Good Morning everyone!
Southpawtech - I had issues with hatching until I tried the dry hatch method. Thanks to BHep for the instructions. Don't add any water to the incubator for the first 18 days, your humidity will be whatever the ambient humidity is, mine ran between 40 and 50%, I have read not to let the humidity drop below 20%. On day 19, increase the humidity to 70% and don't open the incubator until either all of the eggs are hatched or until day 23. Newly hatched chicks can live just fine for 3 days without food or water. If you open the incubator, the humidity will drop and even if you raise it right back up, the chicks get sticky inside the eggs. The test hatch I did with my first and so far only dry incubation was very successful. I hatched 7/8 that went into lockdown. All of them hatched within 24 hours from the first pip.
Quirkybeeper - water with a little dish soap and a splash of bleach works great. Wash the incubator well with this mixture then dry well before re-using or storing. Ideally, I put it on the porch in the sun to dry.
CSB - Since my Lavender Ams are from you I know you are familiar with them. They are 3 1/2 months old now. While free ranging most of my layers decided to move into the "youngins" coop so now I am deciding if I feed the layers starter or the "youngins" layer feed or disrupt the whole bunch and move the ams to the old layer coop. One cockerel has started to crow so I know they are maturing but the girls are still chirping like babies. Everyone gets along just fine. What do you think?
DST - be careful, I seem to want every kind of chicken I see! I have "tried" several breeds and some I like some I sold. My hubby wishes I could decide on what I want and just keep something. LOL I am still in the trying mode. I really like blue eggs and have ordered some Crested Cream Legbar eggs. It will be a long time before I will get any money from these babies and I doubt they will ever pay for themselves. Then again, I don't think any of my chickens have paid for themselves or their feed and certainly not their housing. LOL
On home news - I have never really thought I would be interested in leghorns, but a co-worker of my husband called on Saturday saying he had to get rid of his 6 hens as the neighbors were complaining. We went over to take a look and they are healthy and looked good so they went into the quarantine coop at the house. I am already planning on breeding them with my ameraucanas to see what kind of ee layers I will get. LOL.
And another question - when do you all worm your chickens? How many times per year? I have been thinking fall and spring, but what months and is fall and spring the best time?
Can you all tell I am still off work (govt employee) My hubby is back today which is good but I guess my admin job is truly not considered necessary.... I happen to think it is... LOL
Have a wonderful day everyone!
