NY chicken lover!!!!

[JLaw]

Morning!
I've about had it with this LG incubator and cannot wait to try the Brinsea when I get it for Christmas! Candled the 5 eggs I had left this morning and the last BR egg I have is not developing any further. The Buff eggs gave out and have blood rings in them. I'm down to one egg from Stella that seems to be doing alright. Lots of veins, lots of movement. I did have three silkie eggs set aside from last week - cracked one open this weekend and the bullseye was clear as day so I decided to place the other two in the incubator seeing as how a majority of the eggs weren't doing well. I figured if they all gave out I'd at least have these two to keep going with. I just don't get it. Incubator has been at a steady 100-102 and humidity has been between 37-42%. Owell, IF that egg of Stella's DOES hatch, at least I have the EE chicks to keep it with. Actually one of the EE chicks is really small compared to the others so even if I had to take that one small one and move it in with this chick they'd both be fine.

Your temp is a bit high maybe cooking the eggs. you may want to do the cooldown method on day 16. pretty much you let the eggs get down to 75F. I cant remember how long they said to leave it at that temp. The reasoning is as the chick gets older it starts producing more heat. This helps so they don't over heat and cook them selves. Your humidity should be fine there its where I keep reading it should be unless doing dry hatch. Are you using forced air or is it a still air? hand turning or auto turning. where is your thermometer located at? Sorry about your troubles with your bator hope the ones you have left make it.

 

[Lynzi777]

Sorry about the eggs, Lynzi. I always put in more than I'd like since the odds all will never hatch. If I get to many chicks I just give some away. 102 is a bit high though. 99.5-101.5 is okay I'd say. Are you using a turner? Also I'd say 37-42 is a bit high on the humidity. I've had a hard time keeping mine at 35 this time around. Perhaps I'm not paying enough attention. .

I think what I need to do if go back to my original settings from my first hatch and keep the temp between 99-101 and the humidity around 45-50 days 1-18 and 60-70 days 18-21. This was the ONLY time I was able to get anything to hatch. It was a small batch of eggs - only 6 I believe(?) and 2 hatched. But when I brought it up on here and had asked why the other 4 had made it so far and then gave up some suggested my humidity was too high, so I lowered it and I haven't had any luck since. I researched these humidity levels online as far as what worked best with the Little Giant incubator and after reading many posts about what other's used and they're success rate I decided thats what I would start with. It does seem high to me, especially after most of you are stating you keep yours as low as 30-35, but maybe instead of upping to 60-70 the last few days, maybe I'll just continue to keep it at that 45-50, no higher than 60 and see what happens. IDK just weird that this is now the third time I've tried to hatch after my 1st two hatched and I haven't gotten a thing.

eHow actually states: "The proper incubator humidity for days one to 18 is approximately 50 to 55 percent. For the last three days, humidity should be increased to about 65 percent."

 

[miquwid]

Pat is absolutely positively a male

He is still a big handsome boy though!

Ugh my chickens stay in as well for the most part but they aren't very good at working the deep litter. I throw scratch down and some BOSS and meal worms and they are still lazy and leave it alone...ugh I'm jealous.

The good news is that I can play musical coops with some of them and since they don't venture out they just stay where I put them. I'm finally getting my coops balanced out the way they should be.

I agree, drive safe everyone! Apparently there are accident's all over the place here in Albany.

Hahahahahaha that's funny they won't scratch either way the litter will still break down just will take longer. My look at me and walk back into the cook and scratch like we rather do this instead of going outside LOL.

Musical coops LOL Nice.

Morning!
I've about had it with this LG incubator and cannot wait to try the Brinsea when I get it for Christmas! Candled the 5 eggs I had left this morning and the last BR egg I have is not developing any further. The Buff eggs gave out and have blood rings in them. I'm down to one egg from Stella that seems to be doing alright. Lots of veins, lots of movement. I did have three silkie eggs set aside from last week - cracked one open this weekend and the bullseye was clear as day so I decided to place the other two in the incubator seeing as how a majority of the eggs weren't doing well. I figured if they all gave out I'd at least have these two to keep going with. I just don't get it. Incubator has been at a steady 100-102 and humidity has been between 37-42%. Owell, IF that egg of Stella's DOES hatch, at least I have the EE chicks to keep it with. Actually one of the EE chicks is really small compared to the others so even if I had to take that one small one and move it in with this chick they'd both be fine.

Is your LG forced air or still air? Still air requires a higher temp while forced air doesn't. But that is all I can tell you about that so sorry about the hatch. Yeah at least you got your EE chicks. I think I want an ameraucana, I'm just not paying for the cream legbar, I just need a blue egg for to throw in the cartons for the egg customers.

Sorry about the eggs, Lynzi. I always put in more than I'd like since the odds all will never hatch. If I get to many chicks I just give some away. 102 is a bit high though. 99.5-101.5 is okay I'd say. Are you using a turner? Also I'd say 37-42 is a bit high on the humidity. I've had a hard time keeping mine at 35 this time around. Perhaps I'm not paying enough attention.

Now for those considering a snowblower, DON'T cheap out. DON'T buy used. This is an important piece of machinery and most likely those selling used are doing so for a reason. You don't want to buy another persons problem.

DO buy an electric start, DO buy the warranty that covers parts AND labor. Our washer broke the first year and believe you me, I was glad I had that warranty. $600 is alot of money. The repair bill claimed the repair would have cost $1100. Just shy of what we paid for both pieces.

You must consider what it would cost to REPLACE it. I learned this from our first repairman years ago, God rest his soul.

Unless of course you're handy and I'm not in that area. Burnt my eyebrows off fooling with a furnace once.

Now I call a professional even to change the filter. Just kidding. Now where did I put those filters?


The snow was high so I just did around the horn the the chickens out and take them water. Not extra paths. I do have to do the drive and DW wants the tree inside when she gets home. I hate real trees now. Never thought I'd say that, but I'd like a good artificial or someone to put it up for me.

She's making ginger bread to night for a Ginger bread house decorating party for the Queen and her little friends. I really should have plans to depart for all of this stuff. SHE BOUGHT EGGS! The girls just aren't up to the Christmas baking. Lord have mercy I'd need 1000 hens to cover sales and her baking. It's to bad you live so far away Tabs, the girls would have a good time. DW always succeeds at watch she does. Except picking husband.

She needed a man with lots of $$$$. I always say , why couldn't I have been born rich instead of handsome.

I also say , the person who says money can't buy happiness , just doesn't know where to shop.

Take care folks and have I nice day, miles to go before I sleep.

Rancher, I'm to old for this, Hicks.

OMG you just crack me up, I think your wife married you because she will always laugh!!!!!!!!!!! Your a trip, but good points.

I'm so tired of shoveling my hip is not working with me I had to park my truck on the street gotta shovel the driveway. My cheeps got everything shoveled for them and they don't care UGH meanwhile I'm too tired and sore to do the from of my house.

 

[miquwid]

Well, I now know what a fox says!
http://vitaminl.tv/video/1636

that's funny, I use to know people who kept red foxes as pets and would walk around walmart with them like it was cute.

Got a lot of red foxes on our west side, you see them all the time day or night. not sure why the west side but that is where a bunch are. Meanwhile I wanna catch a ferral cat they aren't bugging my chickens and they are keeping a lot of critters away I just want one to live my yard. I have a place for one all set up. I can get discount vet care for it and free spay or neuter.

 

[Lynzi777]

Is your LG forced air or still air? Still air requires a higher temp while forced air doesn't. But that is all I can tell you about that so sorry about the hatch. Yeah at least you got your EE chicks. I think I want an ameraucana, I'm just not paying for the cream legbar, I just need a blue egg for to throw in the cartons for the egg customers.

It's a still air...so I'll be upping the humidity next time around and see how that goes.

 

[Overhill Flocks]

It's been a busy couple days. My dog Cleo (10 1/2 yrs) didn't eat all week and I saw her try to poop with no success. I brought her to the vet on Friday. She had xrays done. I opted for the surgery because I refuse to give up on my dog. I hugged her goodbye so they could prep her. That was the last I saw her alive. The doctor when he got inside discovered that her intestine had twisted cutting off blood flow. She had 2ft of dead tissue. He could have removed it but because it was so close to the cecum successful reattachment was not likely. He offered me the possibility to take her to a specialist in Syracuse but told me it could cost upwards of $5000 (It cost $777 for what was done). Survival not guaranteed. I could have had him close her up and took the family to say goodbye. I couldn't wake her up to be in pain just to say goodbye, that would be selfish on my part. I chose to have her just not wake up from surgery. Travis brought her home and buried her yesterday.

I am so heartbroken. She was the first living thing solely dependent on me for care. She was my first child. This year has been just awful. My one shining star event of the year was having Nora.

Sorry if I missed anything. I didn't read the posts I missed. Now I still have to make 18 somethings for the pre K gift exchange and 14 somethings for the kindergarten exchange and cookies for both also.

So sorry to hear this Tab. Your concern and toward your dog is so obvious -- making the decision that was best for her clearly was so difficult, but it certainly sounds like you made all of the right decisions. Again -- I'm so sorry to hear this.

 

[Overhill Flocks]

I have several very high quality Marraduna Basque (Euskal Oiloa) cockerels available if anyone is interested before I post them on CL. Haven't decided fully whether I'm going to keep one or whether I will postpone starting my breeding flock of Basques for another year or two and send them all to the freezer. Of the dozen chicks I raised this summer, 11 (yes, ELEVEN) of them are cockerels. I moved the poor little hen into my egg laying flock weeks ago. It has dampened my enthusiasm for this breed, at least temporarily. The birds are all gorgeous, and all but two of the cockerels appear to be of excellent breeding quality. Would be happy to let some go to an interested party. Pic from approx one month ago

 

[JLaw]

I think what I need to do if go back to my original settings from my first hatch and keep the temp between 99-101 and the humidity around 45-50 days 1-18 and 60-70 days 18-21. This was the ONLY time I was able to get anything to hatch. It was a small batch of eggs - only 6 I believe(?) and 2 hatched. But when I brought it up on here and had asked why the other 4 had made it so far and then gave up some suggested my humidity was too high, so I lowered it and I haven't had any luck since. I researched these humidity levels online as far as what worked best with the Little Giant incubator and after reading many posts about what other's used and they're success rate I decided thats what I would start with. It does seem high to me, especially after most of you are stating you keep yours as low as 30-35, but maybe instead of upping to 60-70 the last few days, maybe I'll just continue to keep it at that 45-50, no higher than 60 and see what happens. IDK just weird that this is now the third time I've tried to hatch after my 1st two hatched and I haven't gotten a thing.

eHow actually states: "The proper incubator humidity for days one to 18 is approximately 50 to 55 percent. For the last three days, humidity should be increased to about 65 percent."

probably your best bet. I noticed with my bator the more eggs I have in there the better the hatch rate. This hatch if I didn't have enough I was going to buy some store eggs and toss in there. The one time I loaded the bator full I had 38 out of 40. One was a dud the other blood ring. When I put like 7-9 of them in there I get 3 chicks. The most important thing to remember is each incubator is different and each setting is different. They don't all run the same and your house maybe a diff temp or humidity lvl and may mess with your settings compared to other people. someone could have they're right next to a cold wall and have a cold spot in back making they're settings different from yours.

 

[JLaw]

It's a still air...so I'll be upping the humidity next time around and see how that goes.

Reading a guide on here https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-incubate-hatch-eggs-just-21-days-from-egg-to-chicken they say "~~In a forced air incubator (with a fan) the temperature should be 99-99.5*F. In a still air incubator the temperature should be slightly higher, 101-102*F measured at the top of the eggs." so at the top of egg your temps would be fine now if that's at lower part of egg you would be too high.

 

[rancher hicks]

I have several very high quality Marraduna Basque (Euskal Oiloa) cockerels available if anyone is interested before I post them on CL. Haven't decided fully whether I'm going to keep one or whether I will postpone starting my breeding flock of Basques for another year or two and send them all to the freezer. Of the dozen chicks I raised this summer, 11 (yes, ELEVEN) of them are cockerels. I moved the poor little hen into my egg laying flock weeks ago. It has dampened my enthusiasm for this breed, at least temporarily. The birds are all gorgeous, and all but two of the cockerels appear to be of excellent breeding quality. Would be happy to let some go to an interested party. Pic from approx one month ago

Welcome to the insanity. Can we get a wider pic of your set up?