Setting 41 on 6-15, 7-8, 7-31, and 8-23 feel free to join in at any time

[NTBugtraq]

Update: Day 20 end.

27 Hatched an 8 pipped. Leaving hatchlings in bators till morning. They all look healthy and spry.

 

[NTBugtraq]

37 hatches, 3 pips, 71.43% hatch rate, 73.75% fertility rate (a couple of eggs that I though might have been clears have since hatched). There are still 26 eggs which have shown no signs of life, I will be candling them tomorrow if there's no progress. All but 7 chicks have been moved to the brooder, and many are drinking and eating already (without instruction from me!). The water has electrolytes in it, even though it didn't seem necessary, I figured I'd give them a boost anyway.

Best hatch so far...!!

 

[FridayYet]

Congratulations!

 

[NTBugtraq]

BTW, I moved my 23 3-week-old chicks into my young birds run yesterday. With all but 2 of the cockerels gone, they went in with 2x 15-week-old BCM cockerels, 10x nearly 9-week-olds, and 16x 7.5-week-olds...plus a 7.5 week-old Guinea Fowl and 2x 7.5 week-old Turkeys. So they are the largest group in the run right now, and while there are a few older birds rushing around as the young'uns flitter about the place, for the most part things are very calm. The BCMs actually wade through them and give them a peck on the head occasionally, as if to say; "Hey, look at me, I'm the boss!"

My processed birds didn't do well. 1.31kg to 1.88kg at 15.66 weeks dressed...the males from the hatchery last year were 2kg to 2.5kg at 16 weeks last year. I know I mis-fed the cockerels as I did my main flock, for about 6 weeks, so I am hoping that's the reason for the small size. Next processing isn't until Nov. 4th, when I will be taking 16 week and 17.25 week cockerels...and hope for a slightly bigger bird (2kg min. would be great). I am going to price the birds differently next time too...those that are > 2kg will be $11, under will be $12...which will help compensate for the processing fee (which is the same no matter the size). I charged $10/kg this time...doesn't pay for the feed.

Today I had gotten to within 7 days with my eggs for my next setting. Meaning, none of the 80 I have put aside are more than 7 days old...then Murphy's law took over and I dropped a container of 5 new eggs...bleh! Anyway, not ready to set tomorrow (which was my plan) but will probably set on Tuesday, so I should be able to make up for it by then. I have also been turning the eggs I am keeping for the next set, something I didn't do before. So next set is fresher eggs, turned daily, kept coolish (60F)...all new factors in my next hatch.

I decided today that this hatch is going to end tomorrow at 6:00pm. At that point, I plan on candling all unhatched eggs. Right now there is only 1 pip, but if its not hatched by tomorrow at 6:00pm, or if there are any new ones, I am going to move them into the brooder together with any eggs that look like there's still a live chick in there. Its an experiment, but it will let me set anew in the bators. Based on Day 18 candling, of the 26 eggs that haven't pipped, only 10 were suspected to be clears. So 16 should show some sign of life, or they're a late death. I have been really hoping there wouldn't be late deaths.

FWIW, 2 of my 3 oldest eggs (the 2 that were 14 days-old at set) have hatched. The oldest is amongst my "viables".

 

[WVduckchick]

Great news NT! Congratulations!

 

[NTBugtraq]

So the original title of this thread suggested the last setting was 8-23. Currently, I plan on continuing to set right through to Christmas, or later. Since there appears to be no way to change my thread title, should I create another thread? I mean, there aren't likely many people setting through fall, but if they do, I'd at least like them to know there are others.

Thoughts?

 

[WVduckchick]

I think I read you can change the title for a while, but then its locked. Or ask a mod to change it.

You could start another thread, just put a link here, so those following could find it easily.

 

[NTBugtraq]

Finally some useful numbers out of the data collecting...the oldest egg I set this time was 15 days old, and working with only the fertile eggs...

Egg Age​

Fertile​

Hatched​

Pipped​

Appear
Viable

Died In
Bator

Hatch
Rate
15​

1​

​

​

1​

​

0%
14​

2​

2​

​

0​

​

100%
12​

6​

2​

​

4​

​

33%
10​

4​

2​

​

2​

1 (My Fault)​

50%
9​

4​

3​

​

1​

​

75%
8​

4​

3​

​

1​

​

75%
7​

5​

3​

1​

​

1​

60%
6​

6​

3​

​

3​

​

50%
5​

3​

2​

​

1​

​

66%
4​

10​

6​

​

4​

​

60%
3​

1​

1
​

​

​

100%
2​

13​

9​

​

4​

​

69%
1​

3​

2​

​

​

1 (My Fault)​

66%​

and to look at it another way...

Eggs of X age
and younger
Fertile​

Hatched​

Pipped​

Appear
Viable

Died In
Bator

Hatch
Rate
15​

61​

39​

1​

21​

1 (+2 My Fault)​

65.57%
10​

54​

35​

1​

16​

1 (+2 My Fault)​

66.67%
7​

40​

27​

1​

12​

1 (+1 My Fault)​

70.00%​

so not a terribly huge increase in hatch rate when using only 7 day old eggs versus 15 day olds. Of course only 1/3 of the eggs were older than 7 days.

FWIW, a comparison between the Janoel (kept ~60% humidity) and Brinsea (kept ~35% humidity)

Bator​

Fertile​

Hatched​

Pipped​

Appear
Viable

Died In
Bator

Hatch
Rate
Janoel​

31​

21​

1​

9​

0​

70.97%
Brinsea​

30​

18​

0​

12​

1 (+2 My Fault)​

60.00%​

On another note, I have one chick who is not thriving. As you can see, he stays on his back with his legs straightened out. If I turn him over he seems not to know how to use his legs at all and just ends up flipping over again. Anyone seen this before?



I just followed the instructions found in http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html, seems to be helping as the chick has stayed upright for the past 30 minutes.

 

[WalnutHill]

BTW, I moved my 23 3-week-old chicks into my young birds run yesterday. With all but 2 of the cockerels gone, they went in with 2x 15-week-old BCM cockerels, 10x nearly 9-week-olds, and 16x 7.5-week-olds...plus a 7.5 week-old Guinea Fowl and 2x 7.5 week-old Turkeys. So they are the largest group in the run right now, and while there are a few older birds rushing around as the young'uns flitter about the place, for the most part things are very calm. The BCMs actually wade through them and give them a peck on the head occasionally, as if to say; "Hey, look at me, I'm the boss!"

My processed birds didn't do well. 1.31kg to 1.88kg at 15.66 weeks dressed...the males from the hatchery last year were 2kg to 2.5kg at 16 weeks last year. I know I mis-fed the cockerels as I did my main flock, for about 6 weeks, so I am hoping that's the reason for the small size. Next processing isn't until Nov. 4th, when I will be taking 16 week and 17.25 week cockerels...and hope for a slightly bigger bird (2kg min. would be great). I am going to price the birds differently next time too...those that are > 2kg will be $11, under will be $12...which will help compensate for the processing fee (which is the same no matter the size). I charged $10/kg this time...doesn't pay for the feed.

Today I had gotten to within 7 days with my eggs for my next setting. Meaning, none of the 80 I have put aside are more than 7 days old...then Murphy's law took over and I dropped a container of 5 new eggs...bleh! Anyway, not ready to set tomorrow (which was my plan) but will probably set on Tuesday, so I should be able to make up for it by then. I have also been turning the eggs I am keeping for the next set, something I didn't do before. So next set is fresher eggs, turned daily, kept coolish (60F)...all new factors in my next hatch.

I decided today that this hatch is going to end tomorrow at 6:00pm. At that point, I plan on candling all unhatched eggs. Right now there is only 1 pip, but if its not hatched by tomorrow at 6:00pm, or if there are any new ones, I am going to move them into the brooder together with any eggs that look like there's still a live chick in there. Its an experiment, but it will let me set anew in the bators. Based on Day 18 candling, of the 26 eggs that haven't pipped, only 10 were suspected to be clears. So 16 should show some sign of life, or they're a late death. I have been really hoping there wouldn't be late deaths.

FWIW, 2 of my 3 oldest eggs (the 2 that were 14 days-old at set) have hatched. The oldest is amongst my "viables".

It sounds as if your work is finally starting to pay off! Congratulations!

 

[NTBugtraq]

I put Mr. Splay-leg into the bator earlier today cause he was just getting sat on by other chicks. He flipped, but I put a timer on to remind me to check every 30 minutes, and I put him on his feet. I only had to do that twice. I also gave him 2 syringes of electrolyte water, just to help. Anyway, he is now back in the brooder and staying on his feet. He stands up occasionally, but is generally on his hocks?? Still, he is staying belly down, which is way better. Going to take eggs out of bators tomorrow morning (candling led me to think there might actually be some hatches overnight, so I just couldn't abandon them).