***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Kassaundra]

Your babies need sunshine and fresh air to grow strong. If fully feathered and if the kennel is good at blocking direct wind and weather, they should be fine with a good bedding and a lamp. You want to make sure that the lamp is protected from the elements and has a cover to protect from the birds. If it is too hot in the kennel you will cook them. A 100 watt bulb could be all you need depending on the cubic footage inside the kennel. The will move closer to the light for warmth and away from it if too warm.

I have also found that hanging a cluster of cheap feather dusters really helps w/ warmth, it insulates and keeps thier body heat close as they gather under and in it.

 

[Jeansrie]

How much do the 10-egg Brinsea incubators run, if you don't mind me asking. I am wanting to buy an incubator for myself but everything I read makes me scared to even try to hatch anything in one type or the other. I am SO overly compulsive about doing it just right that I am afraid I will over correct myself and ruin all the eggs I get. My husband of course thinks you buy an incubator, stick in the eggs and turn it on and TAH DAH! Chickies! After all I have read it sounds like there is a fine science to it. Do you think this particular one would be good for a beginner?
[/quote]

Mine is the 10-egg one and you have to turn the eggs yourself 3 times a day (supposedly), it was like $130 total with shipping. Probably about every other day I'd forget to turn them because the incubator was out in the RV. I made sure at least one of the water wells always had water in in and these guys came out perfect. I think the secret is get eggs from someone you know, someone that can tell you when they were laid that you trust. I really think a lot of the online egg seller are selling old eggs and blaming the Post Office for rough handling. I've never had good hatches with anything but my own eggs laid here.[/QUOTE]

I just ordered the 24-egg Brinsea off of Amazon for $149.01 + Free Shipping, I'm having humidity issues with my styrofoam Hovabator so I'm looking forward to see if I get a difference in hatch rates... (Merry Christmas to me!!)

 

[NanaKat]

Checked under a broody hen today and two Delaware Bantams are pipping. She is in a nest box in the brooder room where hens have babies running around the floor.....a Rosecomb has two two week old chicks and a Cochin has two one week old chicks.
Also on the floor is Beau the Columbian Wyandotte rooster who is recovering from pendulous crop and the extra Delaware Bantam rooster.
Beau also has a bubble foot spot on one toe that I will surgically remove in a few days. I want him exercising on the floor for a few days first after spending two weeks in a cage. That rooster has been thru it the past two years and seems to bounce back for death's door. His progeny carries that vigor as well.

Unless some of you don't know, the poultry community has lost a great friend in Bob Blosl who passed away yesterday at his home. Bob started the Heritage Large Fowl thread where loads of knowledge has been shared. He has been a champion for sharing his knowledge and inspiring folks to follow the SOP in breeding Heritage breeds. He will be greatly missed. That thread will be worth taking the time to read and hopefully will continue to inspire us.

 

[Nava]

Hello friends, I was just wondering if any of you know Jon Alden, he has NNs

I'm really interested in talking to him
Any info would be greatly appreciated

TY

 

[Kyzmette]

Wow, Nana, your brooder room is busy! Congrats!

You guys wish me luck. I picked up the Dorking eggs last Sunday and got eight Isbar eggs shipped to me Tuesday. I let them settle for eight hours, then put them in the egg turner and set them out at room temp (cool the last week, I haven't been using the heater until last night). I wanted to start them Friday so I could plan for the kids to be here on hatch day if everything works out.

I set up the incubator Thursday morning and it didn't come on, and still hadn't when I left for work yesterday, so I stopped and picked up a new one last night. It got sanitized mercilessly, then calibration started. Every hour through the night I was up checking that thing and tweaking, calibrating it against two thermo/hygrometers, two aquarium thermometers, an oral thermometer and a candy thermometer. I just finished and set the eggs.

If I don't get any to hatch I will blame the long resting time, but I tried to keep them at a good resting temp, so I'm still hopeful. Cross your fingers for me!!!

 

[Kyzmette]

@Artsyrobin, Shelbydog spotted me a bottle of Veterycin and I've been using it and neosporin. I'm just worried about pockets or abscesses under the dead flesh. And as committed as I am, I'm not sure I'd be up to tweezer debriding, especially after the first time I hurt her.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Okay, strange question, and I hope I don't gross anybody out too much. I think Puff could use some serious de-necrotizing, and the more I think about it, the more I think a few maggots would do her a world of good. Caramel got them when she was wounded and it was the hardest thing in the world for me to leave them alone and let them work, but that was in the summer. Have any of you ever used them? If so, any tips would be appreciated.

I would not do it unless you can get ahold of medical grade maggots. It is NOT true that maggots only eat dead flesh- especially not your run-of-the-mill maggots from regular flies. As the would grows and the availability of dead flesh decreases they WILL eat and burrow into living flesh. In addition, unless they are sterile medical grade maggots they can introduce germs and parasites into your chicken. If you are serious about it I found a company that sells them, http://www.monarchlabs.com/ Not sure if they sell to the public though.

Need some advice on my chicks blue ameraucanas from fellow okies. These chicks are probably 4 - 6 weeks old at most. I have kept them in the utility room in a rabbit cage and they are making a mess of it daily. I have a dog run with a dog kennel in it outside with pine shavings in the kennel. Question is.......is it to late in the year to put those chicks outside even with a red heated lamp (their are only 4) and maybe including my 2 little frizzles with them? Everyone seems appears well. Just can't fathom the idea of keeping them in the utility room until March,,,,,,

Like others have said, being out of the wind and drafts they will do fine outside. Better to do it now while we have some warm days for them to acclimatize to the change than to wait until December.

Unless some of you don't know, the poultry community has lost a great friend in Bob Blosl who passed away yesterday at his home. Bob started the Heritage Large Fowl thread where loads of knowledge has been shared. He has been a champion for sharing his knowledge and inspiring folks to follow the SOP in breeding Heritage breeds. He will be greatly missed. That thread will be worth taking the time to read and hopefully will continue to inspire us.

I did hear that, such sad news. He was such an amazing person, willing to share his knowledge and techniques with anyone willing to listen.

 

[Ksane]

Just leaving the Newcastle Show-some awesome birds. There was a Spangled Cornish boy i'd have loved to have for my 2 Spangled Cornish girls but didn't know how to find out who had him and if they had more.
Nana, I'm anxious to see what your Delaware hatch is like. I'm sorry about the passing of Bob Blosl, I didn't know him but it sound like he accomplished a great deal.
My husband seems to have fallen in love with the show quality Barred rocks. Do any of you have any nice quality ones? The hatchery ones always seem to look like Cuckoo Marans to me.
I did get the TAMEST pair of Polish-wow. Only 4 & 5 months old, they're every bit as tame and laid back as my Serama, Channing. I love them ) They were handled from hatch by the cutest little girl, I can't believe how passive they are. I didn't even know I wanted Polish until i saw how tame & pretty these were.

 

[Kassaundra]

Wow, Nana, your brooder room is busy! Congrats!

You guys wish me luck. I picked up the Dorking eggs last Sunday and got eight Isbar eggs shipped to me Tuesday. I let them settle for eight hours, then put them in the egg turner and set them out at room temp (cool the last week, I haven't been using the heater until last night). I wanted to start them Friday so I could plan for the kids to be here on hatch day if everything works out.

I set up the incubator Thursday morning and it didn't come on, and still hadn't when I left for work yesterday, so I stopped and picked up a new one last night. It got sanitized mercilessly, then calibration started. Every hour through the night I was up checking that thing and tweaking, calibrating it against two thermo/hygrometers, two aquarium thermometers, an oral thermometer and a candy thermometer. I just finished and set the eggs.

If I don't get any to hatch I will blame the long resting time, but I tried to keep them at a good resting temp, so I'm still hopeful. Cross your fingers for me!!!

Resting is good for shipped eggs. I have read you shouldn't even turn shipped eggs for the first few days of incubation, then treat as normal.

 

[Kassaundra]

Wow, Nana, your brooder room is busy! Congrats!

You guys wish me luck. I picked up the Dorking eggs last Sunday and got eight Isbar eggs shipped to me Tuesday. I let them settle for eight hours, then put them in the egg turner and set them out at room temp (cool the last week, I haven't been using the heater until last night). I wanted to start them Friday so I could plan for the kids to be here on hatch day if everything works out.

I set up the incubator Thursday morning and it didn't come on, and still hadn't when I left for work yesterday, so I stopped and picked up a new one last night. It got sanitized mercilessly, then calibration started. Every hour through the night I was up checking that thing and tweaking, calibrating it against two thermo/hygrometers, two aquarium thermometers, an oral thermometer and a candy thermometer. I just finished and set the eggs.

If I don't get any to hatch I will blame the long resting time, but I tried to keep them at a good resting temp, so I'm still hopeful. Cross your fingers for me!!!

Resting is good for shipped eggs. I have read you shouldn't even turn shipped eggs for the first few days of incubation, then treat as normal.