North Carolina

[gavinandallison]

Quote:
If you want a good reliable incubator, I have the HovaBator Genesis 1588, automatically pre-set temp, add the water get it to the right temp/humidity and away you go. Also purchase an egg turner, it great investment indeed!

 

[marlowmanor]

Thank you G&A for the recommendation. I think I am going to look on CL to see if anyone is selling an incubator for a decent price. I know I will try the spring hatch, but don't think we'll use it a ton after that since there is no room to house tons of chicks where we live right now. I know I can sell chicks too but without knowing how well they would sell I don't want to jump into that and then get stuck with a ton of chicks and no room to keep them. My biggest thing is I think my boys would learn from watching chicks hatch and going through the whole hatching process.
I had looked at a Mini Dome Incubator like this http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/mini_dome_incubator.html but it only holds 3 eggs and I figure noone is going to give us just 3 eggs. Technically I could hatch some of the eggs we may have in sppring if our chickens are laying by then, but I want a couple different breeds so I figured we would have to buy eggs off someone. I doubt someone will ship us just 3 eggs.

 

[Matt A NC]

Those mini dome incubators are worthless. I have yet to hear of someone actually get a chick to hatch.

Matt

 

[marlowmanor]

Thanks for the reply. I just thought they were neat and inexpensive. I just can't see us buying a hundred dollar incubator for one hatch. Maybe we would do more at another time, but we definately do not have the money to spend $100 on something that will be used ones maybe twice a year. Guess I'll keep looking on CL and the hatchery websites to find a deal.

 

[Jloeffler]

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IDK... D'Uccles are pretty small babies, I guess it would depend on the other birds. What kind of bantams are they? and how old? I put my D'uccles out to free range when they were about 3 months old. Prior to that they were in a grow out coop.
If you decide to put them out....watch carefully !

The other birds are 2 bantam cochin hens and a pair of Japanese bantams (hen & roo). Is your grow out coop part of your regular coop or a seperate one altogether? They were originally supposed to hatch with the broody and she was supposed to handle this part, but instead she tried to eat them. Now its my problem!

 

[BHep]

Quote:
IDK... D'Uccles are pretty small babies, I guess it would depend on the other birds. What kind of bantams are they? and how old? I put my D'uccles out to free range when they were about 3 months old. Prior to that they were in a grow out coop.
If you decide to put them out....watch carefully !

The other birds are 2 bantam cochin hens and a pair of Japanese bantams (hen & roo). Is your grow out coop part of your regular coop or a seperate one altogether? They were originally supposed to hatch with the broody and she was supposed to handle this part, but instead she tried to eat them. Now its my problem!

My grow out pens are primitive. Made using 2x4s for the base, 5'x5' square with welded wire wrapped around and on the top. I also have them just welded wire circular. Take 1/2 hour to make. I will have to get some pictures.

 

[BHep]

Dry Incubation... is exactly that ! I put no (ZERO) water during incubation. My incubator reads 18-28% humidity . Depends on the humidity in my house and I have central AC. Then at lock down I get the humidity at 50%. When chicks start hatching it raises on its own to 60-64%.

I have been doing this since X-mas and have REALLY been doing well.




G&A ... I have gotten Silkies eggs from BYCer mbrobbins twice. She is generous with extras and I had decent hatches. About 60%.... Silkie do not ship well at all. I hatched out 32. So no more for me. She has white, black, splash, blue & I have hatched out 2 partridge last hatch. She has shown her birds and done well. She has auctions & buy it now regularly. The auctions are mixed colors, depending on whats laying. I swear I hatched a lavender but she says no, it will probably be very light splash. We shall see.

Hatch update on the Lav. Ameracaunas.... 8 lavender, 7 splits, 2 pipped & 1 doing nothing. Checked my paperwork and started with 20. Awesome packaging and awesome job from the PO out of NY

I also had 2 packages from CO...scrambled.

hatched 1/7 Barndevelder & have 1/6 BBS Orp. in lock down. And 1 box from GA scrambled 0/6 developed.

 

[gavinandallison]

Quote:
Many thanks!!

 

[gavinandallison]

So we let the big chickens out tonight for 30 minutes, here is their little trip:

 

[Jloeffler]

They certainly look like they're enjoying themselves!