NY chicken lover!!!!

Morning All,
Back to work. Bleh
Decided to let everyone but the newbies out today. Didn't want another day of them luring my KCs into the woods and staying there until dusk again. Figured they can observe from afar today and watch how much time the other two spend in the yard rather than in the woods. Hope that helps.

On another note I'm seriously contemplating the whole silkie "project" I wanted to get into. I think I may downsize and only keep the pair of lavenders I got from Geri, along with one splash hen from the three chicks I'm waiting to grow out. I feel like this summer was a big flop with that breed. I feel like all I do is wait and wait and wait and wait with those birds. The lavenders will finally be 20 weeks this week! I feel like I've had them a year. I'll be lucky if I get an egg from my hen by the end of the month. And then what? I probably won't attempt to hatch any, who wants chicks thru winter? So again, more waiting. I guess it would be different if I were able to keep more or had a bigger coop for them, but thats another thing, I can't let them out with them my orps, so they're confined to their coop/run. They don't get much interaction with us other than if we go up to the coop to see them and take one out from time to time. IDK, just been thinking about it. Not sure which direction I'll take with it yet.

Featherz ~ Now THAT is funny! And yes, ridiculous! LOL
Could do what we was doing when my one birds leg was hurt and in small coop with a friend hen or two. We rotated days which coop was let out every other day so the injured girl could get a work out with out the roo working on her. I still dont have a run so thats what we had to do.
 
Could do what we was doing when my one birds leg was hurt and in small coop with a friend hen or two. We rotated days which coop was let out every other day so the injured girl could get a work out with out the roo working on her. I still dont have a run so thats what we had to do.
I would do that, but with the little ones being so small, I worry about predators and also my silkie roo trying to mate with them. They have plenty of room in their run, they don't go far anyway when we do let them out. So I hate to keep the bigger ones locked up so they can hang around their coop all day.
 
Anyone have recommendations as far as humidity goes in my Little Giant incubator for the last days of incubation? Lockdown will be a week from today. I've been keeping the humidity between 50-60% thus far. Also if anyone is interested in an orpington hatching eggs I can set some aside for you instead of placing them in the fridge. The eggs would be from my splash roo and Buff and lavender hens.
 
Anyone have recommendations as far as humidity goes in my Little Giant incubator for the last days of incubation? Lockdown will be a week from today. I've been keeping the humidity between 50-60% thus far. Also if anyone is interested in an orpington hatching eggs I can set some aside for you instead of placing them in the fridge. The eggs would be from my splash roo and Buff and lavender hens.
i'm using a genesis 1588 hova-bator has forced air. My first hatch i was keeping higher like 60's i think. Then when i hit lock down took it to 70 when they started hatching it hit like 80% and wouldnt go down. I had wet chicks all over the place and the membrane inside the shell was rubbery didn't dry out at all. The hatch i did next i kept high 40's low 50's then took to 60ish for lock down and it stayed in 60's and seemed like the two that hatched had an easier time. High humidity on second hatch was like 69 then i opened bator to air out a sec. They wasn't as wet and the membrane peeled easier when they was pecking out.

My bator came with a slip that is stapled to the instruction booklet that reads

"NOTICE: Humidity troughs should be filled with cool tap water. Humidity should be between 45-55% for setting and 55-65% for hatching. setting the humidity above 65% is not recommended as it may cause condensation to form on the windows and can decrease hatch percentage."

So i'm going by those guide lines now. My humidity does drop to 30's some times during setting though due to ac turning on and off and out side humdity changeing. Thats with my second hatch. Only droped to 30's once so far this hatch.

This is just my experience so far from hatching my hatches hope it helps.

jlaw
 
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i'm using a genesis 1588 hova-bator has forced air. My first hatch i was keeping higher like 60's i think. Then when i hit lock down took it to 70 when they started hatching it hit like 80% and wouldnt go down. I had wet chicks all over the place and the membrane inside the shell was rubbery didn't dry out at all. The hatch i did next i kept high 40's low 50's then took to 60ish for lock down and it stayed in 60's and seemed like the two that hatched had an easier time. High humidity on second hatch was like 69 then i opened bator to air out a sec. They wasn't as wet and the membrane peeled easier when they was pecking out.

My bator came with a slip that is stapled to the instruction booklet that reads

"NOTICE: Humidity troughs should be filled with cool tap water. Humidity should be between 45-55% for setting and 55-65% for hatching. setting the humidity above 65% is not recommended as it may cause condensation to form on the windows and can decrease hatch percentage."

So i'm going by those guide lines now. My humidity does drop to 30's some times  during setting though due to ac turning on and off and out side humdity changeing. Thats with my second hatch. Only droped to 30's once so far this hatch. 

This is just my experience so far from hatching my hatches hope it helps.

jlaw


This what's booklet says too and is also what I read online. I know people use different numbers sometimes when hatching just wanted to see what number worked best for people. I'll keep it between 60-70 for lockdown but not higher than 70. I really hope this works this time!
 
Hey guys!!! Haven't been on as much as I am powering through school. Should be done with my degree in just a month or two! I'm asking everywhere - my capstone/practicum is on disaster planning and management, both pre and post. It's in Warren/Saratoga County, but can do other areas if I can somehow relate them to the county somehow (like a disaster there would affect us here or a state agency that would respond here).. If anyone IS or KNOWS someone I can interview, let me know.. Or if you hear of any classes or training exercises I can attend, also please let me know. I need to get 90 (!!) hours. eep! Would really like to get an interview with someone from the nuclear power plant or the knoll laboratory, but aside from one patient I knew years ago I doubt I can get anyone to talk to me there even with my federal clearance.

Chickens are all fine except I think I have two with botulism. Not sure where they got it but I scraped the ground clean, disinfected all the waterers, etc. Seems classic, hanging down head, etc. One I thought was dead already when I found her but she seems to be slowly recovering and is now eating and drinking on her own. The other is standing there with her head down but is still walking around well. She's much bigger so I can probably tube feed her if necessary. Poor chickies!! Oh, and today the entire flock was just standing there clucking at a small hawk. What the heck were they thinking?

County boy, if you are there, one of your little hens is sneaking out of my electric fence just to lay her tiny little eggs. Found a whole nest of itty bitty eggs today. They are soooo tiny! I have no idea if they are fertile - will check, but Nugget hasn't really gotten the hang of things yet. I come out to find him just standing on a hen like she's a footstool. :p
That's awesome- I'm getting no eggs from any Cochins as they are all still trying to set. But only one hen has eggs and they are hatching today.
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3 frizzles and 1 LB so far. I need more to hatch but Missy came and bought just about everything I had for chicks and all my extra adults. So I think I'm done hatching for a few months. I have 11 LF Cochin boys running around. If anybody wants one let me know.
 
Is it possible to be getting bit by something in the coop and the chickens not being affected at all? I am getting bites, similar to flea bites and I think we've narrowed it down to the coop. I have checked the chickens after dark with a flashlight. Nothing. Total coop cleanout, sprayed neem and put down poultry dust. Our dog does not have fleas and no one else in the family is getting bit... which leads me to the coop since I'm pretty much the only person that goes in there.
Doing Eprinex tonight but feeling very frustrated! And itchy.
hu.gif

Got pics/ Might be an allergic reaction of some kind. DD had poison ivy but didn't remember where she got it. Trip to doctors to find out it was poison Ivy. No one else got it.
 
Anyone have recommendations as far as humidity goes in my Little Giant incubator for the last days of incubation? Lockdown will be a week from today. I've been keeping the humidity between 50-60% thus far. Also if anyone is interested in an orpington hatching eggs I can set some aside for you instead of placing them in the fridge. The eggs would be from my splash roo and Buff and lavender hens.

I no longer give advice on incubation, since there are varying opinions. You have to find the system that works right for you. The word I got from expert Don Schrider is to follow the manufacturers instructions.
 
Got pics/ Might be an allergic reaction of some kind. DD had poison ivy but didn't remember where she got it. Trip to doctors to find out it was poison Ivy. No one else got it.
I get poison something (Ivy, sumac, oak) from my chickens all the time. I have one bird that likes to lay against my leg and that's where I have poison ivy right now. Darn chickens.
 
Well, hubby is home. white blood cell count is back to normal. As long as he behaves and doesn't pop a stitch we should be pretty safe.

Chick I've been getting bit as well...gnats I think?

Rancher, I have been looking into heirloom apple varieties as well. If I ever get a chance to order some I was thinking I would try this website; www.treesofantiquity.com
 

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