***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[miohippus]

keep getting invaded bye tiny black ants any suggestions on how to get rid of them?

 

[brandy00]

I just completed my first ever hatch in a borrowed LG. I only had 8 of 20 hatch. All the non-hatchers developed perfectly then failed to pip. I know the issue was with my humidity. All 8 of my babies are in perfect health, and it is so frustrating that I lost so many due to the dang humidity. I think it's partially my fault due to my inexperience, but I also think the bator is hard to manage. Particularly with Oklahoma's varying humidity. I am wanting to buy a new bator. I have read all the reviews here on BYC and on multiple other sites. I'm still totally indecisive so I was hoping some of you could tell me what you use/recommend. Price isn't really an issue, however I'm not sure I want to spend a fortune! I'm leaning toward cheaper options now and maybe upgrading in the future. But, I'm not totally closed to buying an expensive model now. Any advice?

 

[Miss Mary]

What is POOPs? Just getting started...

 

[Kyzmette]

Quote:
If they're sugar ants, use peppermint oil. Yes, really. I know I swear by this stuff for everything, but it wards off sugar ants, too. I put a little on a paper towel and swab it over any cracks the little monsters are getting in.

 

[Kyzmette]

Quote:
1. The LG sucks. 2. The LG sucks. 3. In order to maintain humidity in the LG, you might want to wrap a towel around it for lockdown. 4. I bought plastic tubing (like surgical tubing) and ran it from the airhole down into the reservoir so I could easily add additional water without opening the bator. I just squirt some hot water in with a hypodermic needle (sans needle). 5. For additional humidity in the LG, I use a small bowl with hot water and a sponge, and I also add wet paper towels (wet with hot water when I put them in). 6. The LG sucks. I used the towel and tubing on my last hatch and had the highest survival rate. I still had to deal with shrinkwrapping, but I had an almost 100% hatch including the assisted hatchings. It was the only hatch where I didn't have to assist every single surviving chick. I actually used the towel throughout the incubation. Dusti and I just went in on a Brinsea, and I'm pretty happy with it so far.

 

[kimberlischicks]

My chicken pen has a chain link fence around it and last year I grew gourds, mostly for shade. I would like to plant summer squash, cucumbers and zucchini and have them climb on the fence. I have seedling trees growing in my regular garden spot and I want to grow my vining veggies up instead of them taking up a lot of space on the ground. I don't care if they eat some of them as long as they are not toxic.

Update: After I lost one of my hens, the others didn't get sick. Yay!

Funny story....So after a few weeks I saw an ad on craigslist, so I called because it said Dibble area. So we talked a little bit and I said "Where are you located?", She said, "Do you know where the old Kerr store is?" I said, "Yeah, that's where I'm at." I asked her if she used to have goats, she said yes and we just started laughing. She was my next door neighbor! It's a small world. I bought 2 great hens from her and now I have 4 hens and I'm getting 3 to 4 eggs a day, mostly 4! Has anyone else had an experience like this? I'd love to hear about it.

 

[ashtree]

Reading all this talk about incubating eggs makes me really want to buy an incubator. Then I could order some eggs of chickens I've yet to find locally. (Hello frizzle bantam cochin) But, my husband (the voice of reason in our home) insists that's taking it to far given our time and size constraints! Oh well! It's on my "when my human children are bigger" list.
Also I have to get all these babies healed before I take on any more!

And I'm really hoping its not another dry year. I can't even bear to think about that. Summer is not exactly my favorite time of year.

 

[Kyzmette]

Shipped eggs have a miserably low hatch rate due to jostling during shipping.

 

[ashtree]

Shipped eggs have a miserably low hatch rate due to jostling during shipping.

My first thought when I read that was my husband paid you off.

But really, I have no intention of taking on such a big task full of things I know nothing about anytime soon!

 

[Free2BMe2798]

Sigh, it just happened again. I think Lord Dingwald suffered some internal injuries the other day, because he's been under the weather ever since. I thought he was just healing, but this morning I noticed his comb was looking a little dusky. I went out to get him with the intention of keeping him inside for a few days to doctor him up, but as I was carrying him in, he seized in my arms and died. Poor baby boy.

Aawwww so sorry!