A Bielefelder Thread !

[Talonstorm]

My new bielefelder babies. Really clearly a boy and a girl. Disappointing hatch though, of 7 eggs, 4 were duds, 1 was an early quitter, and the last 2 hatched.

 

[jbkirk]

My new bielefelder babies. Really clearly a boy and a girl. Disappointing hatch though, of 7 eggs, 4 were duds, 1 was an early quitter, and the last 2 hatched.

That fertility rate is awful.

but cute chicks.

 

[DesertChic]

My new bielefelder babies. Really clearly a boy and a girl. Disappointing hatch though, of 7 eggs, 4 were duds, 1 was an early quitter, and the last 2 hatched.

At least you have a boy AND a girl.

 

[jbkirk]

At least you have a boy AND a girl.

Oh and I forgot to add that I hope that you can keep both of them so as to multiply your flock.

 

[Talonstorm]

That fertility rate is awful.

but cute chicks.

Yeah, they were shipped eggs. The USPS is not so careful. Sometimes I wonder if it is better not to stamp the package fragile.

I won't be keeping the boy. I already have one illegal roo who is getting a no crow collar tonight. I am hoping I can keep him, he is gorgeous (gold laced orpington) and gentle. If only I had more space and wasn't hemmed into a city lot.

 

[Talonstorm]

I forgot to mention that there were 5 additional eggs from this bunch that I gave to a friend. She had 2 duds, 2 early quitters, and one that hatched (a girl, yippee!). My incubator is a Brinsea Mini Advance and I obsessively monitor the humidity. My other hatches were very good, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't my incubator.

 

[jcortelli]

They are not super good egg layers like Leghorn and Stars but nice looking yard birds.


Bielfelder

 

[Chickielady]

Yeah, they were shipped eggs. The USPS is not so careful. Sometimes I wonder if it is better not to stamp the package fragile.

I won't be keeping the boy. I already have one illegal roo who is getting a no crow collar tonight. I am hoping I can keep him, he is gorgeous (gold laced orpington) and gentle. If only I had more space and wasn't hemmed into a city lot.

The Biel cock bird is STUNNING, in most's opinion, far more stunning that a gold laced Orp, and they are very very gentle.
Mine crow seldom, when they do crow, it is loud, but like I said, few.
I can, stoop and simple pick him up. He is gorgeous, and so is the other 3 cockerels.

 

[Chickielady]

They are not super good egg layers like Leghorn and Stars but nice looking yard birds.


Bielfelder

Mine lay HUGE eggs, so much so I worry about the girls sometimes..and so far, they lay everyday.
Bigger than XL eggs.
I guess it depends on the line you have.

 

[Chickielady]

I forgot to mention that there were 5 additional eggs from this bunch that I gave to a friend. She had 2 duds, 2 early quitters, and one that hatched (a girl, yippee!). My incubator is a Brinsea Mini Advance and I obsessively monitor the humidity. My other hatches were very good, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't my incubator.

Could be the eggs were old.
Eggs should not be over 6 days old on set.
High temps while they are being held can be responsible for early quitters.
It is almost as if the embryo has a timer, and as soon as it gets close to 70 degrees...the timer starts.
After a while of struggling, the embryo gives up.
So it probably is not your fault the eggs quit.
Hatching eggs should be held, and turned daily, under 60 degrees, with 50 being optimal.
So you can see how temps can be raised during shipping.