YO GEORGIANS! :)

[Tabasco Jack]

Hey that gives me an idea. What about at Home Depot or Lowes they have that insulation foam board. I have extra bits and bobs of boards and plywood. I guess it could be made out of wood or that foam board I could make my own size as your mentioned instead of a regular drink cooler.

You can get 2" thick 4' x 8' boards in pink or blue. depends on which store you go to. $30 - $40 a sheet if i remember correctly.

 

[PapaChaz]

I have two styrofoam containers that my DHs Omaha steaks came in. Anyone want them?

YES! I will get them when the chicks come, and if anyone around me wants one they are welcome to it when I get back with them

 

[PapaChaz]

That's why I bought two incubators. I can do multiple hatches. I incubate them in one and the hatch them in another. The hatching one can be inexpensive and no need for a turner, I also have a mini bator (those ones that hold 7 eggs) so that I can hatch them when situations come up like yours. I have two eggs in there now. One that is pipping, and one that has about 4 more days. My broody hens let other hens lay their eggs with theirs and sometimes, even tho I mark them, I let a hen sit on them too long without picking her up and checking for new eggs. I just can't throw them out if I see any development in them, so I throw them in the mini bator.

I think any homemade incubator will end up costing you as much or more than just going ahead and buying one when you consider all the little parts you need to get.

you're probably right when you get right down to it, all the small parts combined, the fan, the wiring, a heat source, a thermostat. All that will add up to almost what the cheap one at TSC is and it's already put together. Now if you happen to have some of those parts laying around....Like I have an old electric water heater in my scrap pile, so there's a thermostat and a heating element. I have rolls of wire, I have several 12 volt condensers from old chargers that will work for running the fan, I have some leftover pieces of hardware cloth for a shelf and plenty of pallet wood stacked up to make the shelf frame from...... The local computer shop will sell me a cooling fan for a computer for a few bucks, so yeah I can build one cheap if I get the box, like a styrofoam steak shipping box or something similar. maybe a cheap cooler from walmart or something.

Plus I have nothing BUT time and am always looking for something to do to keep busy and/or out of trouble.

 

[PapaChaz]

Thanks, that is what I am trying to figure out. I'm handy which helps me know just enough to weigh out the part/labor cost vs purchase price of ready made. I only need an alternative for hatching as my current incubator is forced air with a turner i good to get the show started. One factor is that this is my first glitch with multiple hatch dates and I don't hatch often.

you basically just need a container, a heat source and a way to regulate it, a humidity source and a way to monitor it and air flow.

now, having thought about this for a while, basically my brooder is an open top rubbermaid tote. The heat light above it I move up and down to raise lower the heat for the chicks. water in a bowl or wet sponges as GAM pointed out and a hygrometer for monitoring from the reptile section of the pet store and voila, why wouldn't that work? My broody didn't have a fan over her keeping the air circulating when she hatches out chicks, LOL

I also plan on putting dividers in my hatchery so I can separate the eggs and band them so I can tell them apart. When you're hatching out AM eggs that could be blue or black, and have some AM/Black Australorp crosses in there as well, they can be hard to tell apart the first few days, can't they KAT? lol

 

[OohLaLa]

Sounds like several great ideas. I know when I sit down with pen and paper and start drawing out plans my Dear Sweet Hubby begins to get antsy. I have yet to figure that out as I am the one building things. Maybe he is worried it will be yet another chicken coop, poor thing he wont be far off as I am about to build my turkey coop

 

[carcar80]

Well, I've had a good run with it and almost scoffed at the nay-sayers.. But I woke up at 5:00 this morning to the sounds of screaming bantams. Opened the bathroom window and shined a light out.. to see a 100+lb white dog standing INSIDE the bantam run with his front feet in the doorway of the coop.

Yelled for hubby and he grabbed his gun and we went out. There was a second, smaller dog off to the side, certainly the lookout, lol. Anyway the big dog of course panicked. At one point he was sitting square in front of hubby through the wire with the gun aimed at his big head. Hubby asked me what I wanted, so I started counting birds. All were high up on a ledge except for two which were near the dog but not hurt. So as I told hubby to just go get a leash instead, the dog made a run for it through the hole he came in.

I could just die. Had that been my Brahma pen, all would've been lost with those big clumsy things. Anyway, we moved all the bantams into a four-side wood coop (where the Brahmas usually lay) and locked the Brahmas out of it. Gave them a portable laying box and stacked stuff all around their run- trash can, wheelbarrow, cages.. Just junk to try and divert attention I guess.

I really don't think the dogs were after chickens, otherwise he could've HAD this two Banty hens.. However if he'd gotten a taste or if I hadn't gotten there sooner..

So. That's my day so far. Hubby is gonna go out after daylight and measure for hardware cloth. Do you guys think putting it on the bottom few feet should suffice? That's what I've read anyway. At least it'll be better for now and we can slowly work on the rest.

We will call AC when they open, and I told hubby he should call our neighbor and tell him if he's around today to listen for a fuss over here. Which, bless his heart, will likely bring him to every egg celebration the girls have.

Pics

The pop door he was trying to get into. The ledge up top is where most of the birds roost except for one roo and two hens who sleep right inside that doorway. That roo was in a laying box inside and those two hens were the ones beside the dog. Underneath on that back wall of wire to the left is where he came in

The hole from inside

From outside. and there was another place he tried first. Didn't get a pic of it though.

 

[carcar80]

@ericinga I don't know which side of town you are on, but this was a big solid white/cream lab mix and a medium size collie/Aussie build/coat type, brown and white.

 

[Flowerbh]

Carcar, So glad you got there in time! Our hardware cloth goes down 12" into the ground and then turns out to make an "L". Prevents predators from digging under, too.

 

[carcar80]

Carcar, So glad you got there in time! Our hardware cloth goes down 12" into the ground and then turns out to make an "L". Prevents predators from digging under, too.

Me too. Yeah, our first priority of course is to reinforce the lower portion. Then I definitely want to do a skirt as well. I just can't believe this, yet I can. Hubby and I were JUST this weekend talking about needing to revamp the wire situation. Ugh.

I just hope I don't end up regretting sparing that dog's life. Owners just don't understand what trouble they get into running free, just by being dogs.

 

[rossfam06]

[COLOR=333333]Hey everyone![/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]I was actually wondering if I could ask a few questions of you Georgians.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]First a little background: My fiance and I are living outside the US, and we plan to move to the states in a few years. I'm from NY, lived in NC 7 years before moving to Sweden to be with him. I'm looking into states in the US that I'd like to live in (ultimately we'll end up where he gets a job as a software developer/engineer, but I can push him to look harder in the states I deem "worthy").   [/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]I figure who better to ask about living in Georgia than actual Georgians?  [/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]-[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]What's it like living in Georgia? (Are the people friendly, is the weather nice, etc!)[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]How's the cost of living in Georgia?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]How's the cost of houses/land in Georgia? (ie, can we get a nice little house with a basement and an acre or 2 of property for a decent price)[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333][COLOR=373E4D]Are there any bad weather extremes in Georgia that are somewhat "common"[/COLOR][COLOR=373E4D]?[/COLOR] [COLOR=373E4D](like how Florida gets hurricanes and Cali gets brush fires and earthquakes)[/COLOR][/COLOR]


[COLOR=333333]I've been looking around the north-eastern area of Georgia, Augusta area in particular since my parents live a little north of Charlotte, North Carolina so I'd only be a few hours drive from them![/COLOR]


[COLOR=333333][COLOR=373E4D]Thanks in advance to anyone who answers and helps me build my case for living in Georgia![/COLOR][/COLOR]

1) I moved her about 6 years ago from Alaska where I lived for 16 years. I grew up in Alaska and it was all I knew. I do have to say I had a major culture shock moving to Savannah, GA. But I love it. The warm sun, beaches and fun things to do. Everything is pretty close malls, and downtown. Now there is crime downtown but it's our historical section ...also there is crime everywhere.

2) Cost of living is pretty low. Gas is 1.60 per gallon. I feel it's lower than average.

3) Cost of land depends on where you look. Islands are more expensive and are older homes. The lots are smaller also. If you go out to say Pooler or Bloomingdale you could get a nice plot of land for decent and build your own house on it. However I think due to possible flood potential being so close to shore that we don't have basments. ;/

4) we also get hurricanes but we get lucky and it's been years since Savannah has been hit. So mainly we get thunderstorms and possible windstorms. Nothing really more than that.

I hope that helps you in determining where you want to live!!! Good luck!