Acceptable Silkie and Aracauna Hatch Rates

[caj1985]

Just got finished incubating 60 eggs of various breeds. My Buttercup bantams and LF Black Sumatra had 100% hatch.

My silkies, Houdans and Aracauna were not so good. I know the Aracauna have fertility issues. Do these other breeds?

I only hatched 4 out of 15 silkie eggs and 2 out of 8 Houdans and 2 out of 10 Aracauna.

These were all from the same breeder in the same incubator. Upon examination most of the unhatched were totally clear, obviously not fertile.

Thanks if advance for any info, as I am trying another hatch starting this weekend.

 

[cashdl]

I raise Araucana and can only speak to their hatch rates. When I hatch my eggs here I have about 75% fertility and the hatch rates on the fertile eggs are between 75% and 95% when hatched here. My shipped hatching eggs run between 25% and 50% hatch rate. Its hard to say about fertility but it should be about 75% to 95% because I ship eggs from the same pens I am hatching eggs from every week.

Lanae

 

[caj1985]

Thanks, Lanae. I guess I will just keep my fingers crossed that the next hatch is more successful. Right now I am just hoping to get 6 more or so to start a flock. I'm interested to see what these look like grown as they are BBR. They are an absolutely beautiful chick.

 

[cashdl]

I would love to see a picture. Where did you get the BBR eggs from? The BBR comes in both wild type and wheaten in the Araucana but for Standard of Perfection purposes the BBR needs to be based on wheaten which is very very hard to come by. If they look like chipmonks then they are wild type. Either is beautiful.


Lanae

 

[caj1985]

If I can get to my camera I will attach a picture this evening. I got the eggs from Professor Bramwell at the University of Arkansas Poultry Research station. As a hobby he takes various breeds and tries to get them to the SOP. He gives the fertile eggs to anyone that asks with an emphasis on kids in 4-H or FFA. It is a wonderful program.

His comment on the Aracauna is " Black-Breasted Red Araucana, All Other Standard Breed Class, (A) – My birds are the true Araucana as they originated from South America with tufts and the rumpless gene characteristics. Some really great birds have been hatched out of this stock but due to the variable nature of the genetic traits these birds possess it is always a ‘crap shoot’ with this breed. "

 

[Goblnfvr]

Cashdl and caj1985

I just hatched 11 eggs this past Saturday that were supposed to be "Pure Araucana" eggs.
The eggs were a nice blue colour but what hatched I am thinking are not pure Araucana.
He had Araucana and Silkies and some other breeds at his farm - I am thinking his Silkie rooster maybe slipping in with his Araucana hens!
I have 3 that have feathered feet - two of which have 5 toes.
The rest are a mix of colors.

Here is a couple of pics of the chicks - could either of you tell me how to tell for sure if I have any pure ones in the bunch.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[cashdl]

Goblnfvr,

Nope, I would say the person doesn't know what an araucana is. Those are typical Easter Egg chickens. He probably has hatchery birds he bought as Araucana and is just continuing the myth.




Crystal,

I sent you an email. Dr. Bramwell originally got his birds From Ann Charles, but those are not her birds that he sent you pictures of they are another Anns. And if those are the colors he is breeding to be SOP then they are not correct for the BBR at least in the hens. And if he had the correct Wheaten in a roo but he breeds to hens that look like the one pictured, he is moving farther and farther away from the Standard of Perfection with each breeding.

The Standard Of Perfection for the araucana is alot more than just rumplessness and tufts.

It sounds like he is being helpful to those wanting to get started, but its not helpful if the birds are not bred to standard.

Lanae

 

[Habibs Hens]

here in the UK true Araucana have a high fertility rate

they are pretty much 99%-100% hatch rate on em

 

[cashdl]

here in the UK true Araucana have a high fertility rate

they are pretty much 99%-100% hatch rate on em

Yep, no tufts and add a tail, definately will help with hatch rates. I have a few birds that is am mixing and coming up with something simialar to the European Araucana. Mine are crested, rumpless, tufted, bearded, muffed and lay a blue egg.

Lanae

 

[caj1985]

I'm not sure on what his birds actually are like since they are on the research facility at U of A and strict bio-security rules are practiced. No live birds are allowed in or out of the facility.

I do know that the other breeds that he raises have had good success in the show ring. He has several breeds that he has been working with for several generations and a couple that he freely admits are very much a work in progress.

His program is a wonderful asset to the 4-H and FFA kids here in the AR/OK area.