Barred Rocks Good Shepard Poulty Ranch

[catdaddyfro]

Chris, I read that suggestion earlier and thought I didn't need to do that---my first hatch of 6 all came out fine. But my hatch yesterday was terrible, only 4 out of 10 hatched and most that didn't hatch were almost fully formed in the shell. I am going to try hatching upright in a carton next hatch. I hope it works! I'm not having problems with any of the other breeds hatching on their side, what's up with the Barred Rocks?

A few others and me included believe it has to do with the sheer size of the chicks not being able to really move around well in the egg and lying them on their sides really messes their orientation up in the latter goings on.

Jeff

 

[FOGELLY]

Chris, I read that suggestion earlier and thought I didn't need to do that---my first hatch of 6 all came out fine. But my hatch yesterday was terrible, only 4 out of 10 hatched and most that didn't hatch were almost fully formed in the shell. I am going to try hatching upright in a carton next hatch. I hope it works! I'm not having problems with any of the other breeds hatching on their side, what's up with the Barred Rocks?

My opinion, for what it worth, is they grow very big in the shell and have a hard time getting turned into hatching position. If you run you bator at 100 you might also try lowering the temp to 99.5. This slows down the intial growth.
As for the upright hatching if incubated upright they get used to being upright and when you lay them on the side they get disorientated. Again my opinion.

Sorry to hear the reports on the eggs shipped from GS.I hope this does not turn people away from shipped eggs.
Eggs can be shipped with good success, however the process for packing them for the best protection is pretty time consuming. I would not want to ship for than a few orders a week, because it takes a hour to pack 18-24 eggs.

Ron

 

[cbnovick]

Wondering if i noticed if the dead in shell chicks were turned to pip air cell end?? Were the hatched larger than average?

 

[cbnovick]

Wondering if i noticed if the dead in shell chicks were turned to pip air cell end?? Were the hatched larger than average?

 

[desertmarcy]

My opinion, for what it worth, is they grow very big in the shell and have a hard time getting turned into hatching position. If you run you bator at 100 you might also try lowering the temp to 99.5. This slows down the intial growth.
As for the upright hatching if incubated upright they get used to being upright and when you lay them on the side they get disorientated. Again my opinion.

Sorry to hear the reports on the eggs shipped from GS.I hope this does not turn people away from shipped eggs.
Eggs can be shipped with good success, however the process for packing them for the best protection is pretty time consuming. I would not want to ship for than a few orders a week, because it takes a hour to pack 18-24 eggs.

Ron

Yes I have my incubator at 100 and the hatcher at 99.5. My next batch of 11 fertile eggs is due to go into the hatcher on Wednesday 3/13--I will try the upright position and see what happens. If I still see problems hatching, I'll try the lower temp. but I'm also hatching New Hampshires, Orloffs, Marans, and sexlinks and don't want to mess them up, they are all hatching fine.

 

[Chris Herzog]

My opinion, for what it worth, is they grow very big in the shell and have a hard time getting turned into hatching position. If you run you bator at 100 you might also try lowering the temp to 99.5. This slows down the intial growth.
As for the upright hatching if incubated upright they get used to being upright and when you lay them on the side they get disorientated. Again my opinion.

Sorry to hear the reports on the eggs shipped from GS.I hope this does not turn people away from shipped eggs.
Eggs can be shipped with good success, however the process for packing them for the best protection is pretty time consuming. I would not want to ship for than a few orders a week, because it takes a hour to pack 18-24 eggs.

Ron

I really don't know what the answer is but have thought about it quite a bit over the last few weeks. I keep my Incubator at 100 and my two hatchers at 99.5 and everything else does great with this. I am also one that is reluctant to turn my Incubator down any because of that reason, never the less this is what I keep coming back to. I get that the higher temp would make the chick grow faster and if my Barred Rocks were coming out of the shell before everyone else did I would say that you all are on to something with that. The fact is, my Rocks are the last to come out. I have already taken all the other chicks out of the hatchers and put them in the brooder and I still have Barred Rock chicks hatching and peeping. They are all a good day behind all the other chicks in the hatcher so I don't think that's the problem.

Anyway as I type this I'm still waiting to see but today might be the first time in 3 or 4 weeks that not every BR egg hatched that was in Lock-down since I started using the egg cartons to hatch out of.

Chris

Chris

 

[kwMississippi]

I had mine upright. The first one hatched almost 2 days later than my other eggs. There were only 4 other ones that even had a chick inside.

 

[FOGELLY]

I run my incubator at 100 and hatcher at 99.5 also. Have not started hatching GSBR yet. I am with you, don't change temp if everything else is hatching ok. Sometimes I have a tendency to think outloud.

Ron

 

[kathyinmo]

My Good Shepherd Barred Rocks often hatch a day later than the rest of my eggs.

 

[DMRippy]

I candled my eggs today from Frank Reese at day 8 and it looks like most are developing.... I will know more in another week but YEAH!

I was concerned since they had a little bit of a rough ride getting her.