Texas

[parttime]

Welcome to the madness. Any idea what kind of chickens you're looking to have? Meaties, egg layers, dual purpose? Any particular breed or just "whatever does well"?

No idea yet on what breeds, looking for egg layers and meaties. I've really just started researching this week. i have a lot to learn.

 

[Fentressfarmer]

Welcome John,
Well we didn't do to bad yesterday only lost 2 pieces of tin off the old barn I got home and had to screw down about 6 pieces to keep them from blowing off. Guess I'll buy a couple of bags of screws and work on the roof tonight! hope all is well 4 everybody.

 

[Cockle-Dood]

No idea yet on what breeds, looking for egg layers and meaties. I've really just started researching this week. i have a lot to learn.

Welcome! there is plenty to read and learn on here. i just started my first flock, have the chicks in the brooder now! Main portion of my flock are black austrolorps and Barred Rocks...then of course a little eye candy to go along with them! Feel free to ask questions, everyone here has been very willing to help me out with all my crazy questions so far...just hope im not wearing out my welcome!

 

[Cockle-Dood]

Just noticed i graduated from "out of the brooder" to "chillin with my peeps"!!

 

[MommaBee]

Hey friends! Quick question! About to start setting up the incubator for the first time! Nervous to say the least! I've been reading a ton about dry/wet incubation methods and I still feel like I'm clueless. We are up in West TX and aside from the "blizzard" we just got, our humidity up here sits at about oh ummm ZERO! thoughts on which method would work best for us up here around Lubbock. I am just thinking keeping it high might mean filling the wells hourly. Thoughts? Experience?

 

[yinepu]

Hey friends! Quick question! About to start setting up the incubator for the first time! Nervous to say the least! I've been reading a ton about dry/wet incubation methods and I still feel like I'm clueless. We are up in West TX and aside from the "blizzard" we just got our humidity up here sits at about oh ummm ZERO! thoughts on which method would work best for us up here around Lubbock. I am just thinking keeping it high might mean filling the wells hourly. Thoughts? Experience?

start out DRY. If you can see into the eggs candle them before you start incubation and mark the air cells.. if you can not see through the shells with a bright LED light then weigh them

As time goes by (about once a week) candle the eggs or re-weigh them to check for air cell growth /weight loss.. then adjust the humidity if the eggs require it..

Do not follow some cookie cutter idea of what the humidity should be since hygrometers can be inacurate and humidity needs can vary ( shell porosity and the relative humidity in YOUR home). .. let the eggs tell you what they need

 

[Kilsharion]

start out DRY. If you can see into the eggs candle them before you start incubation and mark the air cells.. if you can not see through the shells with a bright LED light then weigh them

As time goes by (about once a week) candle the eggs or re-weigh them to check for air cell growth /weight loss.. then adjust the humidity if the eggs require it..

Do not follow some cookie cutter idea of what the humidity should be since hygrometers can be inacurate and humidity needs can vary ( shell porosity and the relative humidity in YOUR home). .. let the eggs tell you what they need

I'm currently running at 45% humidity for the next few days to try and slow down air cell development. Then I'll drop back to "dry" - my incubator sits ~24-27% without any assistance. I have highly calibrated hygrometers and a humidity control element; but, I've been following Yinepu's statement of running dry unless the eggs tell me to do otherwise. We'll see how it goes

 

[barbg1971]

Hi all. I'm hatching some eggs and I have one little guy that has been trying to get out since yesterday morning. At what point, if at all, should I try to assist him in getting completely out of his shell? Also, are the four that have hatched going to cause any complications with my others that I'm waiting to see if they're going to hatch?

 

[chicken fever]

the others should not cause any problems as with the other 1 I say go with your conscience is he just pipped or has he started to zip? I've had several take a little over 24 hours to hatch out on their own. if you do decide to try and help if you see any blood at all stop and put it back in he's not ready to come out.

Hi all. I'm hatching some eggs and I have one little guy that has been trying to get out since yesterday morning. At what point, if at all, should I try to assist him in getting completely out of his shell? Also, are the four that have hatched going to cause any complications with my others that I'm waiting to see if they're going to hatch?

 

[barbg1971]

I checked on him a minute ago. It appears he got some more shell open but now I don't see any type of movement at all, whereas before I could see the tip of his beak working at the shell. I'm, in all honesty, terrified to mess with him at all for fear I will cause him to die somehow.