Not... :( Getting a 'bator for Christmas

[Smitty's Farm]

Yep, it would be a brave adventure to do together. I would feel better with other newbies to help with advice, etc. I guess I should think of new coop arrangements first. That will definitely send hubby running.

I think I'll check prices and kinds of incubators that are at Rural King when I go this week to get chicken food. I know I've seen them there before, but didn't pay any attention to what models they were.

Yep, we live in Il. It's just right over the river from St. Louis, Mo.
I grew up in Fla. Where in Tn are yall? My husband grew up near Fairview Heights, Il.

I'll keep you posted.
Kim

 

[mom'sfolly]

I've co-copted the kid's science fair project (with his consent) to hatch eggs. More chickens for us, dh isn't complaining because it is for school and because we're making the incubator we get: electronics, embyology, biology with a discussion of chicken genetics and just the fun of having more peeps. My chicken loving son is psyched and so am I.

Karen

 

[Smitty's Farm]

mom'sfolly :

I've co-copted the kid's science fair project (with his consent) to hatch eggs. More chickens for us, dh isn't complaining because it is for school and because we're making the incubator we get: electronics, embyology, biology with a discussion of chicken genetics and just the fun of having more peeps. My chicken loving son is psyched and so am I.

Karen

Karen,
That will be a fun project for you to do with your son. Is it complicated to build your own incubator?

My daughter is 14yrs old and loves our chickens, but is not excited about hatching them just yet. I started the sales pitch after school and even showed her pictures from the forum of cute little newly hatched chicks. She doesn't like it when "Napoleon" the Rooster is with the chickens. She thinks he's hurting them, so she would like to just by pass the whole baby thing just so Napoleon will leave the girls alone. I told her we could even order some fertile eggs to try to hatch. I would have to, to get some of the breeds that I want. Right now I have one SLW Rooster, 4 SLW pullets, 6 RIR pullets, & 5 EE pullets. I could only have pure SLW chicks and the rest would be mutts.

I'm going to keep researching it.

That's great that your DH is understanding about it. Mine loves the chickens, but doesn't really have time to be building me another coop.​

 

[wegotchickens]

Smitty's Farm :

Yep, we live in Il. It's just right over the river from St. Louis, Mo.
I grew up in Fla. Where in Tn are yall? My husband grew up near Fairview Heights, Il.

I'll keep you posted.
Kim

DH grew up in Rock Island. I spent my childhood first in Homestead, then in Miami, FL. I didn't move the the farm in GA until I was a teen. Now DH and I live in East TN, about 20 minutes away from Pigeon Forge & Dollywood. Little community called Seymour. I love it!!

Let me know what you find when go 'bator comparison shopping. Although if you already have one it may be cheaper to refurbish it.
I may be a while before I can compare notes on being a 'bator newbie, since I at least have to wait until X-mas.​

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
DH grew up in Rock Island. I spent my childhood first in Homestead, then in Miami, FL. I didn't move the the farm in GA until I was a teen. Now DH and I live in East TN, about 20 minutes away from Pigeon Forge & Dollywood. Little community called Seymour. I love it!!

Let me know what you find when go 'bator comparison shopping. Although if you already have one it may be cheaper to refurbish it.
I may be a while before I can compare notes on being a 'bator newbie, since I at least have to wait until X-mas.

I grew up at the other end of Fla in PC on the Panhandle. We've been in Il for about 5yrs now and we lived in St. Louis, Mo for about 10 yrs before we moved right across the river here. I miss the beaches, but really like it here.

I asked my husband where the incubator was tonight and he says it's in the attic. I guess I'll drag it out and look at it soon. It may not even work, it's so old. He didn't even blink an eye when I asked him. I asked him how it worked and he said all you have to do is plug it up and put some water in it. It brought back memories of when he was a child and his grandfather would hatch batches of chicken or turkeys. I think I read somewhere that you have to turn the eggs about 3 x's a day. Mike, my husband, said he thought they only turned them a few times.
What a pain! it would be worth getting a new one that has an auto egg turner.

I will definitely check out what Rural King has for us to compare in prices. Have you seen a particular model that you would like?
You know x-mas is not that far away.

Even if our incubator works, I'm no where near ready to try to hatch anything just yet. I still have finishing touches to fix in my coop, before it snows here.

 

[wegotchickens]

Even if I get one for X-mas I'd have to wait until Feb to use it. I really want to time the first batch with Spring!

I'm not picky. If I get one for X-mas, even a little bitty one, that will do. If not, then I will shop. On something like this I figure what will be is what's meant to be, and I'll learn and adapt. I just know I'm going to hatch some eggs this spring. One way or another.

You know, I don't think I'd mind turning the eggs. It's an excuse to fuss over them! If I were hatching multiple dozens at a time I might be differently about it. But I doubt I ever have more than 12 at a time.

Worst comes to worst, maybe a hen will go broody and incubate some eggs for me

I'd just have to steal a few to hand-raise. That would actually be a cool experiment to see how different they turn out, hen-raised versus people-raised.

Hmmmn. Evil thought here. My eldest is doing a science project later this school year. I wonder if she's picked a topic yet?

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Timing the first batch for spring is a good thing. I wouldn't have anywhere to put them right now once they out grew the brooder box anyways. I'm no where near ready to try. I need to do more reading first and take care of the 16 I already have. It's just fun to think about. I've just always thought it would be so much fun to hatch some of my own. I've been reading some of the threads in the hatching/incubating sec and it seems to be difficult sometime to get the temp and humidity just right. Lots to learn.

It would be really cool if one went broody. I wouldn't mind it at all.

I'll let you know if our old one still works. It has to be ancient if it was his grandfathers.

 

[wegotchickens]

Smitty's Farm :

I'll let you know if our old one still works. It has to be ancient if it was his grandfathers.

Things were built to last back then. I'll bet it works just fine after a little maintenance!​

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
Things were built to last back then. I'll bet it works just fine after a little maintenance!

I will let you know. I have a crazy schedule today, but I'll see if I can drag it out of the garage attic this weekend.

Have you lurked on the Incubating/Hatching Section? The pictures that people have posted of the newly hatched chicks are just adorable.

Just think........that will be you come March. How many will you hatch for yourself? Will you need a new coop or will you try to interduce them to your existing flock?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Of course Santa is going to bring me my bator

...I've been a good girl!.....