Texas

[Heidisgran]

Quote: AWE Cat....yes she's a good one!!

 

[magpiesing]

I'm using a Farm Innovators 4200 with fan and turner. Not knowing exactly what I'm doing or having anything to compare it to, I like it. I wish I would have just waited and ordered something online that was a little more high tech/digital but again, impulse buy at our local TSC.

Here's a copy of the link that I bought them from:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...d-split-ameraucana-project-eggs#post_13098261

Just from shipping experience and early fertility, I would order from her again, no question. Its probably cheaper to buy chicks from a hatchery or local breeder once you factor in all of the costs but you might be able to A) get breeder quality chicks you might not get from a hatchery B) breeds/colors you won't get from a hatchery C) access to hatching eggs of breeds from all over.

I'm just doing it for fun. We have a new Cream Legbar cockerel that we got from Curtis Hale in Marble Falls, along with a few of his pullets. I was hoping to hatch a couple of turken eggs but I don't think I gave the new guy enough time to make friends with all of the girls before I put eggs in. I added 3 EE bantam eggs that are showing veins, and a few of the Cream Legbar eggs to help judge any hatching differences in the shipped eggs and home eggs, kind of like a control. I believe one of the 2 turken eggs is developing, the other looks to have a blood ring but I'm going to wait until Monday. One Cream Legbar egg looks clear but the others I believe are showing veins.

Yep, I think it was you that posted the kind you bought at TSC. so there are better ones? Guess i should look more. This sounds more like a next spring project, get a little more experience and knowledge before i make the commitment to actually try hatching.

That is so exciting. I was more like the mother hen when we just had the two eggs under Belle. Seeing them growing in there and then seeing their little feet when they were nearly ready to hatch was just so awesome. Wish you all success. Keep us posted.

 

[magpiesing]

I resisted the urge while at TSC buying feed yesterday. They had a handful of barred plymouth rock chicks. That's hubby's favorite chicken. They looked a little care worn and not really active. Part of me wanted to take them home and see how many would make it, but i didn't. the practical side said "You have no place to put them" My other chicks are already 3wks old and would run the little ones down.

I was going to get a couple of chicks to put with my one little hatchling but when I tried to separate it from Belle it was horrible. He peeped a bloomin' fit and Belle was beside herself so I put her back and will let her raise it. Hope those little guys at TS find a good home. I really don't like my practical side sometimes, but it's usually right.

 

[losttexan]

Let the girls out for their first (supervised) free range.

Tentative at first, but then the flapping sprint-runs started!

Cersei

Katlyn and Shae



Danerys (the leader)


Got 16 babies coming on the 14th, so have to get these girls grown and laying!

 

[tjo804]

Quote:
From my experience This is Great in principal but in practice it uses a lot of water and must be emptied 1 or 2 times daily.
I keep the long deep cat litter box pans in my run and in the yard that way If one is dirty then I just change that one 3 hens will easily share 1 litter box of water in the shade in the summer.

 

[magpiesing]

From my experience This is Great in principal but in practice it uses a lot of water and must be emptied 1 or 2 times daily.
I keep the long deep cat litter box pans in my run and in the yard that way If one is dirty then I just change that one 3 hens will easily share 1 litter box of water in the shade in the summer.

Yeah I think I do like that idea better. They would be easier to clean and I can get 3 of those for the price of one of the pools.

 

[SlipsWife]

AWE Cat....yes she's a good one!!

See, impulse shopping paid off!!!

Yep, I think it was you that posted the kind you bought at TSC. so there are better ones? Guess i should look more. This sounds more like a next spring project, get a little more experience and knowledge before i make the commitment to actually try hatching.

That is so exciting. I was more like the mother hen when we just had the two eggs under Belle. Seeing them growing in there and then seeing their little feet when they were nearly ready to hatch was just so awesome. Wish you all success. Keep us posted.

I like it, don't get me wrong. I just wish there was a digital way to adjust the temp, something that give you a little more control. If there was an upgrade to replace the knob with a digital option, I wouldn't have any real complaint. It holds temps a lot better with eggs in it. I was going to try rocks in it to give it something to heat, sterilized, but pretty much figured I'd just go with it and stop over thinking it.

Oh, and I'm not sure I would put any eggs in the spots right next to the turner motor. The thermometer I have on that side is showing warmer than the other side. It might not be a big enough difference to cause an issue. So scratch that, next hatch, I will put eggs next to it and mark them to see if it makes a difference.

 

[magpiesing]

I'm just trying to plan ahead cause it's gonna be hot before we know it. i want to do all i can to keep my flock cool and healthy through the heat. My pen is about half shaded but will get alot of sun later in the afternoon, Have a large mulberry limb that I was gonna cut off last year because it shaded my garden...glad i didn't now, it will provide alot of shade for my chickens. I'm hoping the coop and barn will shade them some in the afternoon.

 

[SlipsWife]

From my experience This is Great in principal but in practice it uses a lot of water and must be emptied 1 or 2 times daily.
I keep the long deep cat litter box pans in my run and in the yard that way If one is dirty then I just change that one 3 hens will easily share 1 litter box of water in the shade in the summer.

Yeah I think I do like that idea better. They would be easier to clean and I can get 3 of those for the price of one of the pools.

I think I've seen dish buckets at dollar tree that might work. That's a good idea and a lot cheaper for seasonal water areas than what we've been doing.

We've been using large rubber type feeding buckets for their water, along with a couple of waterers from TSC. One thing I know for sure, our chickens will not leave the front of our property to go to the back for water. If there's not water where they are, they won't go hunt it down. Last summer we bought an extra waterer just to have one up front. Due to chicken math, our extras are all being used but I don't want to spend a lot of $ on more waters. Of course there's the ducks to think of too...why do we have ducks?!

Oh yeah, they were so cute and the kids fell in love...

 

[magpiesing]

I think I've seen dish buckets at dollar tree that might work. That's a good idea and a lot cheaper for seasonal water areas than what we've been doing.

We've been using large rubber type feeding buckets for their water, along with a couple of waterers from TSC. One thing I know for sure, our chickens will not leave the front of our property to go to the back for water. If there's not water where they are, they won't go hunt it down. Last summer we bought an extra waterer just to have one up front. Due to chicken math, our extras are all being used but I don't want to spend a lot of $ on more waters. Of course there's the ducks to think of too...why do we have ducks?!

Oh yeah, they were so cute and the kids fell in love...

Oh I would so love to have ducks!!! It was all I could do not to buy any when I got my chicks. I just don't want ducks without some kind of pond for them. I know you can but they love water and many feed in the water. The folks have sort of a pond. It's a 23 ft in ground pool that we filled with gold fish because no one swam in it anymore. Ducks would love it but I don't think their dogs would care for the ducks...darn!