Setting 80 on 9/8, 10/1, 10/24, and probably 11/16

[NTBugtraq]

You found it, so all is well.

You mean I keep finding it...lolz, this idiot seems to need to be taught several times...;-]

 

[NTBugtraq]

Ok, so I gotta say, now that I figured out who is the squawk-box, I wanna cull it. It is clearly the runt, and I have walked it up to the water like 7 times now. I am under stress for so many things I don't need this one added stress...I can see how adults with kids want to have them diagnosed ADD, or ADHD...

 

[WalnutHill]

Is it blind? Blind chicks make a heckuva lot of noise because they can't find food and water.

 

[scflock]

Also, the Brinsea is more and less difficult to clean. The lid fills with dust and there's no clear way to get it out of there. I'm planning on using an air compressor. The base has nicely rounded corners everywhere, allowing for it to be wiped easier.

You are right, the base is incredibly easy to clean, the top is a little more difficult. You have the right idea: air compressor. If you flip it over, remove the Phillips screws, and take the fan guard off, it is easier. I tried a blow drier at first, but it didn't have enough pressure. When you use the air compressor, just make sure you turn the pressure down to 40 PSI or less. You don't want to damage the components

And I was thinking before I use the Brinsea again, I'm considering wrapping the metal rails with some of that craft foam paper that you can get that has adhesive on the back. I cracked one egg taking the rails out, although I know it was because I had the rails in too tightly. I still don't like how hard they are.

I tried the foam inside the rails, but clearly my eggs are bigger somehow as I can never get them all into the trays without some squeezing...and I can only fit 40, not 48. If I put 48 in on their ends, they fall out of the rails during the ridiculous turn the turner gives them (seriously, it looks > 45 deg but its probably just 45 deg, either way, it doesn't need to be that dramatic.) If I put the foam in some eggs also end up being above the rails (unless I give them a really significant push, during which I have broken 1 egg in the past).

Well, if we put that foam tape on the ends of the plastic rails we can probably get them to stay in place. Besides, when I say they can bulge I still expect eggs in the next row, so they aren't going to bulge much, they just won't be the hard metal that the original rails are.

I just don't understand why the rails are causing so much issue. I always stand the eggs on end, always fit at least 48 in (including the monster BCM eggs), never put foam on the rails, and have never cracked an egg.
I don't know if you guys do this, and I've said it before, but I try to get 6 eggs that are of the most common size in a row. I set the first egg, place the rail in the slot that is touching or squeezing the egg, the move it out one more slot. I don't want the eggs touching the rails, and just a little free play doesn't hurt them. They rock a little at the furthest ends of the turn, but I've never had one crack or fall out.

NT, if you go to the 100, all of these points will be moot. That thing is more like a traditional cabinet. I would love to have one, but that's just not in the budget right now. I'd love to follow a thread for one if you get it

 

[NTBugtraq]

I just don't understand why the rails are causing so much issue. I always stand the eggs on end, always fit at least 48 in (including the monster BCM eggs), never put foam on the rails, and have never cracked an egg.

I don't know if you guys do this, and I've said it before, but I try to get 6 eggs that are of the most common size in a row. I set the first egg, place the rail in the slot that is touching or squeezing the egg, the move it out one more slot. I don't want the eggs touching the rails, and just a little free play doesn't hurt them. They rock a little at the furthest ends of the turn, but I've never had one crack or fall out.

Well, I have never tried it that way because most of my eggs are so long that more than 1/2 of the egg is sticking above the top rail. I just assumed that the egg would fall out.

NT, if you go to the 100, all of these points will be moot. That thing is more like a traditional cabinet. I would love to have one, but that's just not in the budget right now. I'd love to follow a thread for one if you get it

Well, actually, I may already have the Ova-Easy 100. My friend who lent me the Janoel has one, and I've asked if she'd be interested in selling it. She has to check with her hubby, but that she said that means she is willing to let it go.

Also, since my birds need a couple more weeks before they get processed to be big enough to sell, I'll be starting my next hatch on January 4th. I've got an appointment with the processors for December 9th, when I will be taking my 3 yr-old hens, 1.25 yr-old hens, 22, 21 and 17 week old cockerels. That gets rid of my entire original flock of layers, which lets me get started on Generation #2.

Fun, fun, fun...;-]

 

[scflock]

I just assumed

You??? The king of "If you can't prove your theory, you're an idiot"???

I'm just playing with you. Try it. I've never had one fall out. In fact, the only ones that have ever given me problems are the smaller ones. They don't fall over, they actually slip down under the rail and end up laying flat.

 

[NTBugtraq]

You??? The king of "If you can't prove your theory, you're an idiot"???

I'm just playing with you. Try it. I've never had one fall out. In fact, the only ones that have ever given me problems are the smaller ones. They don't fall over, they actually slip down under the rail and end up laying flat.

There really is something about the clink sound when an egg hits one of those rails that just makes me shake my head. Not one other part on the Brinsea is made of such hard unforgiving material...oh, and wait, this is what I put my eggs up against?

Anyway, spent the last hour playing with my incubation spreadsheet. I have put 227 chicks into brooders this year, and so far 141 into my outdoor juvenile chicken run. Transferred 16 to my main flock, and sent 9 to processing.

I uncovered some consistency. I did 8 settings this year, and the last two are still too young to put into this idea, but the other 6...# of chicks who made it into the main flock...16, 0, 10, 11, 11, 13...what is interesting that the first 4 sets were of 40'ish ea, and the last two were of 80'ish...yet the end results were pretty similar.

And, to date, I've had 47 chicks die in the brooder, and 47 die in the outdoor run. There, it would seem I suck equally.

At least my last two hatches have had higher hatch rates, and more chicks, and thus far I've only lost 2 out of 75 chicks in the brooders. I've even managed to shut up that loud chick!

So, what do I think might be significant points worth remembering?

1. Have enough roosters in a pen to service your ladies, in my case 1 for 23 = 80% fertility.
2. Egg viability is influenced by layer nutrients, make sure you're feeding enough nutrients.
3. I believe that how you store eggs between laying and setting matters, I just don't know enough to know what is better. Cooler is better, cold is bad, hot is bad. Turning, not turning, I tried both and did not see any significant difference (but I only tried turning them for one setting) I need to learn more in this area.
4. Humidity can kill; eggs and chicks. Prior to lockdown, try to stay about 25% and below 50%, after lockdown stay below 70% but above 50%.
5. If you can keep a younger bird with your day olds I think this is a good idea. The oldest I have kept with the young'uns was nearly 5 weeks, but they seem to be a comforter to the day olds and teach them how to get food and water.
6. Sterilizing brooders between hatches didn't seem to make any difference in my case. I only did this once to both bators, but the next hatch was basically the same as the previous. I did not sterilize prior to either of my last 2 settings. Clean, yes, but a chemical sterilizing agent, no. I could see this being more important if you were flying eggs in from other sources.
7. I built my own brooders, so my issues there might be unique to me. My brooder wood chips lasted me easily 4 weeks, but after that, it really needs to be changed rather than just moved around. Equally, I stopped using the heat lamp, even in the first week. They are in my living room, so its not getting that cold, but the chicks definitely do not seem to need that heat bump so often recommended. The chicks I have lost in the brooder were all lost in the first couple of days, and the majority of those losses were when I was using the heat lamp.
8. Unless you know more about cocci than is necessary, always use medicated chick starter...and I would argue vitamin water for at least the first 2 bottles. I feed my birds non-GMO food once they go outside (after 3-4 weeks), and I agree, feeding too much medication can't be good. This would be more of an issue with these fast growth birds that get processed at 7-8 weeks, but mine hang around till they are like 17-18 weeks (meat birds I mean). I don't think the 3 weeks or so of medication can do that much harm...and it can stave off a massive die-off.
9. I have to say that having many different age birds in a single run is a good idea. I have 16 week old cockerels in with 3 week chicks. They are fine, and if anything, all the younger birds running around might help keep the cock fighting down. And of the 47 deaths in the run, I have had 0 that were clearly due to a fight. I will keep trying to do this when I can.
10. Learn from the deaths. They're not always your fault, but often they are, so there is always something to be learned. I've learned to accept them as nature's lesson to me, rather than punishment for failure...and not to sound too crass, they make room for more attempts.

Have fun!

 

[WVduckchick]

Nice wrap up! Even sharing your suckiness

What are your guidelines for who makes it into the flock?

 

[NTBugtraq]

Nice wrap up! Even sharing your suckiness

What are your guidelines for who makes it into the flock?

Well, so far, just survival...;-]

Eggs from Generation #1 will be as available so I can more quickly replace Generation #1 layers. But eggs from Generation #2, or even #1 if I have enough, will be incubated based on color. If I can make a setting based on darker eggs, I will do that, but I will keep trying to make settings outta eggs 10 day old or less. I won't have more layers than I do now until February 20, so my first 2 settings will be any and all eggs.

 

[WVduckchick]

One more question, if you don't mind, of your 8 settings, how many of those were done before you improved their feed and nutrients?