2015 Peafowl Hatching Support Group - Eggs and Chicks!

[RubyNala97]

Drop the incubation period humidity.  Stop turning them a couple of days earlier.

Rain kills fertility. 

I have 5 eggs due to hatch in one week. My humidity has been 50-55% dry. I added a small cup of moisture control stuff to the incubator. Because the air cells still look small. It brought it down to 25%. Do you think it's ok to run 25% for the next 4 days until lockdown??

 

[BYC-user-174785]

The past years I have had great luck with them, even shipped eggs. I was using broody chickens to start the eggs though. I oh as my Temminck's tragopan hatch so I turned the humidity down to 45%. I will see if that helps. The humidity remains constant so the midway deaths really had me stumped. I will try weighing then and keep track of the percentages. I just got the first egg of the second clutches so I am hoping for better luck. The ones I eggtopsied were a bronze and the rest were bronze blackshoulfers.

 

[AugeredIn]

This is so true, but why? Are they just not amorous when there isn't enough sun, or is there an actual scientific correlation?

I think it is a combination of males not coming off the perch and mating and suppression of the hens desire to mate. I don't know of any scientific study.

 

[AugeredIn]

I have 5 eggs due to hatch in one week. My humidity has been 50-55% dry. I added a small cup of moisture control stuff to the incubator. Because the air cells still look small. It brought it down to 25%. Do you think it's ok to run 25% for the next 4 days until lockdown??

I doubt it will make much difference at this point. You might lock them down a day earlier and give them more time to get situated.

 

[AugeredIn]

The past years I have had great luck with them, even shipped eggs. I was using broody chickens to start the eggs though. I oh as my Temminck's tragopan hatch so I turned the humidity down to 45%. I will see if that helps. The humidity remains constant so the midway deaths really had me stumped. I will try weighing then and keep track of the percentages. I just got the first egg of the second clutches so I am hoping for better luck. The ones I eggtopsied were a bronze and the rest were bronze blackshoulfers.

I think we learn more and more each year. I also think the more that large volume breeders share data the better we will get. I am absolutely convinced that using chickens to set the eggs for the entire period or ten days makes for a better hatch.

I just know that chicks that die in the egg tend to be overly large and one way to correct the issue is to lower humidity during the first part of incubation.

 

[BYC-user-174785]

Okay. I will try to let the peahens incubate their own eggs this time since I cannot arrange to get any chickens to incubate the eggs. I will see how lower humidity goes and let you guys know later this month hopefully.

 

[ellymayRans]

Day 25 is standard but I just locked mine down on day 24 because after candling it just looked like it was going to be sooner. Sure enough I just candled day 25 and its internally pipped.

Now I'm at a ... "Should I do something?!".. at least 13 hours since I posted having an internal pip and nothing still.

I candled again and it's still alive and in that air cell. How long before I panic and make a hole?

 

[RubyNala97]

I doubt it will make much difference at this point.  You might lock them down a day earlier and give them more time to get situated.

Ok, I will lockdown a day early. I candled tonight and the air cells have increased and the air cell lines look so much cleaner, if you know what I mean. I'm happy that I got the humidity down. I think they needed it lower. Can peachicks hatch sticky?

Now I'm at a ... "Should I do something?!".. at least 13 hours since I posted having an internal pip and nothing still.

I candled again and it's still alive and in that air cell. How long before I panic and make a hole?

I would also like to know, how long after internal pip should you assist??

 

[KsKingBee]

I think we learn more and more each year. I also think the more that large volume breeders share data the better we will get. I am absolutely convinced that using chickens to set the eggs for the entire period or ten days makes for a better hatch.

I just know that chicks that die in the egg tend to be overly large and one way to correct the issue is to lower humidity during the first part of incubation.

I am finding all of this to be so true! Granted, this is only my second year hatching peas, but your point is not wasted on me as I just brought in 30 eggs that have been under broody chickens and are due on the fourth, well that would be 28 days. Of the thirty eggs I had not candled them at all until tonight and only had three clears, all the rest except for one had developed and showed internal pip. That one looks good but I did not want to let them cool so I did not watch if very long for movement.

I also have a tray of 42 that were set in the Sportsman at the same time, I did candle them about a week ago and removed 10. Of the 38 that I just candled to move into the hatcher only 6 had movement. That is the worst hatch I have had in the incubator yet. The only thing that is different in the GQF from previous hatches is that the humidity has risen to mid to upper 50's for over a week with no changes by me. It had settled down to mid 40's this past week.

I am now employing 17 broody chicken hens much to the dismay of my wife. She is not liking the drop of egg production in her flock.

Those overly large chicks you mention take a lot more help to get out of the egg, and if timing isn't right they don't make it out alive.

 

[DylansMom]

Now I'm at a ... "Should I do something?!".. at least 13 hours since I posted having an internal pip and nothing still.

I candled again and it's still alive and in that air cell. How long before I panic and make a hole?

Ok, I will lockdown a day early. I candled tonight and the air cells have increased and the air cell lines look so much cleaner, if you know what I mean. I'm happy that I got the humidity down. I think they needed it lower. Can peachicks hatch sticky?
I would also like to know, how long after internal pip should you assist??

If they have not cracked the shell within 24 hrs. of internal pip, I will put a small air hole in the egg over the air cell. I then give them another 24 to start zipping on their own, if they don't, I start assisting.