Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[horsesnchkns]

well, thank you for sharing. That was actually somewhat entertaining, and a little disturbing. I'm telling my kids to be so very careful with the babies and these guys are just tossing them around... poor babies!!! But, good info... You got "lucky" with just one cockrel...

 

[Bens-Hens]

Yeah, I was as amazed as Mike Rowe was lol.

Double checked again this morning (we don't hold them up by there head or wing) and it seems far more clear, still looks to us like Milo is the only Cockerel.

They are amazing to watch, snooze at the drop of a hat near the heat lamp, then they are up and running wild, eating drinking, even scratching yesterday, then back to the lamp for another nap.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Yay! Our Incubator parts have arrived!

I could not hep but open up the IncuKit and make a start, ended up having it wired and mounted and doing a test run.

Was amazed at how quickly it got the 'bator up to temp, then how little power it consumes to keep it there.

Also, s a side test I am checking calibration on a few of the thermometer and hygrometers I have......many seem different! Plan to calibrate the Incukit to the new thermometer/hygrometer and just trust them, too many gets worrying.

Had a few visitors come over today to check out the chicks, some seem keen to grow their flock so I may just have to do another hatch in the near future!

Some more pics when I get the egg turner mounted.

Happy days!

 

[Bens-Hens]

OK, a bit slack on the updates, but progress has been made!

The DIY incubator is almost completed, just some fine tuning to go. I have some images. I will touch on them here, and write a page in the incubator section with more detail.

Happy with the IncuKit DC12. A very capable bit of kit, just lacking on presentation.

The chicks are going well. Growing so fast and learning new 'tricks' everyday. Cam home yesterday and they all decided to show me their leap and flap moves.

They are also gutsing the food like no tomorrow, I thought 10kg's would last me some time but they really are getting through the stuff.

Had one of them, (Milo) have an eye closed for about two days. Back to the net to search why and the amount of bad news was large to say the least. I did however see some people say they peck each other and sometimes gt dust/bedding in their eye.Where the food (where his head always is) gets a bit powdery, so we thought we would not stress until his nose ran of or had gunk around his eye. Neither had happened, after another day he was back to normal. No cocci or other major issue. Crisis averted!

Some images to share;

Our youngest boy Riley (4)



A shot of the outside of the DIY job, think I might box it in with some nice timber down the track.


Double paned glass windows, IncuKit DC12. Also got the Incubator Warehouse's egg turner motor and thermometer/hygrometer too. The two temps measure about 0.4 deg C different, but both are steady.


Chicks at about 9/10 days old


Finally, just uploaded a vid of the egg turner in action. Still working on setting the tuner control from the IncuKit, just testing the time and power supply setting to get it to drive the correct distance. This vid shows it stopping show a few degree's.


This weekend we plan to set a few more egg's for a hatch planned on my birthday!

Picking up the following fertile eggs;

6x Blue Aracana,
4x Blue Australorps,
4x Silver Penciled Wynadottes,
4x Barnevelders.

 

[NovaAman]

Sweet!

I bet you are losing more food to the bedding than they are eating. Totally normal with chicks. They are the neediest things. Need more food. Clean water 20 times a day. Pick the water dish back up and change the bedding 21 times a day! Ok, a bit exaggerated, but you get it. Lol

 

[Bens-Hens]

Hahaha, yes.

We have $1 tongs and a jar for 'on the run' scooping, then change the bedding every few days.

The water is getting higher and higher in an effort to reduce the clean outs. They are happy, and the family don't mind having to go check on them a few times a minute lol.

A quick question, how do I go about getting a article in the incubator section? Wouldn't mind doing a page there, and also one of my mobile coop too.

EDIT the EDIT: Found the members page area!

 

[Bens-Hens]

If anyone would like more info on my incubator, here is a link to the page I just completed.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/bens-hens-diy-incubator

 

[NovaAman]

LOL, I was about to say, member pages, but you've found it already! So how many are you going to run in the new bator? Did I miss that?

 

[NovaAman]

Duh, 18...

 

[Bens-Hens]

Lol, yeah mate. I may not have mentioned it here but I did post it in a April 7 Hatch along thread.

We have arranged to pick up
4x Barnevelders
4x Australorp
4x SIlver Penciled Wynedottes
6x Aracana

From two different suppliers. Plan to set on Sunday afternoon our time.

Looking forward to it, just about got the new 'bator tuned in, then run for the rest of the week to verify. Have kept the Hova-Bator so if something goes wrong with my one (finger crossed) we have a back up plan and should not loose any of the new clutch.