Texas

[Cockle-Dood]

treated all the chickens this morning, the ones outside got a head of lettuce...the next group that NEEDS to be outside but isnt got some left over tomatos from last nite, and the newbies just got to get bugged my me checking for PB issues!

been a successful morning so far! have to start trying to get these middle guys outside. time to go see what i can find laying around! lol

 

[NickyPick]

We're up to 10 chicks! I don't know what's going wrong with some of them, though. The humidity has been pretty constant at 84-87%, but I've had 3 chicks get glued to the membrane after they pip. I managed to save one, but last night, I pulled one out that hadn't showed much progress all day and she was already dead. Had another this morning - a dime sized hole, moving beak, but no progress since yesterday evening. I pulled her out and dampened the membrane around the hole and pulled it off. Saw a the rest was still reddish, so I put her back in to finish (thinking she hadn't finished absorbing everything she needed to) Is this normal for this to keep happening?

 

[Kilsharion]

np.. just listen to their voices and watch for a curled tail feather on the other one (just in case it's a late bloomer).. but otherwise I'm glad it's looking like you got lucky and have a pair!

Kili.. I still say you should make a coolerbator.. Mike would get to say he made another one (so no insulting him with a store bought one) and they are easy to stockpile parts for in case it dies or you decide you need a third bator!

I suggested a coolerbator and you'd have thought I had dumped bird poopy in his soup.

He is making me another 'bator, though. I've talked him into the thermal tape, and humidity will be probably controlled by a humidistat attached to my monsoon (with sponges over the nozzles). That way I'm not having to lift the lid to pour in water or re-wet sponges. And, I'll have a fan for circulating air. Of course, as always with him, I don't know how much of that will actually be implemented and how much he'll "tweak". But, I do know, I have to order another Herpstat and find a humidistat that is trustworthy. My last one died after just eight weeks...but, it was just a petstore quality el cheapo, so I'm not horribly surprised.

The hardest part is that most humidistats are made to activate a fan when humidity reaches X%, not the other way around. There are some that are for humidifiers; but, they have internal hygrometers, so they'd need to be in the 'bator....no thank you. Honestly, with the Monsoon, I don't need a humidistat; but, it's helpful incase you have a huge humidity spike in the night (had one the other night) - it will cut off the attached device...and, vice versa...if you suddenly drop humidity, it will turn on the attached device. Makes sleeping through the night easier for me...because it always seems to be when I'm a) at work or b) asleep that my incubators decide to get possessed.

I have one internal pipper that is just active as heck...none of the others have even begun to internally pip, right now. Still seeing some movement, though. They're just slow, it seems.

Ok - off to get ready and head to the show! If y'all see a gal wearing a white cap and a mottled orange shirt and cowboy boots...stop and say, "Hey!".

Oh! Before I go...wanted to share photos of Hickory (you know the "Silver Laced Wyandotte" from Ideal? She's actually growing into a very pretty bird...but...yeah.




This is what her back looks like...speckled, not laced. That's Dickory in the photo with her - another of my SLW "mutts".



This is a view of her chest. And, I love her hackles. Her chest's pure white as opposed to the speckled she is elsewhere....Oh, and that's Breakfast giving me the stink eye.



A really blurry sideview (was snapping fast). That's Hickory and Lunch.

 

[yinepu]

We're up to 10 chicks! I don't know what's going wrong with some of them, though. The humidity has been pretty constant at 84-87%, but I've had 3 chicks get glued to the membrane after they pip. I managed to save one, but last night, I pulled one out that hadn't showed much progress all day and she was already dead. Had another this morning - a dime sized hole, moving beak, but no progress since yesterday evening. I pulled her out and dampened the membrane around the hole and pulled it off. Saw a the rest was still reddish, so I put her back in to finish (thinking she hadn't finished absorbing everything she needed to) Is this normal for this to keep happening?

sounds like your humidity was a smidge too high during incubation.. extra turning also helps them absorb extra albumen.. especially after day 15

 

[NickyPick]

What should the humidity be during incubation? I had an egg turner in the incubator, so they were being turned constantly until lockdown.

 

[bnjrob]

I suggested a coolerbator and you'd have thought I had dumped bird poopy in his soup.

He is making me another 'bator, though. I've talked him into the thermal tape, and humidity will be probably controlled by a humidistat attached to my monsoon (with sponges over the nozzles). That way I'm not having to lift the lid to pour in water or re-wet sponges. And, I'll have a fan for circulating air. Of course, as always with him, I don't know how much of that will actually be implemented and how much he'll "tweak". But, I do know, I have to order another Herpstat and find a humidistat that is trustworthy. My last one died after just eight weeks...but, it was just a petstore quality el cheapo, so I'm not horribly surprised.

I found an after market humidity pump that I like. It has a thermo/hygrometer sensor, sponge paper with holder, and the tubing and pump. You can calibrate the temp/humidity for accuracy, which is something I've noticed not all sensors in incubators allow you to do. I like not having to have an open water tray and don't have to worry about the tray going dry or having to open up the incubator all the time to pour in more water. Even with the changing humidity levels in the house (going from high humid to little humidity when we ran the fireplace) and opening the incubator, it is keeping the humidity levels stable within a few points up/down of the settings It was about $80, but for me, it was worth the money.

http://www.poultrysupply.com/1588.php APS PRO humidity controller

 

[Cockle-Dood]

Alrighty guys and gals!!

So if i put my 6 to 8 weekers in this cage....

And then put the cage w/ chickens in my coup for a week or so

That should give them time to acquaint, right? They are still a bit smaller than the rest but i think in snother week they will br comperable in size to some of the younger pullets that are in there now. Am i on the right track?

Just a side note...im using some old dressers or bed side tables as nesting boxes and the girls love them! They were missing some drawers so were pretty much useless otherwise!

 

[yinepu]

What should the humidity be during incubation? I had an egg turner in the incubator, so they were being turned constantly until lockdown.

in Texas.. go dry at the start.. then monitor air cells or weight.. and adjust humidity as needed

that pretty much goes for all species

number = day of incubation (line below the number is where the bottom of the air cell should be)

 

[yinepu]

Alrighty guys and gals!!

So if i put my 6 to 8 weekers in this cage....


And then put the cage w/ chickens in my coup for a week or so


That should give them time to acquaint, right? They are still a bit smaller than the rest but i think in snother week they will br comperable in size to some of the younger pullets that are in there now. Am i on the right track?

Just a side note...im using some old dressers or bed side tables as nesting boxes and the girls love them! They were missing some drawers so were pretty much useless otherwise!

yup.. it may take more than one week depending on your birds.. be sure to move the cage around a bit so the birds get used to the new inhabitants everywhere in the coop.. also monitor them when you do finally release them from the cage.. if they get bullied too much you may have to re-cage for a few days

nice score on the dresser too! congrats!

 

[showbarnmom]

I left the chicken show empty handed