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- #21
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Shipping is one of the factors I would consider first. I am not saying that anyone SHOULD get a specific hatch rate, just promoting a discussion on the subject so we all can learn.
Counting clears is bad practise. For a start, it would lead you in the wrong direction when thinking about improvements. We need to NOT count clears, they couldn't have hatched whatever we do.
I hope lots of folk read this thread. I do not seek to criticize, just inform each other on what constitutes good practise.
Clears don't always mean infertile though, so I think that's a reason why people count them. True, with shipped eggs, more times than not, a clear was scrambled by the P.O., but it could also be that the temp was not right in the first day or two. That would make the eggs candle clear. I didn't count clears last summer, but the eggs were from my flock, and the only 'clears' were from my dad's fluffy butt standard cochin. The only 'working' roo at the time was a teeny tiny dutch, so I figure he had a bit of difficulty hitting his mark
Clears mean infertile, or dead on arrival. Either way, they mess up the figures.
If you set 20 eggs, and on Day 7 most are developing normally, and a couple aren't, then those two were not viable.
If you count them, then you are ignoring the evidence in front of you .... that is, your incubator is doing fine, the 18 tells you that .... it is almost certain that the other two are egg problems, not incubation errors.
If you count them, it misleads you.
On the other hand ... if only 50% are developing on day 7, then it is worth considering other factors. Shipping would be one factor.
Shipping is one of the factors I would consider first. I am not saying that anyone SHOULD get a specific hatch rate, just promoting a discussion on the subject so we all can learn.
Counting clears is bad practise. For a start, it would lead you in the wrong direction when thinking about improvements. We need to NOT count clears, they couldn't have hatched whatever we do.
I hope lots of folk read this thread. I do not seek to criticize, just inform each other on what constitutes good practise.
Clears don't always mean infertile though, so I think that's a reason why people count them. True, with shipped eggs, more times than not, a clear was scrambled by the P.O., but it could also be that the temp was not right in the first day or two. That would make the eggs candle clear. I didn't count clears last summer, but the eggs were from my flock, and the only 'clears' were from my dad's fluffy butt standard cochin. The only 'working' roo at the time was a teeny tiny dutch, so I figure he had a bit of difficulty hitting his mark
Clears mean infertile, or dead on arrival. Either way, they mess up the figures.
If you set 20 eggs, and on Day 7 most are developing normally, and a couple aren't, then those two were not viable.
If you count them, then you are ignoring the evidence in front of you .... that is, your incubator is doing fine, the 18 tells you that .... it is almost certain that the other two are egg problems, not incubation errors.
If you count them, it misleads you.
On the other hand ... if only 50% are developing on day 7, then it is worth considering other factors. Shipping would be one factor.
