Zane and Shadow...Roommates? (Cute Pic, post #79)

[Cetawin]

Well I got it on all my fingers and the palms of my hands...I washed it off about 3 minutes or so after I realized what I had done...but the next day I was in agony. Excruciating stomach cramps. Scared the tar out of me until I figured out what it was. So

that you did not get enough on your skin to affect you.


I got the little Smithfield (I think is the name) hygrometer from wal-mart...it is a rectangular shaped grey jobby. Cyn told me how to calibrate it with a ziploc baggie, salt and a tad of water. When she hopes on in the morning, she can tell you how to do that I am not sure about the details now. I know you take a shallow dish and put salt in it (she will tell you how much) then you add water to make it wet but not soupy (she again can tell you how much), slide the entire bowl into a ziploc baggie, sit the hygrometer in the baggie with the bowl but not touching the salt, seal it and leave it undisturbed for I think 8 - 12 hours. She can tell you the specifics on how to determine the difference from reading it. I was an idiot and did not write it all down. hahahahaha

The little cheapy thing worked fine, mine was 7% off so I just adjusted my humidity so that it read 7% off from what I wanted. Example if you want it to say 10% and it calibrates at 7% different than adjust the humidity so that the hygrometer reads the additional 7% hugher or low that the calibration idicated.

Whew....she can explain much much better than I.


PS: in Wal-Mart I found the hygrometer where the rain gauges were.

As for the bator info...no idea. When Cyn said she had sent me eggs, I hopped online, found the best deal I could on a Hovabator Genesis, got out the credit card and select express shipping! Here are the results

from R to L - my EE crosses Draco, Severus, Penelope and Sirius in the back

My little Fattie, From Cyn's Delawares Kira and Isaac

My Little Cannonball, From Cyn's Delawares Isaac and we think Phoebe & that pretty Blue girl is Athena, daughter of Cyn's BBS Orps Smoky and Suede

And the topper to it all .... My Thor. Also Cyn's BBS Orps Son of her beautiful boy Suede and Ms. Smoky

So, she knows her hygrometer stuffs, if not I would not have such beautiful healthy brats ummmmm babies yes babies is the word

 

[speckledhen]

All you do is put a small bowl or cup of wet salt (some say 1/2 c salt to 1/4 c. water, but like wet sand) in a ziplock bag with your hygrometer so you don't get any of the wet on the hygro. Seal it up. In minimum 8 hours, it should say 75%. You can leave it in up to 12 hours, but 8-9 is fine. If it reads 70%, then you know that it's 5% too low. So, when you put it in the bator and it reads 40%, that is really 45%.

 

[joletabey]

Serrin, just admit your addiction- just admit it and incubate away!!!!!

I gotta quit reading this, or I will end up getting a bator myself. No, Beth, NO, NO, NO!!!!

 

[OrpingtonManor]

I can't help at all, but I'll happily watch!

 

[ozark hen]

Oh, dear, makes me want to get the bators out and "warm" them up

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
**Furiously begins scribbling down the important stuff about Hygrometers** OK! Got it!! Thank you very much Cyn! And Cetawin too! I hadn't even given it a moments thought that these might not be properly calibrated right off of the shelf. It sounds like that could have been a real bad thing had y'all not told me! Thank you!!

Heaven only knows how long it's going to take me in getting around to getting a hygrometer. I don't get out much or often (can ya tell?

) so this is going to be rather frustrating. It's really the only thing holding me up at this point...ummm..with the possible exception of eggs!

Cetawin...right there! Yeah! That big fluffy gentleman on your lap! THAT is my goal! Hens, yes, of course one always wants hens! But the Coup De Gras will be a big handsome, gentle, sweet natured, gorgeous, good provider type ROOSTER!!! And by the sounds of things, about the only way I'm ever going to end up with one is through hatching eggs!

In the four years now that we've been enjoying the company of chickens, we have yet to, accidentally or otherwise, acquire a roo!

Let's face it..the hatcheries do everything they can to cull the roos out before they even send the chicks along to the feed stores. Because everyone wants hens!

Well not me! Dang it! I want a roo!!!!

I want to experience the joy of watching my big fella chase off intruders...I wanna see him call to his girls and cuddle up with his favorite lady at the end of a long day....I want to witness this big intimidating roo let his offspring treat him as some sort of mobile amusement park by climbing all over him. I want to watch that interaction of him with the young-uns as he finds something particularly good in the compost heap! I've read so many stories here about roo's and their antics and attitudes. And I want to be a part of that! To me, having a roo will take chicken companionship to a whole new level!

And before anyone starts to lecture me on the realities of life and that not all roos are like this, let me say that I am fully aware of that fact. Who knows? I might have to hatch out a hundred eggs (Oh! Perish the thought!

) before I finally get my ideal roo! But, that's a risk I'm more than willing to take!

I just want a wonderful ROO!!!!

** I think I know what Cyn is thinking right about now.....when is that woman ever gonna shut up and quit hijacking my thread???!!!**

Sorry Cyn....I get on a track and have a heck of a hard time getting off of it!

 

[Cetawin]

Serrin...it is going to be great. It is very different when you hatch them. I admit I was a bad hatcher... I could not let them stay in the bator for hours alone so I would scoop them up when they are pretty much dry and take them to brooder and then play with them under the heat lamp.


Cyn how is that handsome sweet boy Zane today? Is he getting any sunshine to bask in?



Side Note Edit - Notice how no one has stepped in to save Beth from heself and no one is offering words of stength to avoid the bator? uh huh She came to the wrong place for support in her goal to NOT hatch her own babies.

 

[Serrin]

Quote:

Nope! And she ain't gonna get any discouragement from me either!

On a very sad note:
I lost Rosie, my little BR, sister of LizzyBeth and Rachel today. Now Rachel is the only one of that breed left to me now.

If I ever get my hands on that #%@&^#$ DOG it will die! I wish I knew just who that rotten animal belonged to!

They were all fine and dandy this afternoon, enjoying what little sunshine we had today. I checked on them around 2:30 pm and had a full head count. Then at 3:30 when I went to call them all in for the day, Rosie didn't answer me.

I looked all over the place. Finally found what little remained of her on the east side of the house, and it's blatantly obvious it was a canine attack. Feathers everywhere and dog foot prints in the mud that were in no way possible for my dog to make. Jasper's feet are huge! This rotten mutt's feet are much, much smaller than his. I know it wasn't a coyote either, as again, the print size is all wrong. Besides, I'm pretty familiar with this little &#$@$#*& foot print. He's the same one that killed Gimpy Girl and Lacey.

So, now I have even more reason, as well as desire, to hatch my own. I'm down to just 8 girls now. And one more reason to want...no...NEED a roo! I need another set of eyes to raise a ruckus the next time that dog comes prowling around!

Ooooh! I want that dog's head on a platter in the worst way! And his owners head right next to his for allowing this terror to run free in the neighborhood.

Don't worry folks. I'll be ok. Not going to do anything rash. But, if the stupid animal comes anywhere on our land, and I'm there to see him, his life ends at that very moment!

And here I was thinking maybe the owners had gotten rid of the dog. We hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since mid October. I guess that's what I get for doing my own thinking!

 

[speckledhen]

Don't even get me started on irresponsible dog owners! Grrrrrrr!

Ladyhawk, Zane is doing well. He was in the sunshine today and got a bowl of scrambled eggs and yogurt.

 

[Cetawin]

Serrin I am so so sorry about your girlie. I will say it plainly because I never mince words...if you see the dog SHOOT the sob and keep shooting until it does not move! I believe in warning an owner once and trying to figure out who owns it...if I cannot find out and it comes here it is shot before it gets into my run, coop or even chases a free ranging chicken. My property and I will not have someone's dog on my property attacking or attempting to harm any of my pets...I WILL NOT have it. I hope you do get a good roo but with that dog, a good roo will sacrifice himself for the girls so you will still suffer a great loss. Get rid of that chicken killer first chance you get.

Irresponsible dog owners should be beaten and stuck in a kennel at the pound!

YAY Zane got some sunshine basking...that precious sweetie pie. Rub his wattles for me and tell him I will meet him this summer....and I shall come bearing treats!