Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[Lacy Blues]

Oz, what's the name of the material you're using for your walls? I like it, it looks nice but I wonder, does that stuff not blow away when you get your tropical storms?

 

[ozexpat]

Oz, what's the name of the material you're using for your walls? I like it, it looks nice but I wonder, does that stuff not blow away when you get your tropical storms?

Its woven bamboo. Locally called amacan.

The whole structure is not really designed to be permanent but it's location is fairly well protected unless we get a huge storm.

It should be good for three or four years.

 

[ozexpat]

Its a quiet week on CocoBeach as Mrs Oz spends this week in the USA catching up on fun things like annual physicals and shopping.

The ducks got new poonds and the birds 4-9 weeks are getting their new digs.

Status quo is a good thing right now.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Sounds like things are back to an ok state for now there. Here weather won't cooperate for anything, except maybe free garden watering. Birds and incubation going ok though. 1st setting is so-so with a couple clears and even a rot I pulled last night. Not sure if they'll hatch but gonna let em cook until they done. 2nd setting is doing great, rouen duck and cx X eggs are forming great. Have to admit I got frustrated other night and set a 3rd bator. Pure BA and another 2+ dz BYM. I can blame CL or something though. We looking to add grown birds atm for egg production because I can actually sell every egg we produce. But everyone keeps selling birds before we get there. Frustrating. Oh well a reason to hatch some more.
There is a breeder close by but she wants WAY to much for chicks, or eggs and most of her birds are for show, NOT utility. And the breeder birds are NOT SQ. And she always advertises having ALOT of birds, but her hatch rates are terrible. So for me that's a flag not to buy from there again. I got my male rouen from her last year and did well with my duck but that was only 1/2 the blood the line produced. The pair left over have 20 ish eggs cooking down stairs and I have penned them for now in hopes she'll decide to set if I don't bother her nest area.
We got some pure males to add new blood into the pure hens I have just need tag my ladies that I will be putting in breeding pens. Just 4-5 months before the new boys are ready for the girls.
There is a breeder close I found on CL that has show stock hatching eggs for real reasonable price. Better than most Ebay mutt eggs. And gas cost will be less than shipping and safer for eggs. Might look into these and discuss with wife. Not into SQ birds myself but might breed some Austra-whites and get some decent layers.
Overall things are going ok, just not enough hours in a day lately.

 

[lindz8504]

Quick question.....

I just got 33 Salmon Faverolles hatching eggs in the mail today. 1 was broken on arrival. I just candled the rest, and they are all really porus and I couldn't see most of the air cells.... I'm not sure how I should go about hatching these eggs....

Last time I dry hatched, with humidity aroun 16-20% for the first 18 days and then raised humidity to 65% at lockdown. From everything I have read, porus eggs tend to lose moisture more quickly. Do I need to keep the humidity higher during days 1-18?

 

[hillfloweranch]

Bourbon red pip#1

 

[maryhysong]

Quick question.....

I just got 33 Salmon Faverolles hatching eggs in the mail today. 1 was broken on arrival. I just candled the rest, and they are all really porus and I couldn't see most of the air cells.... I'm not sure how I should go about hatching these eggs....

Last time I dry hatched, with humidity aroun 16-20% for the first 18 days and then raised humidity to 65% at lockdown. From everything I have read, porus eggs tend to lose moisture more quickly. Do I need to keep the humidity higher during days 1-18?

probably, maybe also weigh the eggs or at least mark the air cells and monitor them closely and adjust humidity as needed. Last year I got some really porous eggs and none hatched. I feel if they are porous then either the breeders diet needs improving or they need to start culling for egg/shell quality.

On my orps I had one setting that had some porous shells and they did not develop at all, while all other fertile eggs with good shells from the same pullet hatched 100%

 

[ozexpat]

Bourbon red pip#1

woohoooo

 

[Bens-Hens]

I agree with Maryhysong, mark and weigh as you go. Eggs should lose 11-13 per cent of initial weight during the first 18 days of incubation. If they are losing too much weight you can increase your humidity to slow it down or vice versa.

I would also send the breeder an email conveying concerns about the shells. At least that way if the result is poor then you stand a chance to get replacements or money back (if you chose to) At the very least, the breed would have some feedback about the product being sold.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I agree with Maryhysong, mark and weigh as you go. Eggs should lose 11-13 per cent of initial weight during the first 18 days of incubation. If they are losing too much weight you can increase your humidity to slow it down or vice versa.

I would also send the breeder an email conveying concerns about the shells. At least that way if the result is poor then you stand a chance to get replacements or money back (if you chose to) At the very least, the breed would have some feedback about the product being sold.

I have only recently begun weighing my hatching eggs. I'm aiming for a 13% loss. I weigh every 3 days. I set up a chart at the beginning of incubation and record the weight of the group of eggs. I calculate a 1.95% loss for each three days. By 21 days, that makes -13.65% I don't bother with individual eggs, I put them all together and weigh them. Record that number. Three days later, I weigh them again and record the number, then I will candle them as I put them back into the incubator. If I have any that need to be pulled, I set them aside and candle the rest pulling any others that need it. When that is finished, all the eggs that were pulled get weighed together. That number gets subtracted from the total weight and then marked on my chart to see how they are doing for weight loss. When you have to remove eggs, you have to recalculate your chart to get an accurate record.

probably, maybe also weigh the eggs or at least mark the air cells and monitor them closely and adjust humidity as needed. Last year I got some really porous eggs and none hatched. I feel if they are porous then either the breeders diet needs improving or they need to start culling for egg/shell quality.

On my orps I had one setting that had some porous shells and they did not develop at all, while all other fertile eggs with good shells from the same pullet hatched 100%

Are you saying the porous shells and the good shells were from the same pullet? If so, have you make notes as to diet and how this problem was overcome?