Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[foxvalleyfarm]

I know.  That's why I said "I don't know" because those hens can make a mess on those eggs but still, probably just that its a chickeny environment as compared to the one we live in.  Again... I don't know... I am just passing on information that I've read somewhere.

Not before you check really close with a flashlight and for pip holes.

If you think you felt bad over chicks dying on their own, I hope you never experience the soul shaking you receive when you're impatient and decide that this chick is dead anyway so you open the shell only to find out it might have lived if you hadn't opened the shell.  Ask me how I know... and trust me... my soul DID shake!  Thank God that was a long time ago and I learned my lesson.

I want to add that a hen has the same bacteria as the shell does so it's not any thing foreign while we put them in super clean incubators and then touch then with our hands which in turn have touched any number of other things. I also have to say I learned the hard way today that I need to wash my hands before and after handling eggs. I'm fighting salmonella poisoning that either came off the eggs in the bator or from messing with my chickens and ducks. I haven't ate anything recently that would have caused it.

 

[Beekissed]

I have to say Bee that I'm glad you stuck it out and are now reaping the rewards of your hard work. You truly are an inspiration to many people myself included and now my DH since he spent yesterday reading everything you had to say about meat birds. We are preparing to start processing ours. I can't wait to see pictures of the babies.

Thank you! A man spent time reading what I had to say about meat birds? Now, that's a miracle in and of itself!

I want to add that a hen has the same bacteria as the shell does so it's not any thing foreign while we put them in super clean incubators and then touch then with our hands which in turn have touched any number of other things. I also have to say I learned the hard way today that I need to wash my hands before and after handling eggs. I'm fighting salmonella poisoning that either came off the eggs in the bator or from messing with my chickens and ducks. I haven't ate anything recently that would have caused it.

If I were out and about like most folks I'd consider my hands might have something foreign on them that my chickens do not have but now that I'm pretty much a hermit and the only thing I do much of at all is touch stuff that has chicken germs on it, my hands may not count.

I'm real big on exposing chicks to the natural germs in their environment...matter of fact, this new group needs their shovel full of sod long about right now.

I think this natural nest is all about their normal germs as I took the soil and leaves from where the adult flock roam and the hay from a bale out of their coop. Was hoping to start the right germ culture transmission right from the beginning. Don't know if that worked or not or if it was even some pathogen that killed that group of chicks and I guess I'll never know. Nothing in those eggs or the chicks looked or smelled "off", but that's not anything conclusive.

 

[Beekissed]

Here's something I've had mulling around in my head all day long and maybe we've talked about it here before, so forgive me if I am being redundant....but what about this whole humidity issue? If these chicks can hatch after a dry hatch, no controls, plain Jane humidity levels from the room, why then can't this happen in a regular incubator. Why couldn't they just turn off their fan,open some holes to get humidity from the room and let things happen? In fact, if one is doing a still air incubation, why measure or fool with humidity levels at all?

What am I missing? Teach me, O, Learned Ones!

 

[ocap]

 

[MistyMountain]

Thank you! A man spent time reading what I had to say about meat birds? Now, that's a miracle in and of itself!

If I were out and about like most folks I'd consider my hands might have something foreign on them that my chickens do not have but now that I'm pretty much a hermit and the only thing I do much of at all is touch stuff that has chicken germs on it, my hands may not count.

I'm real big on exposing chicks to the natural germs in their environment...matter of fact, this new group needs their shovel full of sod long about right now.

I think this natural nest is all about their normal germs as I took the soil and leaves from where the adult flock roam and the hay from a bale out of their coop. Was hoping to start the right germ culture transmission right from the beginning. Don't know if that worked or not or if it was even some pathogen that killed that group of chicks and I guess I'll never know. Nothing in those eggs or the chicks looked or smelled "off", but that's not anything conclusive.

Bee, I wonder if you would clarify a couple things for me on this. My first round of chicks (August) I got vaccinated for mareks and cocci, mainly because I was new and thought… might as well prevent it all. This new batch will be vaccinated for mareks as well, but not cocci. If I have read things correctly from some of your and others posts throughout BYC, placing a clump of sod that the other chickens have had contact with in the brooder will help the chicks build immunity? I have yet to start adding ACV to water, mainly because I can not find any around here easily and do not want to pay an arm and a leg for it online. I have an orchard, with 7 apple trees that will (hopefully) produce better this year now that they have been pruned for the first time in possibly 10 years. Is there a way to make my own ACV? Sorry to go off topic… just getting a bit nervous with my chicks set to arrive in a week. I had such good luck with my first bunch, I want to make sure I am prepared for this round. I have bought my starter feed (unmedicated), now just need the little buggers to arrive.

Congrats on Hootie Two and Unnamed chick!!

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Thank you!  A man spent time reading what I had to say about meat birds?  Now, that's a miracle in and of itself!    


If I were out and about like most folks I'd consider my hands might have something foreign on them that my chickens do not have but now that I'm pretty much a hermit and the only thing I do much of at all is touch stuff that has chicken germs on it, my hands may not count.     I'm real big on exposing chicks to the natural germs in their environment...matter of fact, this new group needs their shovel full of sod long about right now. 

I think this natural nest is all about their normal germs as I took the soil and leaves from where the adult flock roam and the hay from a bale out of their coop.  Was hoping to start the right germ culture transmission right from the beginning.  Don't know if that worked or not or if it was even some pathogen that killed that group of chicks and I guess I'll never know.  Nothing in those eggs or the chicks looked or smelled "off", but that's not anything conclusive. 

Yep he did because he hates to just jump into something so he googled how to process and you kept coming up.

And I agree with exposing them to the germs from the adult flock that's why I was using my box bator as s hatcher but I think it's to wet now so my dh is making me a new one that I will as some dirt from my pen to.

 

[enola]

Bee, your new incubating plan follows how I do mine. I cannot do eggtopsies they upset me too much.

Congratulations on the newly hatched chicks and the new rooster!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Here's something I've had mulling around in my head all day long and maybe we've talked about it here before, so forgive me if I am being redundant....but what about this whole humidity issue? If these chicks can hatch after a dry hatch, no controls, plain Jane humidity levels from the room, why then can't this happen in a regular incubator. Why couldn't they just turn off their fan,open some holes to get humidity from the room and let things happen? In fact, if one is doing a still air incubation, why measure or fool with humidity levels at all?

What am I missing? Teach me, O, Learned Ones!

The only thing I can think of is the heat element. It doesn't cover the entire incubation area and so the fan circulates that heat to distribute it equally to all eggs. If the fan is turned off we would get hot spots in the incubator. Plus, there may be a concern over dropping temperatures depending on the time of year and what those temps get down to.

In your set up, you have the heat pad covering and in contact with all of your eggs, like a broody hen, without a bunch of warm air swirling around to dry them and the heat from the hen's body brings humidity somehow and your wet soil provided that along with whatever level of humidity was in your room. We put water in pans instead.

I am certainly not a "learned one" but I do have a smidgin of experience and that's about it.

 

[Tomtommom]

Isn't technology wonderful?? I think that is so neat you could see your daughter. Do you have a name picked out yet?

You are in my prayers for a quick healthy delivery!

Lisa

Amelia Eleanora.. It took us forever to pick a middle name, but Amelia came about fairly quick.

I want my daughter to be strong, spirited, passionate.. but still be a lady. Amelia Earhart seemed only a natural rolemodel.

When we found out we were having a girl, her dad was like "What am I going to do with a girl?" and I told him, "The same as you do with a boy". I don't believe in coddling girls... nor do I believe in boys having to "man up". The boys have a play kitchen and a doll, as well as cars and blocks. Their dad is luckily a very balanced man. He voluntarily watches sappy movies (and will sniffle at them!), but loves explosions, guns, cars and powertools just like any other guy.
I am very fortunate to have him

I was sadly too quick to decide about the "unassisted hatch".

The maternity clinic called and I will be having my baby Monday, if she does not come out on her own. I am sort of freaking out.. I will have to go in Sunday evening and get things going slowly and stay overnight, to be induced Monday morning. The clinic nurse said she wouldn't have asked me to do this if it was simply the size of the baby, but she's really concerned about the amount of fluid left for the baby. The technician had not mentioned lack of fluid.. so yeah. I can honestly say this maternity clinic has been nothing but honest and respectful and I do believe they wouldn't suggest induction, unless needed.

Atleast they're applying something to get things started slowly, rather than last time where they went straight to the pitocin shot.



Hate to keep hijacking your thread, Bee. I am enjoying reading all y'alls posts! I've been just freaking out a bit since that call... it does feel good to have so many likeminded ladies behind me.

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, I wonder if you would clarify a couple things for me on this. My first round of chicks (August) I got vaccinated for mareks and cocci, mainly because I was new and thought… might as well prevent it all. This new batch will be vaccinated for mareks as well, but not cocci. If I have read things correctly from some of your and others posts throughout BYC, placing a clump of sod that the other chickens have had contact with in the brooder will help the chicks build immunity? I have yet to start adding ACV to water, mainly because I can not find any around here easily and do not want to pay an arm and a leg for it online. I have an orchard, with 7 apple trees that will (hopefully) produce better this year now that they have been pruned for the first time in possibly 10 years. Is there a way to make my own ACV? Sorry to go off topic… just getting a bit nervous with my chicks set to arrive in a week. I had such good luck with my first bunch, I want to make sure I am prepared for this round. I have bought my starter feed (unmedicated), now just need the little buggers to arrive.

Congrats on Hootie Two and Unnamed chick!!

Even if it's a clump of sod around where your coops and pens reside, whatever coccidia exist in your soils should give them a low dose exposure that should work better than medicated feeds, from what I understand. Old time farmers used to do this with piglets in a farrowing pen to provide them with iron and also give them their first exposure when they are best able to form immunities to whatever will be in their environment.

You can find mother vinegar at Krogers and Walmart where the regular vinegar is located as they both offer Heinz brand in a quart size. It's a little pricey compared to the gallon price of regular vinegar but what you can do is just dose your regular vinegar jugs with some of the cultured vinegar to make a greater amount and just keep that going....whenever your gallon jug of mother is running low, fill it with plain ACV to make more.

Even better than ACV in the water is starting them out on and continuing fermented chicken feed...super food! That's really easy to do and then you no longer even need to offer the ACV in the water as the FF has all the same properties and more.

Bee, your new incubating plan follows how I do mine. I cannot do eggtopsies they upset me too much.

Congratulations on the newly hatched chicks and the new rooster!!!!!!!!!!

I'm glad to know I'm on track with more experienced folks then, so thank you!

The only thing I can think of is the heat element. It doesn't cover the entire incubation area and so the fan circulates that heat to distribute it equally to all eggs. If the fan is turned off we would get hot spots in the incubator. Plus, there may be a concern over dropping temperatures depending on the time of year and what those temps get down to.

In your set up, you have the heat pad covering and in contact with all of your eggs, like a broody hen, without a bunch of warm air swirling around to dry them and the heat from the hen's body brings humidity somehow and your wet soil provided that along with whatever level of humidity was in your room. We put water in pans instead.

I am certainly not a "learned one" but I do have a smidgin of experience and that's about it.

I was sort of thinking along about the time a person stops turning the egg, all they really need is an ambient warm temp like they would have in a brooder, so why not just stop the fans and let things happen instead of increasing the humidity to a certain degree? That might take all the guess work out of keeping humidity to a certain level during those days?

Always thinking of a short cut or more ergonomic way to get to the same place.....