She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[rossfam06]

I am seriously thinking about selling off some of my breeds so I will have room to do this without building more coops and pens, but all of my chickens have been pets for years. The marans and Ameraucanas I am seeing more as a business, so I will have to make some changes next year. If I only kept the BCM, cuckoo marans, and Ams, I would have room with the pens I have to start a true breed of EEs or OEs that come from better stock than hatcheries with a couple of pens left over for the mating

What breeds are you considering getting rid of?

 

[WVduckchick]

I really, really wish you could post more during the day. We could have a 2 man show

Short version: koo koo ka choo, LG sucks, Ruby is the new Amy, I grew a conscience but quickly came to my senses, WV and I had some alone time, Ross got busted, and chickadoodles is a serious lurker

Seems like something you missed, but I can't remember what it is. I think the tequila is kicking in.

On a chicken note, I've got the (5) 5 weekers, the (4) 14 weekers and the older (4) hens pretty integrated now during the day in the run.  Everyone seems to have figured out who to stay away from. The littles still sleep in their box though, separated with a mesh.

So funny to see the roost at night though, with 2 mean legbars smashed together at one end, and the four teens smashed together at the other end with about 6 feet of empty space in-between. One OE sleeps in the lower roost to get away from the drama and the other OE is still on the job in the nest box.

Things are working out so far.

I'm still scared to let mine blend any more than just around the yard while I'm home. But you've inspired me to try!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

It was worth it. I pretty much did it just to let her know I got the joke

So many things to say, some good, some bad...

You are one of the most helpful people on BYC

And one of the most unstable


And definitely the most

able (Though ross and silkie are giving you a run for your money

)

It's been a slow few weeks

Hey!! I am not unstable!!

Depends on who you ask. I won't go below 40 in the Brinsea, but I think I have read that Amy will run dry as long as she is above 25%

Yes. If it doesn't stay at/above 25% I add a wet sponge and that normally keeps it around 30% which is what seems to work best. I only go below 25% if I feel the air cells are bigger than I like and I ony do that near the end and only for a day usually.

"I don't drink tequila, it makes me ski."


You'd think they might stop carrying them after a while.

Your guide is a big help. Thanks again, AmyLynn.


That's something to think about.


Thanks for the tip! +1!


Something else to think about.


THAT is where the tiny, shiny contract would come in. *not responsible for infertile eggs or equipment malfunctions. yada yada* One thing I have learned in life is that there are a great deal of lazy, self-entitled. . . imbalanced people out there who would expect more than is reasonable from a hatch.

You're welcome.

Okay...I normally run completely dry and now it won't get higher than 20% and the lowest is 11%. So I should add some wet sponges. Day 14 is Friday and I don't want to lose my one and only.
I said you should. I am not easily offended. Do it!!!!
Thanks. I will candle tonight and see how it's going in there.

I would add a sponge. I've heard different theories on what's "dangerously" low and I've heard people that incubate in that "dangerously low" range, so

I'm honestly not comfortable with less than 25%, I make exceptions in that recommendation only when someone has not monitored their air cells and near the end finds them to be significantly small. Then I recommend running dry regardless and checking every 24 hours.

On a chicken note, I've got the (5) 5 weekers, the (4) 14 weekers and the older (4) hens pretty integrated now during the day in the run. Everyone seems to have figured out who to stay away from. The littles still sleep in their box though, separated with a mesh.

So funny to see the roost at night though, with 2 mean legbars smashed together at one end, and the four teens smashed together at the other end with about 6 feet of empty space in-between. One OE sleeps in the lower roost to get away from the drama and the other OE is still on the job in the nest box.

Things are working out so far.

I'm trying to integrate my almost seven weekers in with my 16 week birds and they are not being too nice. It might take a while. My almost 10 month roo is the only one that is really nice to them.

I don't think you have to convince anyone. That's the truth brother!





If you read on Foleys website he got the start on his great line by hatching out 300 one year. He said it was an expensive nightmare that netted something like 3 cocks and 10 hens. It paid off, now he charges $100 a cock bird and $50 for pullets.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Well, we got our Incutherm Plus today. Yay.

We have had two thermometers going since the 18th when we set(one acurite digi and one on the incukit itself). Both of those have read similarly to each other and bounced somewhere between 99.5 and 100.5 °F. I haven't been able to do the ice water test on the incukit thermometer b/c it's attached to the circuit board, yada yada. I tested the digi a few days before we started incubation and it was true to temp.

When I installed the incutherm today, I was getting readings of 102 °F. I freaked and did another ice water test on the acurite and it is reading about a degree lower than it should(31 °F). I don't think I can run this test on the Incutherm Plus and won't know for sure until I get an answer back from customer service.

My question is: If it's been at 102 this whole time, are the embryos done for? I candled them and the air cells look pretty big to this newb, but what do I know?

Our humidity has been between 25-30%. Someone decided to put rice in there for some reason. . .

I have it up to 55% now. Amidoinitrite? Am I doing ANY of this right? Did I just fry 18 eggs?!

102 shouldn't fry them, but if it's been that high and it's fan forced I would expect an early hatch. It's possible to have some issues with development if they develop too fast due to temps. If mine stays above 99 and below 102 I'm happy, but I usually have early hatches too. Luckily no deveopment problems.

Seems like something you missed, but I can't remember what it is. I think the tequila is kicking in.
I'm still scared to let mine blend any more than just around the yard while I'm home. But you've inspired me to try!

I am only letting my littles in with the others if I am out there, otherwise they would get the snot beat outta them.

 

[scflock]

What breeds are you considering getting rid of?

Booted bantams mixed hybrid layers. Two of my biggest pens, but I don't know if I could sell them. Pretty attached...

Seems like something you missed, but I can't remember what it is. I think the tequila is kicking in.

I covered the tequila with "Ross got busted"

Hey!! I am not unstable!!

Cracka please

 

[WVduckchick]

102 shouldn't fry them, but if it's been that high and it's fan forced I would expect an early hatch. It's possible to have some issues with development if they develop too fast due to temps. If mine stays above 99 and below 102 I'm happy, but I usually have early hatches too. Luckily no deveopment problems.

I am only letting my littles in with the others if I am out there, otherwise they would get the snot beat outta them.

X2 to gachooks

And my littles are as big as my bigs now, but I think they still don't realize it. Even the litte roosters are huge! But they still run from the older girls

Booted bantams mixed hybrid layers. Two of my biggest pens, but I don't know if I could sell them. Pretty attached...
I covered the tequila with "Ross got busted"

Cracka please

Silly, I meant MY tequila was kicking in!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Booted bantams mixed hybrid layers. Two of my biggest pens, but I don't know if I could sell them. Pretty attached...
I covered the tequila with "Ross got busted"

Cracka please

Not the booteds!! I like those!!

X2 to gachooks

And my littles are as big as my bigs now, but I think they still don't realize it. Even the litte roosters are huge! But they still run from the older girls

Silly, I meant MY tequila was kicking in!

LOL

 

[scflock]

Not the booteds!! I like those!!

LOL

I do too. I don't know that I could sell any of the originals. Damien was an easy decision, financially and personality wise, but I will probably end up just building more pens

 

[FridayYet]

Seems like something you missed, but I can't remember what it is. I think the tequila is kicking in.
I'm still scared to let mine blend any more than just around the yard while I'm home. But you've inspired me to try!

Took a week or so with the littles in a playpen in the run, a week just letting them out for s little while, and now their playpen is open and they can go in and out as they like, they still tend to nap in their safe house.

102 shouldn't fry them, but if it's been that high and it's fan forced I would expect an early hatch. It's possible to have some issues with development if they develop too fast due to temps. If mine stays above 99 and below 102 I'm happy, but I usually have early hatches too. Luckily no deveopment problems.

I am only letting my littles in with the others if I am out there, otherwise they would get the snot beat outta them.

True, you do have to watch things closely at first, but after about 5 days they are mostly ignored. They have lots of hiding places in the run though, just in case.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Took a week or so with the littles in a playpen in the run, a week just letting them out for s little while, and now their playpen is open and they can go in and out as they like, they still tend to nap in their safe house.
True, you do have to watch things closely at first, but after about 5 days they are mostly ignored. They have lots of hiding places in the run though, just in case.

I've been trying to come up with a way to fashion a "safe house" for them without having to go out and spend a lot of money. Today is the second day I have let them out of the brooding cages in the coop and sat in there to "protect them". I was hoping by a week they would be able to move around in the run without having the others attack them.