiting numerous bantam breeders websites is they never show much of their pens in the photos. Most of the birds that hatch from this setting will be sold. I'm only interested in keeping four breeds, Crele, BB Red, Silver Duckwing, and Wheaton for my own breeding program and showing eventually. Coming up with a way to house them all separately by breed is the issue I'm facing now. I've been trying to find info and pics showing how others do it but not much luck. How do you handle that?

 

[swheat]

I cages that I make from welded wire. I use 1/2"x1" for the flooring and 1"x1" welded wire for the sides & top. I use the 24 inch in height wire(which is good for most bantams). I make long pens and then divide them into sections. So you could make them any size you want.
I have several that are 8 to 12 feet long. I use metal clamps to secure them on 2" pvc pipe legs(that way they are adjustable in case the ground is not level). I make wire doors and wire latches that you can get from poultry suppliers. I use metal C-clamps to attach the wire together. I have automatic watering cups, but haven't got them installed yet.
Then I have my main barn which is 20' x 40' divided in to 14 pens with automatic waterers. Auto water is the Greatest time saver.

edited to add: I have a empty pen and I will try to get a pic of it. It is not on legs yet, but will give you an idea what they look like.

 

[miss_jayne]

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funny you mentioned this. i have run mine with no water a bit lately just to test and i am liking the results.

um, we need pics of the set up so we can utilize those tips! <--------dork statement. lemme go to the site and i am assuming there will be pics there! duh!

 

[swheat]

I used to worry so much over humidity too..would drive me crazy

But, I had several that were drowning in the shell, that is why I tried the "DRY" hatch method...and I like it I DO have to keep up with the 18 day so I can add the water. Also by adding the water it doesn't seem to bother the other eggs that are due later. The water that is placed in on the 18th day is gone by the time the chicks are ready to come out.

 

[NancyP]

Hi,hope you don't mind me intruding on the topic but I want to get a Dickey incubator 2X2 and am trying to decide on the wafer thermo or electronic. Do you have any opinion on this? thanks,
Nancy

 

[miss_jayne]

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electroni, spend up for it. what if the wafer goes out? no back up. with the electronic, there is a back up.

 

[swheat]

I did have the wafer...but I worried about them going bad(just me) so I converted mine to electronic, I like it better. IMO I didn't like changing the wafers every season(year) and having to adjust temp all over again. Guess I am just lazy...