Set our second hatch Saturday 5/12/12

[Beckymca]

I just called home on my break. I'm excited to share that I now have 7 that have hatched so 4 more since I left this morning and he said 2 look like they are getting ready to zip and he can see 3 good sized pips as well. I dickered with someone at work and will be out at 3 instead of 4 and home by 4 so I'll update more then but I'm so wishing I was home! I almost helped the Ameraucana last night, wishing now I had, but it's a learn as go thing!!! Avonshire hang in there!!!! I have faith that soon you will be posting your excitment and pics too!!!! Catch ya all in a few hours!!!!! Becky

 

[Avonshire]

So Bill I hope you can help me. After watching your hatch it got me thinking. I have a computer video camera for skyping. I also have a home wireless network. I was wondering if I could set up a computer and the camera to watch my bator and then I could see it on my laptop in another room? Is there a trick to seeing live video feed like that?

 

[Beckymca]

Lol Avonshire, I've been thinking about video too!!!

I got home to find a bunch of chicks. I have/had 4 pips, 3 looked like the membrane was drying around the pips so I oh so gently opened them, not sure it was such a good idea, but I did. One has a hole in it's tummy/yolk sac, hoping that closes up. The last pip seems to be doing good but if there is no progress in an hour or so I may help him out too. I still have a bunch of eggs that have no pipped yet. Wish I could of gotten a count but they are all over the place, hard to count them when they are popping around like popcorn. So what bad things do I watch for now that I helped 3 of them out of the shell?

 

[Beckymca]

This is how we stand right now. 6 Ameraucanas set, 5 hatched yesterday, one quitter. 11 Light Brahmas set, 3 hatched yesterday, 4 hatched today, 2 quitters and 2 eggs left not pipped yet. 4 Dorkings set, 2 hatched today (one with help both look good), 2 eggs left, not pipped. 16 Salmon Faverolles set, 8 hatched today, 2 more with help (one not doing well), 1 quitter and 5 eggs left not pipped yet.

 

[wcstory]

So Bill I hope you can help me. After watching your hatch it got me thinking. I have a computer video camera for skyping. I also have a home wireless network. I was wondering if I could set up a computer and the camera to watch my bator and then I could see it on my laptop in another room? Is there a trick to seeing live video feed like that?

More than likely the Cam you have for Skype is a one that attaches to the computer via USB. That type of cam is normally just takes the pictures (video is a lot of pictures in rapid sucession). To get the images to another computer the home computer needs to be on broadcasting the images.

The IP cams I have basically are a miniture computer and camera combined. After the initial setup you never need to have your home computer on to broadcast the images.

You can do it with your Skype Cam, but it is a lot more involved. What type of Cam do you have?

 

[wcstory]

So what bad things do I watch for now that I helped 3 of them out of the shell?

Some of the ones we've helped because they were weak or shrink wrapped take and extra day or so to reach the hoppin & boppin stage. I figure their chance was 0 w/o help.

 

[Avonshire]

Some of the ones we've helped because they were weak or shrink wrapped take and extra day or so to reach the hoppin & boppin stage. I figure their chance was 0 w/o help.

This is true and a good way to think about it.

 

[Avonshire]

More than likely the Cam you have for Skype is a one that attaches to the computer via USB. That type of cam is normally just takes the pictures (video is a lot of pictures in rapid sucession). To get the images to another computer the home computer needs to be on broadcasting the images.

The IP cams I have basically are a miniture computer and camera combined. After the initial setup you never need to have your home computer on to broadcast the images.

You can do it with your Skype Cam, but it is a lot more involved. What type of Cam do you have?

Well the cam I wanted to use is at dh's work. So I was going to try to use the integrated camera in one of my lap tops but that is not so easy to set up to view the eggs. I decided I could skype from one computer to the next maybe?? But I am so disappointed that my eggs are doing nothing that I kind of gave up the idea. Maybe I will have some action tomorrow!

 

[wcstory]

We've had the chicks in an old 55 gallon fish tank. It worked well but was far from an ideal option.

So after I ran all my Sunday errands I went over to my friends cabinet shop. Granted using a shop set up for high end custom cabinetry for making a brooder is a gross abuse of the potential of his shop. It's just soooooo easy to turn my foggy ideas into reality in a shop all laid out for production.

The only dimensions that were preplanned was the size of the plastic bin I chose for a poo bin. Everything else was subject to what plywood pieces were in the scrap bin. The plastic storage container to be used as a poo bin was 15x34x5. The brooder ended up being 36x16 and 18" tall. I used heavy 1x1 wire for the top and front and 1/2" by 1/2" hardware cloth for the bottom. The top has to be strong because we have Maine Coon Cats which are like Springer Spaniels that meow. The one who loves to be photographed is Big Red Fred, our baby who is 23 pounds.

I figure we'll put a thin layer of shavings on the bottom of the bottom tray to make clean out easier.

After this batch graduates from the brooder it will get a coat of paint before getting put away till the next use.

It also serves to keep the cats preoccupied.

I also mounted the incubator Cam in the brooder. http://cam.wmstory.com:8085

 

[Beckymca]

You were a day or two behind, today should of been my hatch day, yesterdays chicks were early birds! I'm still cheering for you!!!!!!

Soon you will have pips and you'll have to post then!!!

Here are the new guys, hanging in the brooder with yesterday's chicks. It still amazes me how fast they learn to eat. Yesterdays chicks are so much bigger than todays, lol... Today's are still sleepy but I wanted to pull those dead eggs out so moved these guys then. Still have the 2 SF that I helped in the bator, the one I was really worried about seems to be righting it's self. And no pips on any of the remaining 9 eggs.

Aren't they cute!!!!!