d'anver lovers,discuss the breed and post some pics!

[speckledhen]

Hi all,

I was wondering if you had any tips on hatching d'anvers. Last month I had six eggs in the incubator; 2 hatched (with help) and had one dead in the shell. And, of one of those chicks, I had to cull because it's legs were just so bad. Now, I'm day 22 of my second batch - only four eggs this time around as two got cracked in the mail. The first chick whizzed around and unzipped itself really quickly - a beautiful lavender/cream. The other three eggs - absolutely nothing, even though I know they're fertile.

I'm hatching polish bantams at the same time, and they're almost all out. I was just wondering whether d'anvers were known for being a little more fragile when it comes to hatching? It is still only day 22, so still more time, but there's no sign of pips at all, and everything else in the incubator has signs of movement.

Geoff

These probably do better with slightly higher humidity than the others, Geoff. Whereas most eggs I hatch, admittedly all large fowl, do fine with 35-45% the first 18 days, these D'Anvers seem to do best with 50-55% during that period. I think they tend to lose moisture faster. I don't hatch these with an incubator much since I'm not adding to the numbers here and my D'Anver hens are broody quite often anyway, so maybe someone else who does can verify or add to what I said.

 

[Bine]

Oh, sorry to here that..a little higher humidity is a good idea. I would check the weight of the eggs, too. Everything under 30g is much to small the club here recommends min. 32g for the eggs... and my younger hens often have to thick eggshells..... and check the temp of the incubator bad legs are often a result of a temperatur swing.

 

[GreenRunner]

Thanks Speckledhen and Bline. The lady who sold me the eggs suggested a 45 humidity which is was I stuck too, but it might've been a little better if it was higher. There's still hope - we're only just into Day 22. I've got other chicks in the incubator though so I don't want to disturb and listen to the eggs at this stage. Fingers crossed I get some more!

 

[joydix]

i have only hatched D'anvers once. i use a broody hen. They just know how to do it. Incubators can be tricky and that might be why the one had a leg issue and others had trouble getting out. however, i have heard D'anvers can be hard to tho. Even tho the eggs are fertile shipping jostles them around and the air sac can be ruptured and then they won't develop. out of a dozen i had 3 not develop. i felt that was pretty darn good really. at then end the hen abandoned them and i took them into a dark closet and put a bright flashlight up against it....i could see the egg was not full and it would have been if there had been a chick. when i opened them it was all just yolky but i could see it was a fertile egg....keep trying! those little D'anvers are worth it!!!

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

I second 55% humidity for the first 18 days, the I raise it as high as I can get it. Shipped eggs can be hit or miss. I let them rest for at least 4 hours then don't turn them the first day in the incubator. Candle on day 7 and pitch the ones that don't develop. Don't know for sure why, but chicks that don't zip most of the way themselves always have bad legs. Either turning in the egg zipping does something that makes there legs right or they cant zip because their leggs are bad from the start.

 

[GreenRunner]

I second 55% humidity for the first 18 days, the I raise it as high as I can get it. Shipped eggs can be hit or miss. I let them rest for at least 4 hours then don't turn them the first day in the incubator. Candle on day 7 and pitch the ones that don't develop. Don't know for sure why, but chicks that don't zip most of the way themselves always have bad legs. Either turning in the egg zipping does something that makes there legs right or they cant zip because their leggs are bad from the start.

Thanks for this. I candled the shipped eggs and had to chuck out two because of air bubbles. Set them for 24 hours, and then didn't turn for five days. At Day 12 we had four fertile eggs. In the end, one hatched, two had stopped day 13/14 or so and one was dead in the shell.

Still, the one little lavender/cream I have is gorgeous. I've got a black d'anver I hatched out last month, so at least there's a duo....for now.

 

[speckledhen]

I second 55% humidity for the first 18 days, the I raise it as high as I can get it. Shipped eggs can be hit or miss. I let them rest for at least 4 hours then don't turn them the first day in the incubator. Candle on day 7 and pitch the ones that don't develop. Don't know for sure why, but chicks that don't zip most of the way themselves always have bad legs. Either turning in the egg zipping does something that makes there legs right or they cant zip because their leggs are bad from the start.

I agree 100% with this, especially the zipping part and the bad legs. Yup, always seems to be true.

My little third cockerel is acting slightly lethargic, isn't as active, can't rampage as long as his brothers. He was standing by himself, sort of hunched up after a few hours of running with his brothers and Carly yesterday. I fear his internal organs are outgrowing his stumpy body and I rather expect to lose him eventually, though he's lived to almost 5 weeks old already. When they are like that and they hit a natural growth spurt, the tiny body just folds. No idea why since he's Aimee's son and her kids are always so strong-the other two are hers as well. I had hope he would make it since he's been fine up until now, but it seems to be like all the other times I've had a chick, whether bantam or LF, that stayed tiny that way.

 

[speckledhen]

The little brat is still alive, but very small. He's bites and flogs my hand at the same time, but sometimes it backfires on him and he just jumps into my palm, allowing me to catch his sorry little bum, LOL. The others are not at all like that. The largest one just avoids being picked up and the feather legged one is rather sweet.
The largest chick.



The tiny Rusty3 goober.

Runty Rusty3 in the middle.

 

[K Epp]

I agree with chicks hatching by themselves. My hens kept tossing eggs that had piped out of the nest. I kept them wsrmcand helped them hatch. Out of the 6 I have the original two who hatched by themselves. Looks like the clean legged Milli I wanted so badly to be a too is a pullet. I think the porcelain is going to be the roo. It's comb looks wider at the base.

 

[speckledhen]

I agree with chicks hatching by themselves. My hens kept tossing eggs that had piped out of the nest. I kept them wsrmcand helped them hatch. Out of the 6 I have the original two who hatched by themselves. Looks like the clean legged Milli I wanted so badly to be a too is a pullet. I think the porcelain is going to be the roo. It's comb looks wider at the base.

Well, darn, when you want a male, you get a little gal. Must be a universal law or something. I still have this one with a couple of feather stubs if you want him, Karen. They're up for sale but no one has bitten yet. Of course, he's yours free.