NY chicken lover!!!!

[ChickPrincess]

I suggest you take whatever courses you can on line first. If you are working with patients now, you might have an idea of whether you'll like nursing. The thing with nursing is your options open up as to where you work and what you have to do.

If you're sure you don't want nursing but something in the medical field you could work toward that. Have a friend who was a plumber but is now and resp therapist.

Too don't listen to negative people just go for it.

I'm ready to take the plunge, but realizing I have to find a new full time job in the medical field that hopefully makes close to what I make now, go to school full time during the day, AND hope my new employer foots a good chunk of the bill for schooling. Easier said than done. It would make things so much easier if they just had a night time CNA course.

 

[JayinCohoes]

Yea, I just wish I knew what went wrong. I kept the humidity no higher than 55% after some had mentioned the risk of drowning. At least all my girls are laying so now come spring time, I can do a larger hatch and hope that people will be looking for chicks!

Sorry for your loss Lynzi. Please excuse my ignorance but I'm very interested how things have changed in incubating eggs since the one and only time I did it 30+ years ago. I only had a cheap hovabator with no thermostat, humidity gauge or egg turner. Back then I learned everything from some chicken periodical that I must have bought at an Agway store. I remember having to put an X on one side and an O on the other side and turn them twice a day. The only humidity was from water that was placed at the bottom of the incubator. Out of 30 eggs I think I only had 2 eggs that didn't make it. But now I see how everyone is following the temperature and humidity very closely and turning the eggs 3 times a day or using an egg turner. I would think the success rates would be a lot higher leading me to think that it has more to do with the organism (chicken or egg) and less to do with how you're incubating. The mother hen doesn't seem to be as concerned as we are about temp, humidity and turning her eggs on a specific schedule yet it seems like she would have the same success rate.

Does anyone know what the success rates are for natural incubation compared to artificial incubation? You might find out that your success rate was much higher than if the mother hen laid on them herself. It's probably also dependent on the specific breed but I'm just guessing this.

 

[Lynzi777]

Sorry for your loss Lynzi. Please excuse my ignorance but I'm very interested how things have changed in incubating eggs since the one and only time I did it 30+ years ago. I only had a cheap hovabator with no thermostat, humidity gauge or egg turner. Back then I learned everything from some chicken periodical that I must have bought at an Agway store. I remember having to put an X on one side and an O on the other side and turn them twice a day. The only humidity was from water that was placed at the bottom of the incubator. Out of 30 eggs I think I only had 2 eggs that didn't make it. But now I see how everyone is following the temperature and humidity very closely and turning the eggs 3 times a day or using an egg turner. I would think the success rates would be a lot higher leading me to think that it has more to do with the organism (chicken or egg) and less to do with how you're incubating. The mother hen doesn't seem to be as concerned as we are about temp, humidity and turning her eggs on a specific schedule yet it seems like she would have the same success rate.

Does anyone know what the success rates are for natural incubation compared to artificial incubation? You might find out that your success rate was much higher than if the mother hen laid on them herself. It's probably also dependent on the specific breed but I'm just guessing this.

I am very new to this, this is only my 2nd attempt at hatching. First one was a bust, next one didn't really count because I took the egg a day before hatching from the broody hen so the chick wouldn't trampled in the coop. So that one made it but I didn't have to do much. This time around I had 6 eggs and so far 2 are hatched. I guess I should be happy I at least got two this time. But it's just disappointing when you candle and everything has looked great up until the last day or so before lockdown and then this happens. I have a silkie chick and a BR mix. I'll take pics as soon as they're done drying out.

 

[rancher hicks]

Sorry for your loss Lynzi. Please excuse my ignorance but I'm very interested how things have changed in incubating eggs since the one and only time I did it 30+ years ago. I only had a cheap hovabator with no thermostat, humidity gauge or egg turner. Back then I learned everything from some chicken periodical that I must have bought at an Agway store. I remember having to put an X on one side and an O on the other side and turn them twice a day. The only humidity was from water that was placed at the bottom of the incubator. Out of 30 eggs I think I only had 2 eggs that didn't make it. But now I see how everyone is following the temperature and humidity very closely and turning the eggs 3 times a day or using an egg turner. I would think the success rates would be a lot higher leading me to think that it has more to do with the organism (chicken or egg) and less to do with how you're incubating. The mother hen doesn't seem to be as concerned as we are about temp, humidity and turning her eggs on a specific schedule yet it seems like she would have the same success rate.

Does anyone know what the success rates are for natural incubation compared to artificial incubation? You might find out that your success rate was much higher than if the mother hen laid on them herself. It's probably also dependent on the specific breed but I'm just guessing this.

If you can secure a private place for a hen she should do well. The best I've gotten is using a large childrens pool where she is left by herself with food and water. Though you must check her daily of course. Hens do much better with Marans eggs which I've read and experience tells me are hard to hatch.

artificial incubation depends on how well you are using your particular incubator, so the comparison would vary from one human to another.

When you consider the stress of using an incubator IMO hens are better. No watching temps and humidity.

 

[rancher hicks]

I am very new to this, this is only my 2nd attempt at hatching. First one was a bust, next one didn't really count because I took the egg a day before hatching from the broody hen so the chick wouldn't trampled in the coop. So that one made it but I didn't have to do much. This time around I had 6 eggs and so far 2 are hatched. I guess I should be happy I at least got two this time. But it's just disappointing when you candle and everything has looked great up until the last day or so before lockdown and then this happens. I have a silkie chick and a BR mix. I'll take pics as soon as they're done drying out.

What do you think might have been the problem? Or what things do you think might have been the problem?

Sometimes folks only get concerned with temp and humidity, but the placement of the incubator can be much more important.

 

[Lynzi777]

What do you think might have been the problem?  Or what things do you think might have been the problem?  

Sometimes folks only get concerned with temp and humidity, but the placement of the incubator can be much more important. 

I really don't know. My office stays between the temps of 65-75. The temp never rose above 102 or below 99. The humidity went up that one day I was going to follow "the rule" of making it higher the last three days but then I removed the extra water after some mentioned the risk of drowning with too much humidity. So it went back down to 55% that same day. The only thing I can think of is they heard the Silkie making its way to the way to the finish line first and were afraid they were going to have it their "leader". Sorry but I have to joke otherwise I just get upset over it. ;-)

Here's chick #1, the Silkie

OMG, I cannot wait for this second BR mix chick to dry, it's coloring looks sooo pretty! It's like a silver bluish color with yellow underside.

 

[marquisella]

Morning all. Can anyone tell me why one of my roosters would pick on a single hen and almost scalp her for no reason? One of my older barred rock hens was hiding in my husbands shed last night and when he picked her up he could see she had been ripped up on the top of her head and neck. We brought her in and I treated her injuries and she is resting comfortably in a cage downstairs. The swelling has gone down and although the wound looks nasty and painful, the vetrx is doing its job. Sprayed it on again this morning and dh will do it when I get home. I am not sure if its roger or bill who did it but I am trying to figure out the why. The boys are 6 months old now (jerk stage) but I havent seen them get like this before. Should I just separate them from the coops for a while in their own sepate pens or will this just further frustrate them? My other roos I had never did this. They were jerks in other ways but never hurt any of the hens. I should mention that the boys are in with the older girls (over 3) and for the most part the girls are keeping them in check. They have been mated a few times but go after the boys when they are annoyed by them. Thoughts would be appreciated. I would hate to have to cull either one as they have great body type and markings matching breed standards and I would like to keep them for breeding.

Off to another long day at work.

Maybe it wasn't a rooster....hawk attack?

 

[marquisella]

Egg production is at an all-time high. I got 35 eggs yesterday! Wahoo! Egg customers are very happy.

I'm getting very frustrated over searching for a CNA course that doesn't run during the day. They are ALL given in the daytime. Kind of hard when you work during the day. And I need my daytime job. We can't do without the income and it pays our health insurance. I'm thinking of looking for a home health aide job that I could do evenings and weekends and go to school during the day (it's only an 8 week course for CNA, but then I'm thinking of following with nursing school). Then I worry that what if I hate it, and now I've quit my job at the school that I've had for 8 years?

Someone please tell me what to do.

BOCES has classes at night & weekends...Check your local school.

 

[Lynzi777]

Here is chick # 2, the BR x Splash Orp mix

 

[marquisella]

Quote: IF you don't open the dud eggs, you will not be able to fix what you are doing wrong. If you kept the humidity at 55% all the time, they most likely drowned when they pipped. I am guessing that the Orp eggs were big, and didn't dry down enough. If you candle them now, see how large the air cell is. It should be 1/3 of the egg. If it is less, then not enough water evaporated from the egg. The chick that hatched was a Silkie, small egg, so it dried down enough. My Silkies always hatch better than other breeds, at least for me.