September Egg Swap--Sign-ups closed--check posts for shipping updates!

[ChooksChick]

I have 6 LGs and I'm cleaning up a very expensive dome model an old timer gave us a few weeks back- looks pretty dirty. I don't think it will hold many, but it's one of those you see for $400 in the Stromberg's catalog. It probably works...Always happy for more space!

I started hatching a couple of months ago for a friend and have gone absolutely bonkers, hatching out hundreds now...I'm mostly full, with two as hatchers and 4 full of both chickens and waterfowl.

Our goal is to flip them fast, but we're also building up breeding stock. We're just addicted, so making a business out of chickening is just an excuse to play with them all day, and I'm still unemployed since Jan, so might as well try to earn a buck doing something I love!

I'm having pretty good hatch rates with shipped eggs, with some exceptions of eggs that were scrambled prior to arrival. I have excellent luck with local eggs, but since the majority of them aren't mine, I'm just getting more of what's available around here...so I keep buying and trading, right??

How much fun is this? Am I nuts?

 

[tofuranch]

Nope not nuts...I found two dickeys on Craigslist....was able to get both of them for a great price, one didn't even work right. DH got both of them running for me, we just had to clean and tighten them up...then about a week later, a guy came to buy guineas from me....long story short, we traded for another dickey...so I have three and love every one of them. I probably should find homes for the 6 other ones that I have I just haven't taken the time.

I think that I am just a little chicken crazy but that is ok...

The feed stores around here only get chicks in the spring and they don't get enough...so it works out great for me....fall is actually a great time to raise chicks where I live, it is so nice out and all of my extras are selling like hot cakes

Also..I get to play with all the babies, then I get to do it again and again

 

[shelleyd2008]

Heads-up pidgey104 your eggs are on their way!!

 

[babymakes6]

Those of you that have extra incubators and want to sell one or two, I would be interested if the price was right

I am using an LG that I borrowed from my cousin and it is working well, but I need to get my own!

 

[6littlechickies]

Quote:
babymakes5 - unfortunately, i don't have one to sell, but just picked up another LG...any tips you can pass on to a gal who's used to hovabators?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
babymakes5 - unfortunately, i don't have one to sell, but just picked up another LG...any tips you can pass on to a gal who's used to hovabators?

The LG dial is very touchy. When you first turn it on, crank it up as far as you can, then watch it. When it gets to temp, turn the dial until the light shuts off. This 'should' keep it at the right temp. LG's can be very touchy, this is a still air? Make sure it is in a stable environment, as far as temps go. And if you don't have enough to fill it with, put some jars (with lids) of water, or some baggies with water in them, to help it hold temp. They work pretty good, you just have to learn how to use them.

 

[babymakes6]

Just get it to the right temp and DON'T TOUCH THE DIAL AGAIN! Also, I have it in a basement bedroom that we only use for guests, that way my children don't have a chance to touch it!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Also, if you do have to adjust it, turn the dial just until the light goes on or off. Get a dimmer light switch knob to put on the dial too, this makes it easier to slightly turn the dial

 

[6littlechickies]

You guys/gals ROCK! thanks for the advice. Yes, this is yet another still air one. I have two others but they are hovabator's. I was so excitedly blinded by the deal I didn't even realize it was an LG until after the sale. oh well, i'm sure i'll figure it out.

I'm hoping i can get it up to temp and stable and then move these swap eggs and the duck/random extra chicken eggs I put in this past Saturday. Bator #2 does not seem to want to get over 99 degrees now!?! I'm wondering if the wafer is going bad....the light continues to stay on--doesn't come to temp and light does not shut off-- but it doesn't seem to want to go over 98.9 degrees!?!

I sat down with the calendar last night and realized I will have eggs due to hatch 9/25, 10/2, 10/9 and depending on when i get the swap eggs maybe 10/16. all kinds of little fuzzbutts coming soon! I thought spring was the busy hatching season! LOL

 

[Bananas]

I have a still air Hovabator that I can sell! I will sell it for $45 plus shipping (have to figure out what shipping would be).
I got the second hovabator and then decided I'd rather get a brinsea Octogon 20...I think one hovabator and one Octagon 20 are probably enough for my needs though!

This one has only been used a couple of times and I never used it for hatching, so it is still nice looking!
PM me if you're interested. Good little incubator, but still air incubators are really not good for my area (live in the desert so we have WILD temperature fluctuations from day to night, and we don't have heat or AC in the house). I upgraded my other hovabator to thermal air and rely mostly on the Brinsea now