This thread is a follow-along for my children (and anyone else) who are joining me in an effort to have fun, raise chickens, and hopefully come up with a good egg layer that is also adapted to our nasty climate. I'm making this as educational as possible so that the kids can use it as a Science Lesson. [And, yes, I know I could just get a flock of White Leghorn and be done with it...but then what fun would I have in the breeding?!
]
Today is "Day 1" of the 21 day process. Photos of the candling process, air spaces, embryo development, etc...will be posted periodically.
We have 32 eggs, and all but 3 are mix breeds.
GOAL: to hatch a flock of birds that meet 2 basic traits: 1) good egg layers 2) able to live in mosquito-infested swamp-humid Liberty County.
METHOD: choosing Roosters that are more "wild-type" Mediterranean Breeds (for our climate) and crossing them with hens that are known to be excellent egg producers, or that are also wild-type birds who can benefit from being crossed with these Roosters (and a few just for fun). We will use a still-air Styrofoam incubator set at 99.5 F, and eggs will be turned at least 3 times per day (to prevent embryo from sticking to shell) and humidity will be monitored via air-space development. Fertility rate will be determined at Day 7 via candling and survivability will be expected to be normal (see below)*.
Breeds include (numbers given where known):
-White Leghorn (3)
-White Leghorn Roo crossed with:
x Old English Game Fowl (Bantam, 2)**
x Brahma (Bantam, 1)**
x Easter Egger (1)
x Barred Rock (1+?)
x Australorp
x Production Hen**
-Egyptian Fayoumis Roo crossed with:
x Easter Egger (8)
x Australorp
x Barred Rock (3+?)
For those keeping up with numbers, that means there are 13 that are not 100% ID'd as to the breed of the mother hen. That's because we didn't witness all the egg-laying, and all the brown eggs look REALLY similar.
**For another curve to throw in, some of the "White Leghorn" crosses might actually have a Rhode Island Red "dad" instead of a Leghorn...but that's something that can be determined at hatch.
Day 1 is October 8. Hatch Day will be Tuesday, Oct 29, give or take a day.
*Anticipated hatch-rate is 70%, yielding in an expected 22 chicks. Of these, it is expected that half will be male, and half female.
![big_smile.png](https://www.backyardchickens.com/styles/byc-smilies/big_smile.png)
Today is "Day 1" of the 21 day process. Photos of the candling process, air spaces, embryo development, etc...will be posted periodically.
We have 32 eggs, and all but 3 are mix breeds.
GOAL: to hatch a flock of birds that meet 2 basic traits: 1) good egg layers 2) able to live in mosquito-infested swamp-humid Liberty County.
METHOD: choosing Roosters that are more "wild-type" Mediterranean Breeds (for our climate) and crossing them with hens that are known to be excellent egg producers, or that are also wild-type birds who can benefit from being crossed with these Roosters (and a few just for fun). We will use a still-air Styrofoam incubator set at 99.5 F, and eggs will be turned at least 3 times per day (to prevent embryo from sticking to shell) and humidity will be monitored via air-space development. Fertility rate will be determined at Day 7 via candling and survivability will be expected to be normal (see below)*.
Breeds include (numbers given where known):
-White Leghorn (3)
-White Leghorn Roo crossed with:
x Old English Game Fowl (Bantam, 2)**
x Brahma (Bantam, 1)**
x Easter Egger (1)
x Barred Rock (1+?)
x Australorp
x Production Hen**
-Egyptian Fayoumis Roo crossed with:
x Easter Egger (8)
x Australorp
x Barred Rock (3+?)
For those keeping up with numbers, that means there are 13 that are not 100% ID'd as to the breed of the mother hen. That's because we didn't witness all the egg-laying, and all the brown eggs look REALLY similar.
**For another curve to throw in, some of the "White Leghorn" crosses might actually have a Rhode Island Red "dad" instead of a Leghorn...but that's something that can be determined at hatch.
Day 1 is October 8. Hatch Day will be Tuesday, Oct 29, give or take a day.
*Anticipated hatch-rate is 70%, yielding in an expected 22 chicks. Of these, it is expected that half will be male, and half female.