New Jersey

[kahlua]

Yeah for another coop. How the hatch goes well in the new bator

The plan was to build the coop 2 weeks ago, but my van broke down and it was the only vehicle we have that can transport sheets of plywood. Its been back and forth to the mechanic 3 times I got it back on Tuesday. Hopefully we can throw something together this weekend. It won't be fancy but will get the job done!

 

[NJchixs]

Kahlua how is the temp running for you? I have three showing the air temp 99-100. The hovabator one reads 99.7. My probe temp is 98.7 - 98.8. I have the probe in a plastic Easter egg filled with sand. The homemade water thingy wasn't working. My poor design. Is that ok? Should I go hunt down a real water wiggle? Turn the hovabator temp up?

Edit- I put the small probe unit inside the bator (just probe was through egg turner wire hole) and now temp fluctuating in the 99's as the heat comes on and off. I'm going to go look for a wiggler. I don't want to mess it up.

 

[kahlua]

Sand might not be your best bet because it's not really similar to the liquid in an egg. And sand isn't a good insulator so will fluctuate a lot, I'd think. Hair gel or something liquid but a little thick would be better. I'd think it would be perfect if you could fill the easter egg with gel - maybe just drill/poke a little hole in the top so you can stick the probe in. That would be even better than a water wiggler because it's the shape/size of an egg.

Also - I did buy one thermometer with a probe once and the temperature was 1-2 degrees off from my other thermometer. So I bought 2 more, and stuck them all in there - most had consistent readings but one was a degree or two off so I returned that thermometer. But I kept the extras so I would have them on hand just in case there was a discrepancy in temps - I can stick them back in to see if it's the thermometer or the incubator.

 

[llandry]

The plan was to build the coop 2 weeks ago, but my van broke down and it was the only vehicle we have that can transport sheets of plywood. Its been back and forth to the mechanic 3 times I got it back on Tuesday. Hopefully we can throw something together this weekend. It won't be fancy but will get the job done!

yeah for coop 2! I have two coops. One is the nice one we built ourselves and the other is a tiny little one we got for babies or to separate any. It was cheap and serves its purpose. The coop we built is great but man would I do a lot of it differently. I'm sure that's how most people are with their first coop right? Our next coop, coop2.0 will be awesome!

 

[NJchixs]

Sand might not be your best bet because it's not really similar to the liquid in an egg. And sand isn't a good insulator so will fluctuate a lot, I'd think. Hair gel or something liquid but a little thick would be better. I'd think it would be perfect if you could fill the easter egg with gel - maybe just drill/poke a little hole in the top so you can stick the probe in. That would be even better than a water wiggler because it's the shape/size of an egg.

Also - I did buy one thermometer with a probe once and the temperature was 1-2 degrees off from my other thermometer. So I bought 2 more, and stuck them all in there - most had consistent readings but one was a degree or two off so I returned that thermometer. But I kept the extras so I would have them on hand just in case there was a discrepancy in temps - I can stick them back in to see if it's the thermometer or the incubator.

Ok I re-did the egg with hair gel. The probe is inserted then I hot glued around the wire for leakage. I put it in the egg rack and will check in a while. When I go out tomorrow I will try to find a different probe and a wiggle if the reinvented egg doesn't work.

 

[LilNugget]

Oh, ma - you got the bug all right!  Wait until you come up to our show!

Isn't that door the greatest thing EVER??  

Just watch that baby. Bruce is right - if you just pull, you could pull out feathers, and irritate the skin even more.  If she were bigger, I might have a suggestion for her diet, but loosening their stools this young could be as bad as hard poops. When I've had this with mine it cleared up in a day or two.  How long has it been going on?  

How's Marsie like her new roommates?

The door was the best thing we got for them!!!!
I can't go to the show and soooo sad about it!! We are having a wedding at our home, two of our good friends lost their wedding venue in the hurricane so we offered the backyard... Chickens and all....lol
The babies' poopy butts are all better!!

We are afraid of mingling Marsie with the young girls. She is so messy (her digestive system as you can imagine is crazy). We can't keep her clean and we are worried about the other girls getting all gross and pooped on all the time. We let her out to free range and even though the younger girls are in their run, she seems scared of them...
What should I do???

 

[NJchixs]

On the hunt for a water wiggler and new probe therm.

 

[llandry]

Since i've never incubated eggs i have no idea what these terms mean but i have to say that a "water wiggler" sounds like a creepy little water worm-like creature that lives in a swamp.

 

[llandry]

Behold- The Elusive Water Wiggler!

 

[NJchixs]

Since i've never incubated eggs i have no idea what these terms mean but i have to say that a "water wiggler" sounds like a creepy little water worm-like creature that lives in a swamp.

Walmart had no water wigglers or probe thermometers. Found the wiggler at dollar tree. Taking my oldest for a little bday clothes shopping and lunch. I'll stop at bed bath to look for thermometer.

The water wiggler or water snake is that tube filled toy that when you grab it slides out of your hands.