Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[jvls1942]

Got my new Brinsea spot check thermometers yesterday. What a disappointment! $20 each for some dinky little plastic. They are suppose to be accurate +/-.1°. Total BS......there is a difference of more than 1 Whole ° !
So which one is codrect. Plus you can't calibrate because it it gets below a certain temp they just read low !

those can be calibrated,,

run some ice cubes in a blender until you have a good cupful or more..
put he crushed ice into a glass and add just a little water,,
poke the thermometer into the crushed ice until the mercury bottoms out,, that will be Oc or 32F

no matter what the number says,, on some therms you can slide the glass tube up or down to make the mercury match 32F

otherwise just take note of what the number is, and either add or subtract the difference between it and 32F,, then add of subtract that number from 99.5 and you use that number for 99.5F.. all you need then is to make a mark and forget about the numbers..

 

[kristip]

I was disappointed on the glass tube thermometer one installed in the brinsea. It reads about 108-110 whereas I put 2 different digital ones in there to test it out and they say 99-99.4. After many hatches in the styrofoam incubator, I feel I need to double and triple test my temps. I slacked last spring on that and I think I had a crazy spike so only a few eggs hatched. I can always use his in my hermit crab tank when done. Anyone into hermits? there is a rescue down in waukesha from someone who passed away and had 4 50 gallon tanks full of little hermity friends... but they prefer experienced people to grab them... I say if you know not to trust everything you read in a book and ask experts...they are super easy pets. and like our little feathery dinosaurs we love...they eat almost anything.

Still love my feathered and furry friends a little more, but fun pet. I would have a houseful of different pets if DH would let me...not gonna happen,. Good thing he does not go in basement much...spare hermit crab tank down there, small critter wire cage and a huge wire bunny cage... could be used for chicks...right!!! sigh...love animals and so does dd8. She sure got my genes.

oh and on the kiddo front...proud moment as he went to the dentist this morning, never had a cavity, but dd is going to get a retainer soon. Probably need braces eventually. I was the only kid out of 4 who just had retainer and no braces. Lets hope she gets away with that too. Better start saving....

 

[EggToast]

Oops signed in under OM ET's account. He wanted to guess in the Easter Hatch along contest. Don't forget to check it out. You can win chicken food. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...nnual-byc-easter-hatchalong/180#post_15023868

 

[DutchClutch]

I am thinking of using this concrete for our coop/run. It's approximately 15 ft by 9 ft. Fill the center to be all concrete? Ring it with hardware cloth to make a fence and put a free standing coop inside of the fencing? I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas!

 

[Amyable]

Speaking of animal hoarders, this week in Waukesha 330 chinchillas were seized and the house they were in deemed uninhabitable. The people were breeding them (and apparently not selling any?!) Wonder if any will be sent to the shelters around here. They are crazy fun little critters.

 

[unkadan]

I am thinking of using this concrete for our coop/run. It's approximately 15 ft by 9 ft. Fill the center to be all concrete? Ring it with hardware cloth to make a fence and put a free standing coop inside of the fencing? I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas!

OR,,,you could have the start of a realllllly cool firepit!

 

[DutchClutch]

That would mean a LOT of marshmallows! We actually have another one closer to the house...could do a fire pit on that one. Lay rock/sand then brick a nice pattern with a center pit....now we are talking!

 

[Kildare49]

Question for the experts. My 2 broodys are in the main coop. As they hatch, should I move broody & chicks to separate coop or leave alone.

Thanks.

 

[bigzio]

Kildare...While others have had luck leaving them, I have not...the adult hens killed the chicks...I always separate them now and avoid losing the chicks and the hens distress.

Dutch...I would leave the coop on the outside of the pen creating more pen room...the coop will be secure and does not need a pen around it...simply build it right tight to the pen and have a pop hole entrance....then have a people door to the pen portion...that's the way I do it, and wouldn't change it.

bigz

 

[DutchClutch]

Thanks BigZ, hadn't thought of that. Assumed the coop would be IN the "rectangle". Also thinking about making a little day pen that we can move around and keep them in when we are outside gardening, etc. Hoping it gives them a little variety and excitement to have an outing