On it's way here is a Sportsman 1500 Cabinet incubator!!! Formerly I was using a string of the styrofoam box style incubators, with varying results based on brand. The Genesis 1588 was far superior to the others. Last season I was plagued with humidity issues from the Farm Innovators version.
I opted for the cabinet style without the bottom hatcher. If those styrofoam boxes want to just do higher than needed humidity, then they can take the mess of hatching. Not having the hatcher in the bottom of the cabinet style also allows for a steeper grade during turning... for whatever that's worth.
This will prompt a small remodel of the hatching room. Got a good deal on giant garage rack style shelving unit which will become a stacked brooder arrangement to handle the added chick capacity. At a week old they'll be sorted out into the brooders out in the barn. I like to see them eating and drinking well before I move them.
I'm excited though! I'll be able to organize by pen into the trays, a tray to each hatcher to keep them organized. I'll have the capacity to hatch from 4 pens a week!
This last season wasn't as productive as I needed it to be with those humidity issues going on. I ruled out everything else. It made me feel like a novice all over again!
Next season WILL be better! I only have 5 cockerels left for dinner for the winter, after Thanksgiving just 2 turkeys. With the grow out time being 4-6 months, we'll be back to buying dinner at the store before more are ready.
We've been working on narrowing down and expanding the flock for 2 years now. The aim has been for dual purpose, ever since we got a taste of spare rooster.
I have a couple of types of Marans which can be tricky when you're hatching to know which pen they came from. Fixed it! Mark them while you're standing in the pen still, set them in their own tray and hatch separately. Legbands when you merge chick groups.
About to get a gold star for chicken math!
I'm going to try REALLY hard not to plug it in until the end of December. We'll see how that goes.
I opted for the cabinet style without the bottom hatcher. If those styrofoam boxes want to just do higher than needed humidity, then they can take the mess of hatching. Not having the hatcher in the bottom of the cabinet style also allows for a steeper grade during turning... for whatever that's worth.
This will prompt a small remodel of the hatching room. Got a good deal on giant garage rack style shelving unit which will become a stacked brooder arrangement to handle the added chick capacity. At a week old they'll be sorted out into the brooders out in the barn. I like to see them eating and drinking well before I move them.
I'm excited though! I'll be able to organize by pen into the trays, a tray to each hatcher to keep them organized. I'll have the capacity to hatch from 4 pens a week!
This last season wasn't as productive as I needed it to be with those humidity issues going on. I ruled out everything else. It made me feel like a novice all over again!
Next season WILL be better! I only have 5 cockerels left for dinner for the winter, after Thanksgiving just 2 turkeys. With the grow out time being 4-6 months, we'll be back to buying dinner at the store before more are ready.
We've been working on narrowing down and expanding the flock for 2 years now. The aim has been for dual purpose, ever since we got a taste of spare rooster.
I have a couple of types of Marans which can be tricky when you're hatching to know which pen they came from. Fixed it! Mark them while you're standing in the pen still, set them in their own tray and hatch separately. Legbands when you merge chick groups.
About to get a gold star for chicken math!
I'm going to try REALLY hard not to plug it in until the end of December. We'll see how that goes.
