No incubator

[joebryant]

Quote:
What incubators do you have? I have gone out and sneezed at my silver cuckoos and the hens actually laughed at me.

I have two Genesis 1588's, and they're great incubators. Each has its own turner and other dodads like thermometer/hygrometers.

 

[Vilkatis]

Hmmm, Christmas is coming - I wonder if I can con, err, covince my relatives into one.

 

[Vilkatis]

Does this incubator come with a humidity indicator/system?

 

[wolftracks]

Quote:
Are you in OUR San Lorenzo? The Bay Area?

There's a lot of us with those dark egg breeds out here.

Next month is thr Stockton show and you'd probably find lots of help there. Many of us are going.

 

[Vilkatis]

Nope, the San Lorenzo I am in is in SW NM. Directions - go to the middle of no where then take a left. I would love to be able to drive and collect some but that is not possible.

 

[wolftracks]

I took a shot but figured that's where you were. LOL

Too bad too, cause I could have leant you an incubator.

 

[Vilkatis]

Quote:
That is very kind of you, thanks for the offer. There are not many places around here that have high quality eggs, just local small flocks. Mine currently have a huge pen to run around in but just not the egg color I wanted.

 

[wolftracks]

Would have offered eggs but I haven't seen one since August. My FBCMs went into a really heavy moult and then everyone started moulting. Although not as badly as the Marans. My backyard looked like there had been a huge pillow fight.

I'm hoping they all start up again soon. I have pullets that haven't started and I need more babies to keep my lines going. My main flock is Bev Davis lines. They're older birds and I've lost a few over the past few months, so I really hope they get it back together soon.

 

[sheilawagner]

Another way you can save money on practice eggs is simply to use your own fertile eggs from the hens and roos you got. Only downside is, you may not get to eat fresh eggs for a couple of days while you're collecting them for setting.

It is a good idea to use hens to brood eggs, but there is a downside. I have found that if I took the chicks from mama hen after 2 days, then I get to hand raise them, tame them the way I want etc. But if I let Mama hen do all the raising herself, I never get a close bond with those chicks of hers. They won't come and sit on my lap like the ones I personally raised. So if you like your chickens to be pets too, other than egg producers, you might want to let her brood eggs, but then collect the day old chicks to raise them to bond with them.

 

[Vilkatis]

Excellent observation. My chickens were hand raised and still come up to me when I go visit them. I sit down and they climb all over me. Except when I turn my back, the roos are trying to chase me away, silly birds. I have enough eggs that taking a few and tossing them in an incubator will not offset the count. I can't sell them yet because they just started laying and the eggs are small with double yolks.