The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Toots on April 22, 2015, 10:51:52 am
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We have just bought an Octagon 20 with auto turn from Screwfix of all places at a mad price of £139.99. That's at least £80 less than everywhere else. :thumbsup:
They also now have a Rural Supplies department under "Outdoor & Gardening" with some very interesting things such as pig arks & incubators.
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Oooh, interesting. Brinsea branded and all? I've been pondering getting another because I've not room for chicken eggs at the moment.
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How on earth did you find that out? I mean, is this a category you browse in often? ;D
Home > Outdoor & Gardening > Rural Supplies > Health & Hygiene > Octagon 20 Eco AE22A Egg Incubator (http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=1228&awinaffid=125526&clickref=&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.screwfix.com%2Fp%2Foctagon-20-eco-ae22a-egg-incubator%2F3664f)
Actually it turns out they've got all sorts of things from troughs to haynets listed under rural supplies too. Who knew? :thumbsup:
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We just moved into out new place, so I am buying lots of things from Screwfix at present and just came across the new departments by accident.
The Pig arks seem to be cheaper than most other places too, so I am temped to buy one.
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I think it's so that smallholding plumbers and electricians can sneak pig arks through their books without anybody noticing ;D .
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Screwfix, selling poultry equipment. That is the most useful thing I have learned today (although there is not much competition for that title). Must get a new catalogue.
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before I rush off to buy one can you guys please tell me whether I will actually manage to hatch any eggs? ive only had my own hens for 5 months and Ive never hatched any. Some of you told me I ought to move towards pure breeds and I now have 2 Cream Legbars along with my original 6 hybrids. Id love to hatch some more Legbars and a few Wyandottes but when I read the threads about hatching it looks so so complicated.
I don't want to invest £140 in an incubator that just sits in an outbuilding gathering dust.
Is it do-able for a novice?
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Yes, it's totally do-able, particularly for hens (waterfowl are more difficult). These Brinsea incubators area also good quality.
A broody hen is easier, but if you haven't got any of those, I've found the best way to get some is to to splash out a lot of money on an expensive incubator ;) .
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It is totally do able. Completely. Don't let hatching stress you coz you won't enjoy it. As long as you are well prepared, I.e. have your brooder ready, feed ready, then it's no problem for a novice. I started with quail two years ago and only got hens a year ago so I consider myself a novice but I have now hatched quail, chickens, ducks and currently have turkeys in the incubator. There is nothing like hearing a chick pipping then staring at the incubator for the next 24hours just to see a tiny chick roll out of its shell!
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It's perfectly possible, Kimbo, otherwise many of us wouldn't be on this forum ;)
Just keep on reading all the forums and websites and then post your questions, we'll be more than happy to help.
Re the Brinseas, I'd go for an Advance rather than an Eco.
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As Womble has said a broody hen is easier and you will probably get one of those before too long. Not only is it easier but its cheaper too. I had a broody and bought some eggs by post and 5 out of the 6 hatched.
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I've got a cheap ebay incubator, Kimbo I've hatched wyandottes, light Sussex, sumatrans, ducks and currently waiting on 6 silkies due tomorrow. It's nothing fancy, set the temp, put the eggs in, splash some water in every few days and turn the eggs 3 times a day, I've had fab hatch rates and my house hasn't burnt down so far!
Off to see what screwfix has to offer :)
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Right! Screwfix here I come!
I too hope I don't burn the house down! :fc:
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Re the Brinseas, I'd go for an Advance rather than an Eco.
Yes, good advice that :thumbsup: .
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Just ordered another two from Screwfix, going to hatch some ducks and off to poultry sale on Saturday to see what other hatching eggs are available.
We started with cheap incubators off ebay to start with but had nothing but trouble with hatch rates, although we didn't realise until I bought OH a small mini eco by Brinsea and the hatch rate doubled, these Octagons are really good especially for the price on Screwfix.
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Woo! They are expensive! My wee cheapy was £30 I can fit 12 eggs (light Sussex) in (11 hatched) it is a faff having to turn them 3x a day though!
Edited to add http://www.screwfix.com/p/ovaview-f180-egg-candling-lamp/8329f (http://www.screwfix.com/p/ovaview-f180-egg-candling-lamp/8329f) :o £26.99!!! I found one of these in one of the barns - previous owners left it! And it's rubbish compared to my old torch!!....wonder if I can sell it on eBay :-J
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before I rush off to buy one can you guys please tell me whether I will actually manage to hatch any eggs? ive only had my own hens for 5 months and Ive never hatched any. Some of you told me I ought to move towards pure breeds and I now have 2 Cream Legbars along with my original 6 hybrids. Id love to hatch some more Legbars and a few Wyandottes but when I read the threads about hatching it looks so so complicated.
I don't want to invest £140 in an incubator that just sits in an outbuilding gathering dust.
Is it do-able for a novice?
But you do have a cockerel as well I guess?
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Course not! :eyelashes:
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I shouldn't have read this. I am an incubator addict!!
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Quite right Kimbo. They're nothing but trouble ;D .
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mine arrived today at 10am as I was strimming the grass verges! Then 2 hours later I got a text from Screwfix saying my box would be delivered between 1-43pm and 2-43 pm! How precise ( but wrong) was that? ::)
Anyway Ive set everything up to try it out and its all good. the instructions are a bit mind-blowing but, hey, that's what you guys are for :P ;)
Ive ordered 6 Blue Laced Wyandotte and 6 Cream Legbar eggs off t'Internet, just to get going and give it a try. Lets see eh?
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Let us know how you get on. Have a look at my dry hatching experiment thread.
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HaHa!! Stereo it was your dry hatching thread that almost made me forget about the whole thing! Talk about complicated?
But all I can do is try. Im very very small-scale and Im thinking that as a general approach the less fiddling I do the better.
We shall see XX
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Oops, sorry. ;D