The big cheese hatch-a-long

[CrazyForMyPeeps802]

Let's grow Cheese chickies! Let's go Colby!

 

[Slothinc]

Oooh I will take Bleu please!!! I love blue creams!

 

[5.3acredream]

Babies are comfy cozy in the incubator and holding steady at temp. My humidity is about 35% right now, I just added another sponge square to be safe. I figure if I bounce around it shouldn't matter too much since people seem to incubate between 35% and 50% humidity, and in theory, hens hatch outdoors so humidity is variable. I will do a weigh-in on day 7 to see if we are on track.

My son turned the babies 3 times during the day (yay!!!) and I resumed when I got home. I woke up again in the middle of the night the peeps got another turn out of my restlessness, plus my 5 am turn this morning.

I upgraded their fan set up by finally getting long pieces of all-thread so I could install the fan on the incubator wall safely above future hatchlings instead of propped on the floor like I had it.

I put the eggs in the incubator on Friday night, so I think I am going to attempt to candle them this afternoon. The anticipation is KILLING ME.

I just need to build my brooder now, which is more a matter of getting materials than anything else. Since I have 9 more potential chicks than I anticipated, I need quite a larger brooder than I planned. I'm tempted to plan for it to be an outdoor brooder since it is going to be so substantial in size (these guys are going to grow out pretty well since my current flock had adult standards and bantams). I have a shed half-finished right next to the coop so I might put it in there for extra protection.

 

[Chickadee7790]

Grow baby cheese eggs, grow!!

 

[ChickenChick46]

Babies are comfy cozy in the incubator and holding steady at temp. My humidity is about 35% right now, I just added another sponge square to be safe. I figure if I bounce around it shouldn't matter too much since people seem to incubate between 35% and 50% humidity, and in theory, hens hatch outdoors so humidity is variable. I will do a weigh-in on day 7 to see if we are on track.

My son turned the babies 3 times during the day (yay!!!) and I resumed when I got home. I woke up again in the middle of the night the peeps got another turn out of my restlessness, plus my 5 am turn this morning.

I upgraded their fan set up by finally getting long pieces of all-thread so I could install the fan on the incubator wall safely above future hatchlings instead of propped on the floor like I had it.

I put the eggs in the incubator on Friday night, so I think I am going to attempt to candle them this afternoon. The anticipation is KILLING ME.

I just need to build my brooder now, which is more a matter of getting materials than anything else. Since I have 9 more potential chicks than I anticipated, I need quite a larger brooder than I planned. I'm tempted to plan for it to be an outdoor brooder since it is going to be so substantial in size (these guys are going to grow out pretty well since my current flock had adult standards and bantams). I have a shed half-finished right next to the coop so I might put it in there for extra protection.

Do you have an idea in mind for a brooder? I plan to build an outdoor space eventually as well, since our climate is mild most of the year.

My current (and first, yay!) chicks are inside our home, and they're in a an old pack and play style baby playpen. My neighbor has a shed as well, and she's got multiple pack and plays set up in it. They're kind of arranged around the perimeter so there is easy access to each one from the entrance. She's got the heat lamps hanging above them all, and shelving built behind everything for supplies. I was blown away by her setup. There are fans and ventilation cut into the walls too. She's got chicks and poults of varying ages in each one.

I had considered building brooders, but honestly, I will probably stick with this playpen idea. They're mesh and I love that I can see through the sides to monitor my babies under the brooder plate. They're a great size, and they're easy to spray down and hose off to disinfect after the chicks are out of it. Plus, they're usually easily found and cheap in thrift stores, consignment shops, Craigslist, etc.

I'm loving this thread, by the way. Thanks for sharing the cheese babies with us! Let's go babies!! Pulling for you, Asiago!

 

[TwoCrows]

Good morning Cheese Eggies! Let's all keep growing!!!

 

[5.3acredream]

Do you have an idea in mind for a brooder? I plan to build an outdoor space eventually as well, since our climate is mild most of the year.

My current (and first, yay!) chicks are inside our home, and they're in a an old pack and play style baby playpen. My neighbor has a shed as well, and she's got multiple pack and plays set up in it. They're kind of arranged around the perimeter so there is easy access to each one from the entrance. She's got the heat lamps hanging above them all, and shelving built behind everything for supplies. I was blown away by her setup. There are fans and ventilation cut into the walls too. She's got chicks and poults of varying ages in each one.

I had considered building brooders, but honestly, I will probably stick with this playpen idea. They're mesh and I love that I can see through the sides to monitor my babies under the brooder plate. They're a great size, and they're easy to spray down and hose off to disinfect after the chicks are out of it. Plus, they're usually easily found and cheap in thrift stores, consignment shops, Craigslist, etc.

I'm loving this thread, by the way. Thanks for sharing the cheese babies with us! Let's go babies!! Pulling for you, Asiago!

If I can convince my husband to let me devote shed space... I'd like to build it into the new shed but make it so I can convert it to a workbench against the wall when not in use. Then it won't feel like we wasted the area and materials. I quick drew it out so you can get an idea.

 

[GreenJay]

Let's grow cheese chicks!
Go Muenster!

 

[Chickenpoonumber2]

Go pepper jack!!

 

[BoundlessLove]

If you need something temporary for this hatch, you could use two XL dog cages put together so they have double room to run when they get the zoomies.
I put cardboard around the inside along the bottom halfway up and on the inside of the door. This keeps the little one from getting through and also keeps the shavings inside.
We usually find these cages at yard sales or second hand stores.