New garage time!

[airbiscuit]

All your equipment has character

 

[fatjay]

All your equipment has character

Everything works. And by works, I mean I can get it work ready in a weekend or less.

The b8200 alternator belt was loose and it was slapping the upper radiator hose, to the point where it made a hole and started leaking. So I topped off the radiator, tightened the belt, wrapped the hose in tape, and ran it. I'm ordering a new hose now.

 

[fatjay]

This was less than fun. I pulled my right tricep and my left quad while doing it. I don't recommend doing it this way.

 

[EddieWalker]

Are you increasing the number of panels?

 

[fatjay]

Are you increasing the number of panels?

yes, the system is half done, i'm going from 24 to 48 for a total of 11.5kw. Which should be perfect as most sunny days i'm generating more than half of my total consumption. I'm up to 90kwh in battery, so i have a decent buffer size as well.

	Load	Solar PV
29-Apr	21.3 kWh	14.9 kWh
28-Apr	50.2 kWh	36.4 kWh
27-Apr	52.6 kWh	31.0 kWh
26-Apr	42.5 kWh	13.0 kWh
25-Apr	49.6 kWh	30.6 kWh
24-Apr	55.3 kWh	33.9 kWh
23-Apr	48.0 kWh	34.6 kWh
22-Apr	52.7 kWh	29.7 kWh
21-Apr	44.7 kWh	11.6 kWh
20-Apr	43.9 kWh	28.8 kWh
19-Apr	47.4 kWh	16.2 kWh
18-Apr	62.1 kWh	34.2 kWh
17-Apr	52.0 kWh	38.0 kWh
16-Apr	52.6 kWh	21.9 kWh
15-Apr	52.9 kWh	16.1 kWh
14-Apr	47.7 kWh	10.9 kWh
13-Apr	51.9 kWh	17.3 kWh
12-Apr	56.0 kWh	10.9 kWh
11-Apr	51.8 kWh	5.5 kWh
10-Apr	49.2 kWh	11.6 kWh
9-Apr	59.9 kWh	37.4 kWh
8-Apr	67.9 kWh	34.1 kWh
7-Apr	56.4 kWh	4.2 kWh
6-Apr	49.2 kWh	9.2 kWh
5-Apr	58.9 kWh	4.8 kWh
4-Apr	51.8 kWh	16.1 kWh
3-Apr	49.6 kWh	13.6 kWh
2-Apr	61.4 kWh	8.6 kWh
1-Apr	44.2 kWh	25.6 kWh
31-Mar	54.1 kWh	22.1 kWh
30-Mar	30.1 kWh	12.9 kWh

 

[fatjay]

It looks like I'm in a bit of a pickle.

Hatch day is friday. My kids graduation is saturday up at susquehanna. This is my first time hatching chicks, so I'm not entirely sure what to expect. Sure I've watched so many youtubes on it, but until you've actually done it, you know.

I'll have my brooder box ready, that's fine. But I also have my marek's vaccine which should be administered within 24 hours of hatching. Also something that I've seen youtubes on, but haven't done.

If anyone wants to chime in, I'd love to hear it.

 

[EddieWalker]

We have the exact same incubator. Actually, we have four of them!!! My wife has crossed the line from Crazy Chicken Lady, to Super Crazy Out of Control Crazy Chicken Lady!!

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Once they hatch, we wait for them to dry out and get fluffy. Usually, it's about 12 hours. Then we put them in a big blue plastic tote with wood chips on the bottom. First thing we do is dip their beaks in the water for a second so they know what water is. The light is at one end of the tote so they can be in the heat, or out of it.

We feed them medicated chick starter. Normally I buy it at Atwoods, but I bought a sack from Tractor Supply yesterday. We just pour it on a tray.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/nutrena-naturewise-chick-starter-grower-18-crumbles-50-lb-1060187

They stay in there a few weeks. Basically until they start to have their feathers and before one of them jumps out of the tote. Then they get moved to the feed room where we have rabbit cages set up for them. We put about 5 or six in each rabbit cage and let them get a lot bigger. Usually a few weeks.

Then we move them into large dog crates in the chicken coop. They stay in there until all their feathers are in and they get too big for the dog crate. Then we leave the door open for the crate and they leave it to join the flock when they are ready. Some leave right away, others might take a day or two.

 

[fatjay]

@EddieWalker Do you do anything for marek's?

The fun began last night around 8pm. This morning i had a dozen.

Unfortunately today I have to go to kids college for graduation. I'm guessing around 6pm I'll be home. Then I can start sorting things out.

They'll stay in the basement brooder for 2 weeks, then get switched to the outside brooder.

 

[EddieWalker]

We only hatch eggs. Either from what we have, or from Meyer's Hatchery when we want something specific, or just some new genetics.

From what we understand, you have to bring in live chickens to spread a virus. The shell of the egg protects the chick from getting it, and if you only deal in eggs, you will not get a virus.

Your tub is too shallow. They will be jumping out of it in a couple of days.

Be sure that they cannot get on top of the waterer. If they can, they will poop in it. We start out with it on the floor, but then move it onto blocks of wood as the chicks get bigger. 2x6 and then a 4x6.

Last month my wife bought these from Amazon with the folding legs on the bottom and so far, they are a lot better.

https://www.amazon.com/Waterer-Adjustable-Heights-Chicken-Brooder/dp/B0B4WCB53W/ref=sr_1_7?crid=12RX2ZCB0LOH7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rC_bkbeOCGfDEa3qvTIrs33W6ciEY9d4q_DxmTmskyN0HNHTg76ivwe85cXshNeaJK3KQxW92lf_53isSymhVslYiy9HjHEE-YTWsujc1bt32SZAHqY0B2w3qSWUGvLsEg3LCv--8mKaWhyMzd8rZQRvZn9GVtuYr6jrO9vVbWFIFT6FIfKd2Am1D8Bc7NZAhwEYuAI7ysJmqfCnsH-PENaK1_AlEZhIjyxlJK51ifvaLYIZXy_9DeSUyUCcCKgZ0kvJjOQY5ABifGET5HCTwjlQrmXcUpuH6uDW_5G0ukI.LiDpqgjtaa_WjyitsnYTVbPgVzprYXRwVfeJ4P0g7ec&dib_tag=se&keywords=chick%2Bwaterer&qid=1746883357&sprefix=chick%2Bwaterer%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-7&th=1

We had 15 guineas hatch the other day, which is a new record for us. Then 12 the day after that. Yesterday it was just 4 and today, we're at zero so far. Before the 15, I think out total was about 40 guineas, 4 turkeys, and a dozen chickens for the year. We have a bunch of babies this year and finding chick starter has become a challenge. I buy two sacks at a time, one for chickens and one for wild game. Then we mix them because the chick starter is medicated. It's amazing how fast they grow.

Get a bigger tote. Even the biggest one will be too small if you leave them in there too long and they will start jumping out. Then they go into a rabbit cage. We have five set up right now and we're hoping to move what's in there now to the metal wire dog crates, which are all Large ones for Akita's, and then move the ones in the totes to the rabbit cages. The rabbit cages have smaller holes then dog kennels. They are 30x30 from Tractor Supply. If you put them in the rabbit cage too soon, they get through the openings.

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[fatjay]

In the past years this was my mobile chicken brooder, it sat in the shop until they were ready to get acclimiated with the rest. It resulted in my shop being covered in dust, so I didn't like this idea.

This year, I built a dedicated love shack, where a rooster and 10 hens would shack up for a few weeks resulting in fertalized eggs. Now they are kicked out, and it will become my chicken brooder.

They're only in the basement for hatching and to get their shots. After that they're going to be locked in the new brooder until they're big enough to be with the rest of the chickens. Then I split the run in half and let them see but not touch for a month. Then I take the divider down and fully integrate them.

I start off with water on the ground, then bricks, then i hang it. I change the water daily and give them electorates in the water.