The 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[ddhyland]

There were many fantastic entries for this contest! Thank you to everyone that participated.

It was very close, but the winner of the Interesting Places, Funny Antics and Poses of Other Fowl is.............


Sahwithchicks!

Congratulations!​

Congratulations

 

[LBKS]

Having fun with the kill-a-watt meter: one 150 watt brooder heat lamp for indoors costs me about $8 a month to run, and an incubator about $3. In theory if I ran one incubator non stop it'd only be about $35 a year in electricity!

So really the electricity cost to incubate and see a hatch through feathering would run upwards of about $20 assuming I had to run the light for 2 months. Fun math to enable future chicken math!

Found an old lamp that was hemoraging electricity despite CFLs, hoping to find out how bad the dehumidifier is once it runs for a typical 24 hours. Wish I had done this sooner!

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Having fun with the kill-a-watt meter: one 150 watt brooder heat lamp for indoors costs me about $8 a month to run, and an incubator about $3. In theory if I ran one incubator non stop it'd only be about $35 a year in electricity!

So really the electricity cost to incubate and see a hatch through feathering would run upwards of about $20 assuming I had to run the light for 2 months. Fun math to enable future chicken math!

Found an old lamp that was hemoraging electricity despite CFLs, hoping to find out how bad the dehumidifier is once it runs for a typical 24 hours. Wish I had done this sooner!

What kind of incubator? This may help me convince my dh that is not my or the animal's fault or power bill is high

 

[ronott1]

Having fun with the kill-a-watt meter: one 150 watt brooder heat lamp for indoors costs me about $8 a month to run, and an incubator about $3. In theory if I ran one incubator non stop it'd only be about $35 a year in electricity!

So really the electricity cost to incubate and see a hatch through feathering would run upwards of about $20 assuming I had to run the light for 2 months. Fun math to enable future chicken math!

Found an old lamp that was hemoraging electricity despite CFLs, hoping to find out how bad the dehumidifier is once it runs for a typical 24 hours. Wish I had done this sooner!

That is very nice!

I need to try one too.

 

[Cynthia12]

That is funny..congratulations!

 

[NotAFarm]

Wish the sun was shining and I was sipping a cold drink but it is 33 F and has been a mix of rain and snow most of the day........

.......I hope those broodies are sticking to their nests today!

Jelly beans......no instant craving for them.........now chocolate.........

YUM!

 

[piclady]

I'm so excited with my précis for Saturday! Here are last Sunday's babies

 

[Junibutt]

Couple questions, folks.

My son just let his juvenile box turtle go that was in a 10 gallon aquarium, so it is now free for whatever I want...what a good mini brooder that would make, I thought to myself! Here's my problem. I have a smaller heat lamp, I tried using a 60 watt bulb, and the temp inside the aquarium soared to over 120 degrees. So I tried one of those newer twisty lookin' bulbs, and it wouldn't rise above 80. Does anyone use an aquarium as a small brooder? If so, what kind of bulb do you use to make sure it's not too hot, and not too cold?? BTW, there is no way for me to raise the lamp.

Second question. I've noticed over the past few days my bator keeps getting hotter. I've had to turn the dial down almost two whole turns since it started. Is this because, now that the chicks are getting bigger inside the egg, they are producing more heat which rises the temp inside the bator? Or is my thermostat going bad or something?

Final question. I just had a friend of mine give me a hovabator (the styrofoam kind) she doesn't use anymore. Is this something I could use as a 'hatcher'? If so, could someone explain to me how to use a hatcher? I know that sounds like a silly question, but I've never had/used one before, so if someone could tell me all about how to use a hatcher and when, I'd appreciate it. Oh, and explain it to me as if you're trying to explain to a 1st grader LOL.

Aquariums can make very good mini brooders. I used one last year for almost 3 weeks and am using one again already. I had a 10 gallon tank as well which I used for 4 chicks. I however, put the aquarium on top of the hot water heating we have, with a towel in between to prevent direct heat. Also used a standing tall adjustable lamp that could get on top of the aquarium and height & distance could be adjusted from the aquarium. Since it had 4 different color bulbs I switched to different color every day and they loved it. Also left some patches of soft cloth in the aquarium for the chicks to huddle into if they needed to conserve heat.

This time however, I am using a Brinsea Eco Glow brooder which is too big for the aquarium and gives the chicks hardly any place to play around. So I will get rid of it in a couple of days and use my adjustable lamp again.

 

[wondertwinpower]

I candled and pulled clears, quitters, and bloodrings. I'm down to 14 eggs from 54, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that most of these hatch! I also have 2 hens that are broody for the first time, one's a Naked Neck who is sitting on well over 20 eggs (I accidentally dropped one when I was moving her out of the highest-use nesting box into a more private spot, and it was developing ), and the other is a White Rock who is sitting on 6.

 

[ddhyland]

I candled and pulled clears, quitters, and bloodrings. I'm down to 14 eggs from 54, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that most of these hatch! I also have 2 hens that are broody for the first time, one's a Naked Neck who is sitting on well over 20 eggs (I accidentally dropped one when I was moving her out of the highest-use nesting box into a more private spot, and it was developing ), and the other is a White Rock who is sitting on 6.

Yay! Hope they all hatch