South Carolina

[phoneman]

Quote:
i am trying something new and also was told by gary ramsey he ran a dry incabator for first 18 days and gary is the man that i bought my breeders from. i have not had the same luck hatching the ameruacana eggs. i dont get 90% or better. last yr. i was about 85% last yr. this yr more like 80%.

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
LOL
I will probably find Langshans out wearing them later this morning.
Can you see the look on his face. "Shoes? What shoes?"

That or one of the ducks took them! Like the one in the brush pile we took the babies from! "Take my babies, I take your shoes! So there!"

It is so terrific to have friends come help with painting and chores! I have some of the nicest friends ever!!!!

If I find your shoes i will save them for you! Don't worry! They will be the ones with the mint green paint on them, right?

How are the ducky babies doing this morning? That one Runner was getting stronger! I can't believe it. I just knew it was going to croak. It had a hard birth.

That mint green looks good with my pink stripes!

FOUND THEM! Whoops

That ducky is snuggling with a silkie baby right now

Getting stronger and stronger..... still wobbly but feet have straightend nicely! I thought Nicole was gonna try to sleep with it..

I cannot remember what she named it......we have one named Byshoo, or Bachoo.....dunno how she gonna spell it but it is funnyyyyyy it is the little dark one from the brush pile......... (bite choo all ran together)

I love to help

Nicole accepts bribes.......

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Jackie B. :

Quote:
Craigslist

No, don't mean to be a smartie. Id go for liquidation places or before you start searching, look online at the big box stores so you can compare prices quicker than acutally making the trips. Heck even check like overstock.com and amazon and ebay for supplies.

I can never find that stuff on CL!

I did find some fencing on eBay once....shipping was outrageous though.​

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
i have a sportsman 1502 gqf

Yeah, I love my Sportsman 1202! I often for get to add water and will open it to see it registering 25%. Whoops. But I just add it and everything is fine. I don't do a dry hatch because so often I have duck eggs going with the chicken eggs. And I feel that ducks just have a tougher time with the membrane so I try to keep it fairly soft the entire incubation time since mama ducks bathe every time they get off the nest. Chickens could probably be fine with very little moisture during the first 18 days.

Off to the PO to pick up more eggs. Blue Ameraucanas again.

What is the 1502? stryo or cabinet?

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Jackie B. :

How do we feel about this as a grow out/broody pen? I know I'll need to replace chicken wire. Solar panel? Really?

http://asheville.craigslist.org/grd/2472943894.html

I am not feeling $100

I mean seriously

for being green & all with solar.......but how hard will that be to regulate temps and hold them steady day & night year round?​

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
I do dry hatches. Mostly. I guess.

Did not know that was what I was doing until someone told me.......but I do put a little water in during winter.

 

[RedBugPoultry]

OK, I had never heard people talk about hatching without water but I do watch my air cell in my eggs. I never have a problem with them in the Sportsman but I do have to lower my water sometimes in the Hovabater.

Phoneman, do you hatch your eggs left in tray? I learned last year to not put my eggs on there side in the hatcher. I take the trays off the turner shelf in the Sportsman and put them straight in the bottom hatcher with the eggs still in them. I can not get as many eggs in the hatcher but I have very good results hatching. Of what candles out good I get 99 to 98% hatched--providing I do not do something stupid like forget to check my water. In the Hovabator I take them out of the yellow turner and put them in a tray and put that in the hatcher on the Sportsman--keeps the small bator clean. I hatch chicken at 68% and guinea at 70%. Chicks start to get sticky above 68%. Guineas do ok at 68% but if you have a slow one he will get dried out easier and need help.

Hatching in the tray helps the chicks or keets to not get turned around and confused in the eggs. Maybe everyone already knows this.

I love hatching--every hatch is like Christmas!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I run my eggs in the Sportsman cabinet bator then take them out at day 18 (sometimes day 20 if I have too many) and put them in the styrofoam forced air. They hatch out in there and I keep the humidity above 55% but try to bump it to 65%.

I use a cardboard carton with holes cut out of the bottom to hatch my eggs in. I did it to keep the hatcher cleaner but it doesn't really help.
I seldom get chicks pipping the wrong end, more recently than ever. I check my eggs a few times a day so I can usually catch them. But I have had chicks hatching in the bottom of the Sportsman lately because they are bantams and I can put the lid on it and not have to hunt for chicks behind the tray.
My bator is fairly empty now. I am hatching very little for myself and am doing a lot more for my friend. but I also have her still air Styrofoam bator that I am hatching her eggs in, too. I get down real low on water in that thing and the eggs do well. It seems like it is around 30% all the time.

 

[phoneman]

yup i put mine in the trays in cartons. i dont lay mine down either. i candle on day 10 . about 5 was clear and 10 died after they were showing signs of developement. some of the eggs were about 2 weeks old. i will date the eggs when they are laid and see if that makes a differants. you are right about a day like christmas when they hatch.

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

I have had quite a few pip wrong end. We lay shipped eggs on the side now. All were shipped that pipped wrong. Those also seem to have at least one per batch that pips a blood vessel too. Luckily my DD is awesome at helping chicks & ducks hatch.


I did manage to save her first mallard hatched by a broody hen. The dumb barred cochin had moved the empty shell out from under her last night, and the baby was laying to the side. Silly girl was sitting on nothing. I grabbed the cold baby & it was almost dead. Barely breathing. I ran into the house & held it under a brooder lamp until its heartbeat felt stronger, & it was warm. Stuck it in incubator because it was not even dry! The hen had pecked at its beak, and skinned it in a spot.

I dumped a gallon of cold water on the hen's belly & tossed her back in the laying pen.

Ducky is doing good this morning. Wanted me snuggle it It is now in the brooder tank with the runner and a silkie