San Diego Chicken meetup and Chat thread

[luvanimals2]

anyone here ever done a staggered hatch without having a second incubator?

deb

I have honestly never done it. I hope you get the answers you want. I use another incubator to hatch. I think no matter what, the 2nd batch will hit a humidity spike at the wrong time. Also, they never hatch exactly on the date and you will need a couple of days afterwards.

Nancy

 

[luvanimals2]

I have been pondering buying a cabinet incubator. I always snub the idea because I can see me being on Hoarders faster than you can snap your fingers.

I have some questions for those of you with cabinets. I am deciding between a sportsman and a Brinsea. I know they both have 3 shelves for eggs and 1 for hatching. Do you use another incubator for hatching or is the 1 shelf adequate? Would you suggest 2? One for incubating and the other for hatching only? I am thinking about buying the Brinsea and the sportsman for hatching only. Also, how does it work if you do not have another incubator for hatching? Humidity issues?

Thanks again!

Nancy

 

[WFF]

I have been pondering buying a cabinet incubator. I always snub the idea because I can see me being on Hoarders faster than you can snap your fingers.

I have some questions for those of you with cabinets. I am deciding between a sportsman and a Brinsea. I know they both have 3 shelves for eggs and 1 for hatching. Do you use another incubator for hatching or is the 1 shelf adequate? Would you suggest 2? One for incubating and the other for hatching only? I am thinking about buying the Brinsea and the sportsman for hatching only. Also, how does it work if you do not have another incubator for hatching? Humidity issues?

Thanks again!

Nancy

Hi,

I have the Brinsea Ova Easy 190 and I love it. I hatch in a Hovabator so the Brinsea stay clean and I can raise the humidity just for the hatching eggs. Each shelf of the Brinsea holds 48 eggs so I try to limit myself to just hatching 48 eggs each week.

Gail

 

[RHRanch]

I have been pondering buying a cabinet incubator. I always snub the idea because I can see me being on Hoarders faster than you can snap your fingers.

I have some questions for those of you with cabinets. I am deciding between a sportsman and a Brinsea. I know they both have 3 shelves for eggs and 1 for hatching. Do you use another incubator for hatching or is the 1 shelf adequate? Would you suggest 2? One for incubating and the other for hatching only? I am thinking about buying the Brinsea and the sportsman for hatching only. Also, how does it work if you do not have another incubator for hatching? Humidity issues?

Thanks again!

Nancy

If you are not staggering your hatches, the one shelf probably wont hold all your eggs from 3 trays. But you can stop the turner and remove the egg setting trays and use the shelves for hatching. I just always stagger my hatches so I don't run into todays problem: not enough room on the hatching tray!!!!!!!!!!!!! I run the incubator around 55-65% humidity most of the time and it doesn't seem to cause any problems. I have great hatches. I used to worry about it, but not any more. i really think its the stability of temp and humidity because I am using a cabinet that makes it work, and I say: If its not broke, don't fix it! LOL

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: OK I am going to move the humidity up to 55-65 percent on Day 18 and I will just keep it that way till day 28 The gap in time where I move chicks out will bring the humidity down but I wont worry about the Keets because they wont need it till day 25. And their Shell is Very thick. When I cracked a couple the other day i had to hit them on the corner of the counter five times I cant imagine being a teeny little chick with just a beak chiseling its way out.....

deb

 

[Phage]

The Brinsea is excellent and I keep I try to keep it at 45% humidity.
The humidity pump stopped working (and needs to be returned) , so the humidity varies a lot between about 50% and 25% as the tray needs filling every day. It is a total pain. That is my only complaint about the bator.

I do staggered hatches with about a tray hatching each week. Eggs go into the bottom section at day 18 and then into a separate hatching bator. Often smaller eggs hatch early and many have hatched in the Brinsea , which I try to avoid. Despite the humidity variations in both the Brinsea and the hatcher bator my hatches are 95%+ for eggs that develop to day 18. A key is not opening the hatcher too much.
I try not to over candle and usually do it once at about day 7-10 to remove any dud eggs, and maybe briefly when pulled for lockdown.

This bator is DANGEROUS. That is about 40 chicks a week that need homes!!!
Fortunately I have dh on my back (at all times about chicks) so I move them on ASAP. 40 chicks a week is a major challenge, and I end by giving a lot away as I just don't have time to sell them.

 

[dfdesigns]

Phage, I did want to ask you what other color Ams you have. I am (sigh) looking for a FEW (I swear) nice blue or splash birds.

Gail - out of the three chicks I got from you (two Lavender Orps and two Silver Campines), three are pullets. Amazing! I'm keeping the little SC cockerel; he is the cutest thing ever. He thinks he is the flockmaster of my juvie pen, and he's taking his job seriously.

Here's hoping today is a bit cooler!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I had three last year that went broody together and raised babies together, and this year I have another three on one pen and FIVE in another pen, all sharing the same nestboxes, they "communally" raise the babies, though the babies have their "favorite" mother...

Anybody ever have two broody hens on one nest? One of my Polish hens went broody and about a week later an ameraucana jumped in there with her and has been there ever since. They have eight silkie eggs. This is the first time I have left eggs under broody hens so not sure what to expect. All the eggs were layed within about five days and are most likely fertile as I have two silkie roosters and only three silkie hens. The Polish chicken is extremely protective of her eggs and I can't even get a hand in there to check things out with getting pelted with chicken expetives and pecked pretty hard. I thought I would just let things take their course, wait the 21 days and see what happens. I did catch the Polish off the nest for a few seconds and she puffed up like a turkey.



Is there anything else I should be doing? They do have food and water a short distance from the nest.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Anyone know where I can get some Corid today (Sunday?) near San Diego? Thanks!

Did you find some? I think the feedstore here has some, though I usually get mine online; I have a little extra if you need some to hold you over until you can get it.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Anyone know what snake this is. Hoping baby gopher and not rattler.
Also anyone got good pics of the eclipse? My dd got some cool ones, I think because it was so cloudy. Will post some when they are downloaded.

Either a baby Gopher, Glossy, or a California Nightsnake, hard to say without getting a perspective of the size and a good look at the head.




Quote:

I want to add to that; not ALL poisonous snakes have a heart shaped head, but the DEADLY poisonous ones do. There are several species of snakes here in California that ARE poisonous but it's very mild and at the most will only make you a little sick unless you have an allergic reaction. The California Nightsnake is one of them; that being said we have lots of Nightsnakes around here and they are very mild and tame, you can pick them up no problems.

I wanted to be a Herpetologist for many years...


Wanted to add that it's DEFINITELY NOT a rattlesnake. You shouldn't kill 'em unless are posing a threat to you or your livestock, they eat the bad rats and mices.