Thank you for your opinion on it. We are building a new shed and all extra $$ is going to that. When its done, my chickens will gain our current 10X12 ft shed for more space. So i hope by spring to get the R-com. The r-com 20 is fine for me because i dont have a huge yard and should never even fill the r-com. I currently use broody silkies til i have my r-com. I have an antique awesome barber chair that i am going to try to sell on ebay....... if i was able to sell that i would buy my r-com immediately :) I'm glad to have seen your pic because i really was nervous to spend that much without hearing some feedback.
I might come up with a few questions before i make the purchase, Thank you, Wendy
What's In YOUR Incubator??
I am using the RCom to hatch silkies whom, I hope, will become broody! Then I can use it as backup!
Thats basically why i want one......... i had a silkie abandon eggs with only 3 days left. I put them in a bunny cage with a heat lamp and all hatched. I know i got lucky having no humidity, but its all i could do. I have 3 broody silkies right now, it seems when one goes, they all go.
But when you need one, it seems nobody wants to be involved. But i fear the styrofoam is too easy to hurt. So i would rather start with a good incubator in the first place. Silkies are the best anyway....... overall they are great and will mother anything you give them.
My biggest fear is that having the r-com in my possession will morph me into a hatching monster :)
This message was edited Oct 19, 2008 2:33 PM
Yes, I cannot lie....it was my intent to have 2 or 3 chickens in the beginning....
I bought a Hava Bator 1602 and I wish I hadn't. I would have been better off to just get a light bulb and a box. I am so sick of fighting with it.
I built a wooden holding type box around the 'bator which has helped a lot to maintain the temps, but this thing is a piece of junk.
I am going to build myself a nice, wooden incubator over the winter and have some bells and whistles in it of my own.
Wish I could afford the Rcom 20. Looks like a very nice, almost set it and forget it, incubator.
I have set some Salmon Favorelle's right now and I am holding my breath. If I loose these eggs, I am going to do my version of a Mexican Hat Dance on the Hovabator I have.....
CS
Hi copperstone, I have some Salmon Faverolles in my Little Giant right now. Where did you get yours?
I've had okay luck with the Little Giant--but there is no denying I've had my eye on a Brinsea for some time now.
I've built two incubators out of styrofoam shipping boxes and they work pretty well--although I haven't carried an incubation through for the full time. I've used them to start eggs when the LG was full and I always use them as hatchers. Small computer fans available at Radio Shack or cannibalized from an old computer (can't you just see a run on junk computers by chicken heads) work extremely well for forced air. The only drawback is the hand turning--and if I could find a big enough styrofoam box I would put a purchased one in. The other advantage is that you can take them apart if the box becomes too contaminated (which I've heard can happen with styrofoam) and just re-use the parts in a new box.
There is a site with a picture of a homemade wooden incubtor and instructions on how to build it on the Net somewhere. Have you seen it?
Thank you Catscan.
I got my SF's from Ebay. Her username is frogmanatbac.
These eggs are the biggest eggs for bantums I have ever seen. I hope they are what she advertised. Supposed to be bantums.
Hopefully these will hatch ok. If they turn out to be the standard size of SF's I won't complain but then again, I won't buy from her again. I wanted bantum's. I can't wait for these to hatch.
However, the egg quality is fantastic. Big beautiful eggs that just look terrific. I have tried to hook up a computer fan but no luck so far. And I build computer's too.
Just isn't my day for that bator I guess. I hate that thing and as soon as I can it's going by the wayside.
And yes, I have many different web sites and printed off the instructions for making some good incubators. My Mom always just used a shoe box in front of the kitchen stove. I don't how she did it either. Just seems to have a sixth sense about it.
Opps I see I spelled it wrong. sorry. It's Hovabator.
I am wondering if anyone has ever seen and how it was built: a oil lamp fired hot water heated incubator?
And, if someone might have some ideas how a person can make/build a turner that is manual, allows the eggs to be lain in a "natural" position, yet will turn all of the eggs at one time with the turning lever outside the incubator?
CS
Wow that Dutch is gorgeous!!
Does everyone raise chickens for the eating eggs, hatching eggs, stock for the buyers, stock for themselves or what????
I notice that most people have a few eggs in the bator, but others have quite a few. I am just curious about this.
CS
I raise them for eating eggs mostly, and some hatching eggs. A few roosters go to freezer camp I guess.
Hooray! Today I got 12 light brahma eggs on ovabid.com. Just in time I think - soon it will be too cold to be shipping eggs to Iowa. I am very excited about these because my current light brahmas are old chickens - I think 7 years old, and not laying any more.
I hatch for profit only and replacement breeders i hatch when my hens are laying and thats about only 5 times a year but i hatch between 40 to 60 eggs per hatch i don't stagger my hatch's.
I also natural hatch which is useing a broody hen i can get 10 eggs under a hen and should get at least nine to hatch.
If i'm in a pinch and need hatching eggs i know breeders in my area and they sometimes will give me eggs.
I sell chicks ocasionaly and my chickens when they are 4 months and during the spring to the fall i have between 150 to 200 chickens and have had 250 before.
My total volume fluctuates thru out the year.
Looks like the hatching egg season is starting to wind down. I sure hope I can get my eggs I want next month. Going to get another shipment of This time purebred as possible, Serama's and also hopefully some Copper Marans. I had also wanted to get hatch out some Rare Wyandottes. Maybe next year on those though.
I wanted some fresh eggs that weren't medicated and doped up. But then I looked on Ebay and seen some Serama hatching eggs and went for it. The chickens I have now from that set are doing very well, but are obviously Americans.
I will not represent my hatching eggs to be anything other than what they are. They are Americans and then I will have purebred's.
The Copper Marans I want to start my own line and the SF's I have always loved their little bearded faces. heheheee
Mostly I want the fresh eggs. And then if I can sell enough to be able to just pay for their feed and keep during the winter I'll call it very square. wooohoooo
CS
I too would like to hatch for profit but for the next couple of years, I am just going to concentrate on stock and improvements on layers. Then I hope to have some nice eggs from fine stock to offer.
However, having fresh eggs sounds good to me too. yummmyyy omlets, fried eggs for breakfast, oh yeahhhh. :D
CS
I have a ton of eggs in my incubators because I am out of control and in contact with far too many enablers.
What are the major breeds you have hatching eggs for Catscan?
Oh dear--I, in the city with less than one quarter acre, have currently in my incubators:
Blue Copper Marans
Silkies
Dutch Bantams
Ameraucanas (so called)
Auracanas
Black Jersey Giants
Black Sumatras
Salmon Faverolles
"Giant" Blue Cochins
And have ordered:
OEGs
Blue/Black/Splash Marans
Speckled Sussex
And am waiting on the breeders for: Porcelain Mille Fleur Dutch Bantams
More Nankins
Please, Don't tell my parents!
Enablers? LOL
Here at OCD Farms.. Mother Bird only buys chicks and hatching eggs..
Fresh eggs are donated by kind chicken heads like Catscan.
You should have seen the look of confusion on ZZ's face when I handed her the fresh eggs!
You could just see the wheels turning--where am I going to fit these in the incubator?
Like the good addict she is she had forgotten that some people actually EAT eggs, not hatch them!:0)
LOL I was like... Hummm What did she bid on NOW... LOL
hehehehehehehehe catscan
Chicken heads? hehehehehehehe
If I wasn't already a girl, I would say that I sprouted a big comb I am such a chickenhead. hahahahahaaa
(singin' in the shower)
When I saw that egg....I'm an enabler...
Not a trace....of doubt in my mind....
Incubaaaate....ohhhhh....I'm an enabler,
I couldn't help it if I tried....
When I saw that eeeeggggggg.....
My parents still don't know how many chickens I have - I have to be careful on my blog - my mother had a fit when she saw all those bulbs I had. If she saw the incubators...oh dear....
I have some new "house" chickens.. (a pair of Millies) and I don't plan on telling a soul around here! Let's just see if they think I've completely lost it when the lil roo starts crowing pretty soon. LOL
I didn't realize how tiny they were! They can stay in here with us!! Oh man.. I am a mess aren't I?
My mom is an enabler.. She is 94 years old and she gave me the money to get my incubator. Now.. get this.. She called me Saturday to see how the chicks were doing! (hatch was due Friday) Talk about sharp!! LOL She was so sad that the hatch failed.. She said.. "You have to get some more right? You know I love lil Peeeups"
Awwwww What a Mom(s).
Oh Lordddddd
(breaking up laughing here.)
Enablers. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA
Update on my 'bators.
The one white rock bantam hatched and is fine.
The millies and porcelain d'uccles are OK too. I think I have 4 millies and 5 d'uccles.
There are 5 penedesenca eggs that appear to have potential. I candled in the closet and could see an air cell of decent size, and the rest dark. It is hard to candle those dark eggs. If they are going to hatch, it should be Wednesday.
My blue jersey giants are all kaput.
I have a few mixed frizzles that appear to have made it - I think 3 or 4 eggs. They have decent air cells and the rest of the egg is dark.
Most of the silkie eggs are a no go. The ones from silkiechick are too soon to tell so I am hoping for better results there.
The nankins are doing FABulously. I am so pleased with those.
I have a couple of home-laid serama eggs that appear fertile.
The blue andalusians are kaput. The self blue OEG are kaput.
Why is it all my blue eggs go kaput? I really want some blues!!!
My cuckoo marans and welsummers arrived today, 15 of each, in PERFECT condition. I hope they do well.
I have 6 OEG chocolates on the way and 6 OEG ginger reds, and 12 OEG blue ginger reds. And 6 ameraucanas which are no doubt EEs.
I still have a pending bid on some delawares.
Then I'm done until spring.
Oh, except for home-laid eggs. I do have a golden laced cochin egg from my pair that I got in Missouri that appears fertile.
Anyone else want to update their 'bator contents?
Moxy
No going for the Golden Campines, eh?
Dilettante!
I'm still thinking, thank you very much! I have to determine how much incubator space I have. Hmpf.
Here is what's goin on here..
15 Cochin (home grown darling pet)
4 Millie Fleur
15+ Jersey Giants
8+ Frizzle
8+ Silkies
12 Turkens
1 out of 15 Gold Laced Cochin is kickin.. and goes in the hatcher tomorrow. I wanted those so bad..
I hope your jersey giants make it. I was so lookin' forward to mine. Sniffle...
My SF's are doing ok as near as I can tell. I am going to candle them in about 3 more days. I am very excited about this hatch. As long as the 'bator holds up I guess.
I put insulation all around the bator and this has helped a lot.
I will want to get some Serama's, Wyandotte banties, and the Black or Blue Marans hataching eggs. I can't belive the price of Black/Blue Marans. Wow
CS
I wonder if we are all bidding against each other for the Blue/Black Copper Marans? :0)
I just hope anything makes it! Oh.. only 1 roo though.. LOL YEah right.
Those of you who live so close together, maybe you could have one person bid on a big stack of eggs and then divide them out.
I don't think that anyone near me would have Blue/Black Copper Marans but I think I am gonna put up an ad at the feed store and see what I can do.
That would be super cool!!
CS
CS--We've discussed that. Right now our egg cups runneth over!:0)
I have 7 eggs,[new hampshire reds] due to hatch in 2 days! Getting ready for this mission.
(doing the happy hatching dance in preparation for Cdr. Jordan's mission)
Thank you Commander. Doesn't your mission start tomorrow?
I guess I better do some house cleaning so I will have room to do the happy hatching dance. I wonder if I can do that one better than the happy epi dance(which looks like I set on a cactus)
CWBO Wren getting ready
LOL, CWBO Wren!
LOL CBO Wren....you crack me up. What is the W for?
You are Chicken Borrowing Officer....right?
Yes, tomorrow I am hoping I will have penedesencas hatching.
Moxy over.