Rhodebars

[terrip824]

This is Snickers. She is about 3 weeks old. She is a Rhodebar pullet & much darker than my original Rhodebars. I too like their personality & they lay circles of eggs around my Cream Legbars. Who like to quit laying every time it gets too cold or hot.

 

[sben451]

We bought Rhodebar hatching eggs in 2015. They are very good layers--much better than Welsummers (which I really liked, just didn't lay well in the winter). Hatched chicks in 2016 and they are now laying very well. Recently put 24 Rhodebar eggs in each of two Brinsea incubators and none developed at all after 15 days. I really like the breed, but now I need to figure out what's up with the eggs not developing. We have one rooster with 9 hens and another with 11 hens. The flock is healthy, eating non-GMO feed and free-ranging several days a week. I'm going to calibrate incubator thermometers, but am not sure what to do about the eggs possibly not being fertile.

 

[terrip824]

We bought Rhodebar hatching eggs in 2015. They are very good layers--much better than Welsummers (which I really liked, just didn't lay well in the winter). Hatched chicks in 2016 and they are now laying very well. Recently put 24 Rhodebar eggs in each of two Brinsea incubators and none developed at all after 15 days. I really like the breed, but now I need to figure out what's up with the eggs not developing. We have one rooster with 9 hens and another with 11 hens. The flock is healthy, eating non-GMO feed and free-ranging several days a week. I'm going to calibrate incubator thermometers, but am not sure what to do about the eggs possibly not being fertile.

Did you check your fertility? It could be as simple as switching the roosters to the other pen. The first thing they will do is run around & try to cover all the hens. I serve eggs every Sat morning to my family They get a good breakfast & I check for fertile eggs. It is strange for 2 incys not to have any develop. How old are the roosters?

 

[sben451]

One roo hatched last March (2016). The other is a year older (2015). I have checked eggs for fertility and do not seem to be finding many that are fertile.

 

[terrip824]

Have you checked the feathers around the girls vents? I haven't had a problem with my Rhodebars having feathers interfering with mating. But I have to keep my Orpingtons trimmed around their vents.