The 7th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long!

[slordaz]

Love love your RIR in your avatar!

Ty I do too he's such a gentleman with the girls unlike our BR terror, the BR's saving grace is he will kill anything that upsets his hens. My eggs are a barn yard mix unless it's the BR's eggs, the 4 RIR's I got all turned out to be roosters so had to get rid of 2, 1 of those killed the other one, and only kept this handsome guy,
our hens are :
BR
BO
WLH
BLH
BS
Amerecuana
This is the 2 from different hatches in November being introduced to the flock and getting aclimatized to outside weather , need to not hatch so many cockrels lol


This is the BR over a BO hen result

Thats what she looked like at 3 days old, she is on the left along with one of the BR cockrels

 

[Penny Hen]

Thanks!! I'll definitely check out the threads! I was just looking at a few though after sally posted some and I think my problem looking at is theres just SO much info. I will try to read as much as possible though!! But sometimes it's hard to sift through, you know? But I will definitely look! And I'll have to look into that!! Thanks

If you get one of the STC-1000 thermostats just be careful not to overstrip your wires that you insert into it. Only strip them an 8th of an inch. The connections are really close and make it easy for bare wire to arc the electricity. You should also use solid core wire instead of twisted wire cores on the wires that will go into the STC-1000 for the same reason. The lovely thing about this thermostat is that even though I messed up the wiring (by overstriping) the first time and caused and arc it didn't fry the thermostat only the wires. I replaced the wires and the thermostat was fine. It is a finely built piece.

Number 14 in wire sizes. One of the hardest things I had to wrap my head around is interpreting an electrical schematic into a real life physical objects. I found it helpful to figure out first where in the box/cooler that I wanted the heat source (light bulb or heating element) then the fan and then the thermostat. Do that though after you place your egg trays in so that you don't miss estimate how much space you have and get things too close. When you figure out where everything will go take out the egg trays and draw the footprint that your hardware will take up. Then look at the electrical schematic. You will have bought different colored wires to match those in the schematic. The wire isn't expensive so it is always better to have more than you are going to use than less. Use colored Magic Markers to draw the connections on your cooler/box itself All the wires except the temperature probe will be mounted to the walls anyway. Then you can measure just how much length you need to cut each wire. Wire nuts are your friends. They join all the different wires together. People talk about electricity flowing and it does very much like water. That idea can help you keep some of the arrangement making sense. The flow is not always straight line but more of a downhill kind of idea.

And I find that the only thing more addicting than hatching is making incubators because when it all works and the temps hold and hatch is good your fingers begin to twitch for a reason to make another. Like I think I need a small back up incubator in case the electricity fails and I need to move the eggs.

 

[Eps32]

The chicks in there new mansion. I think they love it. I was tired from building it. But seeing the little ones happy worth every blood sweat and tear!!!

 

[misfit acres]

Okay, so we are suppose to get this big snow storm...... My test chicks are due to hatch tomorrow....... What happens if we lose power tonight??? This is my first time incubating. Thanks in advance! Blessings!

 

[Eps32]

Okay, so we are suppose to get this big snow storm......  My test chicks are due to hatch tomorrow.......  What happens if we lose power tonight???  This is my first time incubating.  Thanks in advance!  Blessings!

Do you have a generator that's the best. But also a gas stove to heat water to put in water bottles to keep your temps up. I saw a great post a while back can't remember from who. But she/he put the eggs wrapped in something in the stove cracked open with many candles at the bottom to keep heat up. Just keep a close watch not to start a fire. Best think you can do it prepare for the worse and have a plan ready incase. So your not running around panicking. But this is the reason I bought a generator I lost eggs and chicks with no heat lamps when that snow storm hit. Power went out for three days. But there is ways to try to keep temps ups kerosine heaters etc..

 

[misfit acres]

Do you have a generator that's the best. But also a gas stove to heat water to put in water bottles to keep your temps up. I saw a great post a while back can't remember from who. But she/he put the eggs wrapped in something in the stove cracked open with many candles at the bottom to keep heat up. Just keep a close watch not to start a fire. Best think you can do it prepare for the worse and have a plan ready incase. So your not running around panicking. But this is the reason I bought a generator I lost eggs and chicks with no heat lamps when that snow storm hit. Power went out for three days. But there is ways to try to keep temps ups kerosine heaters etc..

Okay, thanks! I think I can get access to a little generator. Think I will go get it for that "just in case"! Thanks!!!!

 

[ChickenGrass]

My power was gone yesturday
For 6 hours because they were fixing
The electricity wires and I got a generator
And the chicks are all fine.
I hope your chicks will be ok

 

[Eps32]

Okay, thanks!  I think I can get access to a little generator.  Think I will go get it for that "just in case"!  Thanks!!!!

Ya really the generator is a life saver literally good luck.

 

[misfit acres]

My power was gone yesturday
For 6 hours because they were fixing
The electricity wires and I got a generator
And the chicks are all fine.
I hope your chicks will be ok

Thanks!! Hoping we don't loose power, but better to be safe!!

Ya really the generator is a life saver literally good luck.

Thank you!!

 

[Eps32]

Okay, so we are suppose to get this big snow storm......  My test chicks are due to hatch tomorrow.......  What happens if we lose power tonight???  This is my first time incubating.  Thanks in advance!  Blessings!

Also I know this is random. But if you have a well pump hooked to your electric. Fill up your bath tubs. Nothing's worse then not being able to flush your toilets. I forgot once and had to walk to the pond and fill up buckets it was terrible. Just thought I would throw that in. Wouldn't want anyone to have to go threw what I went through that time.