Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[Beekissed]

How do you hold a broody on the nest? Fake eggs? Or just let her set on some eggs?

Both.

Right now she's sitting wooden eggs but I usually put a real egg in there too about... every other day I switch out the real egg. Let the dog have the broody cooked one....he needs it this time of year anyway.

 

[LindaB220]

You know, when I was measuring shell surface temps and keeping them at 100, I think the interior must have been too low because when I got that water wiggler and started monitoring the internal temps, the surface temps were about 6-7 degrees higher. Sort of the opposite of what you found....wonder why, you figure? Still learning this whole incubation thingy.....

Now I don't even check surface temps and just use the wiggler.


Yes! Praise the Lord for the rains!

We are getting good rains this year also and I hope that continues on through the summer as they are the only thing that cuts the humidity around here...and the garden is finally starting to grow, so really need those rains. We are supposed to get rain all next week and the rest of this week as well.

Yeah, I was so smart that I bought the wiggler but I bought the thingy without the probe. It's a couple of degrees less than the incubator. Ordered the correct one. I came out this morning and the incubator said 103 and inside it said 99. Lowered it a tad but it's difficult. My good eggs are coming 6-5. Basque and Coronation Sussex. I'm liable to kill them all. And it would be a shame. I read on one thread that a lady got 5 shipments of eggs and didn't hatch a one. Nightmares.

 

[LindaB220]

Bee I got talked into buying 20 CX coming to South La. My fairly local friend is going to pick up hers and mine. They'll be about 10 days old when I get them. Going to put in the coop with a heating pad but I don't think I'll need it. Mid June in La is hot. Now for a freezer.

 

[Beekissed]

Lots of meat!!!! Yay!!! Get ready for a true experience...those birds can drive ya nuts if you let 'em, but they sure are sweet little birds. They make a lot of noise, a lot of poop, and act like piranhas at feeding time, which can trip you flat if you aren't watching...but they yield mongo meat per bird, so well worth the time spent.

I think that water wiggler idea was the real turning point of my nest incubation experiment...that and Pete's idea about doing a dry hatch. Thanks to Fred and Pete, this thing really worked and this new nest feels like an old friend....lot less stress or anxiety and I'm not checking them obsessively this time. Probably because I know I can hatch in this box now, so nothing to worry about. If one doesn't hatch, I'm not going to open it up, just discard it. If one is too weak to get out of the egg in a timely fashion, it's likely too weak to live anyway and so I may just curtail any long, long attempts to get out.

 

[Lizz9311]

Lots of meat!!!! Yay!!! Get ready for a true experience...those birds can drive ya nuts if you let 'em, but they sure are sweet little birds. They make a lot of noise, a lot of poop, and act like piranhas at feeding time, which can trip you flat if you aren't watching...but they yield mongo meat per bird, so well worth the time spent.

Truth. Last year we had 27 CX birds. They drove me NUTS! I hated feeding them. Another tip, definitely keep them separated from other breeds as they will eat all the feed and your other breeds wont get to eat.

Hubby is talking about getting more. I told him no more than 5 at a time. I might up it to 10 if I feel adventurous!

 

[Zombified]

Okay, Zeus is a week old today! (If I've been counting my days right lol.)

I did have two hatch, and named the second on Hephaestus. Heph was born with a deformed leg, and sadly, she died before she was four days old. She was going strong, but one night I guess she decided it was too much. ):

Zeus has a teddy bear, though, and gets lots of time with us peoples, and doesn't seem too lonely. The only ducks around here are Pekin or Muscovy, neither of which would be suitable for my neighborhood right now. I'm going to continue looking, but in the meantime, I have been introducing Zeus (slowly) to the rest of the flock so he won't be lonely and so he'll hopefully be accepted by the flock before he even goes with them 100% of the time.

How are the eggs, Bee? Could you remind me what breeds of chicken you have? And with that, what breeds would you recommend for egg production, personality(meaning friendly with humans and other animals), and meat? (I don't want meat birds specifically, I just want birds that can be used for meat.)

 

[Beekissed]

How are the eggs, Bee? Could you remind me what breeds of chicken you have? And with that, what breeds would you recommend for egg production, personality(meaning friendly with humans and other animals), and meat? (I don't want meat birds specifically, I just want birds that can be used for meat.)

The best breed for all three of those qualities are the Plymouth White Rocks, in my experience. A calm, friendly but not too overly moochy, regal bird that lays large, brown eggs and many of them and when they are done laying, have a huge carcass of dense, fine textured meat...bigger than any other hen I've had. They are usually very hardy, have excellent feathering, longevity of lay, great foragers and are very thrifty on feed....meaning they don't have to eat a lot to get big and stay big. They contribute half of the genetics that go into the Cornish Rock cross birds that are most commonly used for meat production in the US. Excellent layers, just good birds all around.

They are my favorite breed and most of the eggs I'm currently hatching are heritage lines of WRs. I also have a few Black Australorp eggs and a New Hampshire egg in that nest, just for funzies. I have a few Delawares also but am not hatching any of their eggs in this nest that I know of, though mistakes can be made.

This nest is my most hopeful one of all....only 6 clears were removed and the rest have viable, lively chicks in them. No blood rings or spots in this set of eggs and no untimely deaths as of yet. I'm not messing with them as much this time and there have been a few times of extreme variations of temps that could have killed the hatch but didn't, so these must be a hardy set of chicks.

I'm trying to turn them x 3 per day but if I don't get to it, I don't worry, and there was one day they didn't get turned at all. They went on a 4 day vacation with me, 4 hrs across the state and back, traveled just fine. No porous eggs are noted in this nest, though I didn't check for that before starting out, and all the air cells are right on track and some are starting to tilt a little when last I checked. I think this nest is going to out perform all the others by far and it could be just due to superior egg quality and a better breeder male.

 

[Zombified]

Didn't you say you have Wyandottes, too? If yeah, how are they compared to the WRs? And what about Barred Rocks? Would they have the same personality as White Rocks?

I mean, color isn't super important to the family, but I like my birds to have at least a little color. Chances are, I may keep WRs for their eggs and meat and another breed for the above as well as some color, lol. I have to say, I really really like Wyandottes in terms of appearance, but I've never really looked into their behavior.

I think that this method does need a bit of modification for ducks. I believe that it was the unstable humidity that killed most of my eggs, unless it's a weak bloodline. Which is entirely possible. I'm getting a new, healthier line of Welsh Harlequin ducks after we move anyway.

 

[Beekissed]

Didn't you say you have Wyandottes, too? If yeah, how are they compared to the WRs? And what about Barred Rocks? Would they have the same personality as White Rocks?

I mean, color isn't super important to the family, but I like my birds to have at least a little color. Chances are, I may keep WRs for their eggs and meat and another breed for the above as well as some color, lol. I have to say, I really really like Wyandottes in terms of appearance, but I've never really looked into their behavior.

I think that this method does need a bit of modification for ducks. I believe that it was the unstable humidity that killed most of my eggs, unless it's a weak bloodline. Which is entirely possible. I'm getting a new, healthier line of Welsh Harlequin ducks after we move anyway.

I've had Wyandottes and they are my least favorite breed....and they are nothing like the WRs. About as far as the east is from the west and the only similarity is that they are both chickens. Across the board and in every flock I've had any Wys they were cranky, poor layers, big eaters, poor foragers and not very hardy....pretty birds but not worth a shuck.

The BRs are not much like the WRs either, though they do lay well for awhile they have never lasted as long as my WRs for laying, and had to be culled around 2-3 yrs. They don't have the good feathering or hardiness either, though they can have quirky personalities and they forage well. They don't finish out as large as the WRs on carcasses either.

My next two fave breeds are the:

Black Australorps...very moochy and sweet birds and they really have no down side other than not having a large carcass as the WRs. You really can't go wrong with BAs....they lay like machines, are sweet and quirky, hardy, feed thrifty and good foragers.

New Hampshires...also sweet and friendly, industrious and excellent foragers and layers, though their eggs tend to be smaller than the BAs and WRs. They are about the same size as the BAs. Love the NHs and they are third in my list of great breeds for any flock.

 

[Tomtommom]

I want some of your WRs. Bee. I love mine, but they're not very well bred. I think they're running out of steam.