NY chicken lover!!!!

[LuvMyChicks1491]

I don't even know how they get the Cuckoo color! LOL So you won't be seeing those from me for a while!
Is it the golden brown head and eye in the back? I can't see a beak but looks like that might be it. LOL

I saw them one time from that farm page that I think JLaw posted and I fell in love. Someday I'm going to have some. I told DH that I'm not getting any more chickens for a while unless I can find some, then the deal is off! Not really looking right now, maybe this summer, but I'm in no hurry, right now having fun with my duck projects.. but if I find a good deal then maybe

 

[dragonlord483]

 

Most of the Amish in my area have people to drive them and they pay weekly or by the trip for such problems as weather or too far of a distance for the buggy. I have several friends that drive them for a living. They stay quite busy!

We actually had problems with some young men racing the buggys on the road last year, They were whippin the horses and the buggys were shuddering. Scary to me I had no idea they could go that fast.. trotters are really something.

I'm sorry those folk had to go out in the buggy in the bad weather. And yes, I have seen too many crashes already. 

Most Amish buy standardbred race horsed that have either retired from the track or that weren't good enough for the track. When I was in college they would come to the auction on the second day and buy a bunch of horses. Not all, but most are VERY hard on horses and don't always treat they very well. Most treat them like they are disposable. They run them into the ground then move on to the next. And DON'T EVER send them a horse to break. They do it in a way that isn't very nice. They will break the horses spirit and the horses that they turn out are like zombies. I had a lot of experience with them when I was working with the race horses. They may be nice people, but I get very upset when it comes to them and their horses! As for fast, Trotters can run a mile in just under 3 minutes during a race, and pacers can go about 1min 50sec or around there. That is about 32 mph. We used  to do training races and tried to keep it at about 3 minute miles.

 
I cannot believe how fast these chicks hatch once they get zipping! Holy moly! My daughter and I were able to witness the last three hatch, well last two. The last one is at it now, taking forever. But the last two hatched in literally under 20 minutes. All different shades of blue, love it!!!! And the last one that just got done hatching is the lightest of all of them, so maybe a splash??? I know this guy I got them from had a white rooster over a white hen, a black hen and splash hen. I didn't think I would end up with many blues. Weird. But I'm happy with it because they are all that light blue I've been looking for.

Just tiny bit bummed because The first two that hatched over night, one only has 4 toes, the other has 5 but has pink tips on two of it's toes.  So those are out of my breeding program. I'll have to rehome them as pet quality, hope I don't have a hard time finding them new homes. The one that just hatched has 5 toes no pink and the third that hatched has 5 as well. So that's good at least. I can keep those two. I don't think these chicks are going to bearded. They don't seem to have any poof going on under their beaks. I'll have to see how the last 3 dry out.

All in all, I cannot believe that all 5 hatched successfully! I am soooooooo happy! Guess dry hatch is the way to go!

Soooo Happy for you!!

 


But you have to buy 6 even at TSC and these people that were looking had tried TSC but they didn't have the breeds they wanted.

Yes they all hatched and are all silkies! (phew!)

Glad that they turned out to be silkies. Thought about maybe one, but I'm going to hold out. If you hatch out any Cuckoo silkies, I'll be all over it!!

I worked with a girl that took her horse to them to break they got a refund cuz they couldn't do it

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Evening all. Lovely day today. Silkies were playing all morning and the terrorists all afternoon. Meltage is going on thank goodness. Tomorrow is supposed to be 50 and I am so hoping it gets that high. Nice to see baby pics up.

 

[JWEBB]

Try running a humidifier in the room might help some. And are you sure your hygrometer is correct? Here is a good video to calibrate them it's for cigars but it will work for any of them. I use Tupperware instead of the ziplock bag

Thanks Jlaw this is video awesome. I have two incubators running now and the hatcher. I did try the other two already calibrated units in the LG and I also put the new Accurite in the bator that is steady as clockwork and they matched temp. and humidity by one degree. I don't own a humidifier ;/ but probably should get one for just this reason.

What I ended up doing after I got it in good range for incubation, I just moved the eggs out of the coolerbator to the LG and will hatch in the coolerbator since it holds humidity like a boss.
Have everything is as it should be now (I hope) and just wait!! bawwwwwww my first turkeys!

I have 7 of 12 made it to lockdown. We have a little wiggling going on I tried to see internal pips but didn't really fuss too much I just put them in and said a prayer.

Got my little sponge holder and the tube goes to the outside so I can add water without opening the lid. This Rubbermaid cooler is kind of deep. I have alr holes on both ends and the top, plus the lid has air leak places itself at the hinge area you can see the light pop through it.

I'm using Kevin Porter's method for the turkey hatch http://www.porterturkeys.com/egghatchingtips.htm

 

[JWEBB]

The Final Five...



I do love the Brinsea, however I don't know how anyone could hatch 7 in there and wake up to 3 or more being able to move around in there after they hatch. I had to pull each one after the first two hatched because they kept knocking the other eggs around, getting in the way of others that were trying to hatch. They're all under a heat lamp drying. Loving this really light/white colored one:

Oh beauties, I hope you get your splash. Very pretty babies !

 

[JWEBB]

THANK YOU EVERYONE! Yes, I'm shouting at those who steered me towards Natureberry farm! I just got back and have 6 beautiful little peeps - 2 each Welsummer, Barnvelder & SLW. I was very impressed with the cleanliness, set-up and friendliness of Jim. I will certainly be going back and recommending them to friends and chicken people,. You all rock guys!!

Oh the Barnevelder!!! My DH said our big chick Barnvelder reminds him of Lyle Lovett with the hair doo

 

[JWEBB]

I have a LG incubator and I guess they are the worst. We only heat with wood so the house temp drops over night and so does the bator. And then during the day the house temps rise and so does the bator. Today it got up to 104 I quick tool the top off and lowered the gage. We are headed to a friends house tonight and I bet it will be low when we get back. I think that's our main prob. Also at first I think I was adding to much water.

I have the same trouble, I can see the wind blow through the curtains our house is very drafty and 125 yrs old. Its a monstrosity. The coolerbator doesn't seem phased by our temp changes inside the Hova does some but its in a warm room. Poor LG doesn't have a chance in a cooler room.

 

[JWEBB]

I hatched nearly 30 poults last year, all dry hatch. I never worried about the humidity, whenever I did check it, it ran about 24 - 30% . I could always tell when they were about to hatch as the humidity would raise on its own. In my experience turkeys were the easiest bird to hatch. Not everyone agrees with me but that's how it was. I used a LG too. Just my experience. I had Royal Palm, Bronze and Blue Slate. I sold them all due to the lack of room. I really miss them.

Oh thats nice to know thanks! I've been following Oxepat they dry hatch as well. Hear a lot of folks do it. I don't want to drown the lil guys. There is lots of air circulation. I think I'm going to really like turkeys. These are RP eggs, I had some BS eggs but they never took.

 

[rancher hicks]

I have the same trouble, I can see the wind blow through the curtains our house is very drafty and 125 yrs old. Its a monstrosity. The coolerbator doesn't seem phased by our temp changes inside the Hove does some but its in a warm room. Poor LG doesn't have a chance in a cooler room.

You must cover them with plastic asap. Easy enough to do. I don't always use the blow dryer to shrink it. I just put the plastic up.

Also if you own the house I suggest you insulate. Even one wall at a time as you can afford to do. You can tear out one wall, insulate and sheet rock as you have money to do so. Or if you have an enclosed porch like we did buy and store materials til you have enough to finish the job.

I hung the sheet rock by standing it straight up rather than horizontal like they show in some videos. If you have 9 ft. ceiling just order 10 ft sheets and have it delivered. Cut it to length, stand it up and screw it on. The only seams you'll have are up and down. Remember seams for doors and windows should be in the middle of the window or door. NOT along the edge of the casing.

Can't lift it to redo the ceilings. Do what P. Allen Smith did and use the corrugated metal panels and paint it. They're light and easy enough to screw in.

We did the bathroom with wainscoating strips and polyurethaned it natural. It looked real nice and never will need painting. Just a new coat of poly.

 

[SunnysideupstateNY]

THANK YOU EVERYONE! Yes, I'm shouting at those who steered me towards Natureberry farm! I just got back and have 6 beautiful little peeps - 2 each Welsummer, Barnvelder & SLW. I was very impressed with the cleanliness, set-up and friendliness of Jim. I will certainly be going back and recommending them to friends and chicken people,. You all rock guys!!

I LOVE my Barnies I got from them. They were the best layers this winter.

Oh the Barnevelder!!! My DH said our big chick Barnvelder reminds him of Lyle Lovett with the hair doo

Your barnies have a hair do? or did you get the brabanter?



So everyone dry hatching, how does that work you just don't add the extra moisture?
I'm still wondering why the dozen I gave my friend were all duds. Maybe I'll give her some more to try again with a dry hatch.
She did say the eggs looked porous. But those shells are thick! I have a hard time cracking them.