Arkansas Blue egg layers

[caj1985]

Nice!

Mine has the cool down cycle and the humidity pump. I incubate for the first 18 days in it and then set them up in one of my Genesis 1588 incubators for hatching.

The cool down cycle really helps them develop well.

I hatch mine without the turners for that reason. These and duck eggs (if I don't just steal them from a broody duck right before they are ready to hatch) seem to hatch better if I manually turn them which allows them to cool down some. These seem to be very sensitive to high humidity also so watch that depending upon what part of CA you are hatching in. I know Southern will have the opposite problem of trying to keep humidity high enough.

 

[enola]

I turn my eggs by hand, too. With the exception of my legbar eggs, all of my other eggs, I get 90% hatch. Fo some reason, I did not hatch a single purebred cream legbar chick last year, despite incubating every egg my hen laid.

 

[ronott1]

I hatch mine without the turners for that reason. These and duck eggs (if I don't just steal them from a broody duck right before they are ready to hatch) seem to hatch better if I manually turn them which allows them to cool down some. These seem to be very sensitive to high humidity also so watch that depending upon what part of CA you are hatching in. I know Southern will have the opposite problem of trying to keep humidity high enough.

We are in the Sacramento valley and it is dry here--not as dry as the other side of the Sierras but not humid like Arkansas.

The Brinsea octagon has an auto turner that is very smooth. I do not like the turners in the Genesis--they can be bumpy with a lot of vibration. I set the auto humidity pump to 35% humidity and then hatch at 65% humidity in a Genesis 1588.

 

[1muttsfan]

Keeper, that is very generous of you. I also hope to have some Blacks someday, breeding splashes continuously tends to cause the color to wash out. The best colored splashes come from blue crosses.

 

[TheKeeper]

We are in the Sacramento valley and it is dry here--not as dry as the other side of the Sierras but not humid like Arkansas.

The Brinsea octagon has an auto turner that is very smooth. I do not like the turners in the Genesis--they can be bumpy with a lot of vibration. I set the auto humidity pump to 35% humidity and then hatch at 65% humidity in a Genesis 1588.

Only 35% @ronott1? I've had mine at 50 or 55%.
I've had good hatch rates for the fertile ones but it makes me question my method.
Do you weigh them each week to confirm proper weight loss?
I would think our environments are pretty similar.

 

[ronott1]

Only 35% @ronott1 ? I've had mine at 50 or 55%.
I've had good hatch rates for the fertile ones but it makes me question my method.
Do you weigh them each week to confirm proper weight loss?
I would think our environments are pretty similar.

It depends on the breed for the humidity. Dorking eggs do better a bit higher while the Penedesenca seem to do better a bit lower. The Arkansas blues do well at 35 to 40% for the first 18 days with the cooling cycle for day days 8 to 18.

I do not weigh them but If the egg develops(is fertile) they nearly all hatch that way. The flock was not under my control last year but they did hatch well for me. I do use the air cell chart. I hatched out several hundred of them last year.

Dorking eggs were a problem to hatch last year. The Delawares did much better.

50 to 55% is traditional incubation. lower levels like I use is dry incubation--even though I add water.

 

[TheKeeper]

It depends on the breed for the humidity. Dorking eggs do better a bit higher while the Penedesenca seem to do better a bit lower. The Arkansas blues do well at 35 to 40% for the first 18 days with the cooling cycle for day days 8 to 18.

I do not weigh them but If the egg develops(is fertile) they nearly all hatch that way. The flock was not under my control last year but they did hatch well for me. I do use the air cell chart. I hatched out several hundred of them last year.

Dorking eggs were a problem to hatch last year. The Delawares did much better.

50 to 55% is traditional incubation. lower levels like I use is dry incubation--even though I add water.

Ok - so now my brain is kicking in...
why do you prefer to hatch in the Genesis? More room?
Do you have issues with maintaining humidity when you remove fluffed chicks & others have not hatched yet?

If this is too off topic, please feel free to PM me.
Not sure if others are as interested as I am.

 

[ronott1]

Ok - so now my brain is kicking in...
why do you prefer to hatch in the Genesis? More room?
Do you have issues with maintaining humidity when you remove fluffed chicks & others have not hatched yet?

If this is too off topic, please feel free to PM me.
Not sure if others are as interested as I am.

I use the Genesis to hatch for staggered hatches--It is easy to clean too. Humidity is not a problem--I keep a spray bottle with clean water in it and squirt some water in when I have to remove a chick.

It is relevant to the thread though. Arkansas Blues are odd to hatch. I do not remember if I posted about them on this thread but did on the old one. They help to teach patience in hatching because they hatch over a lot of days.

 

[caj1985]

I use the Genesis to hatch for staggered hatches--It is easy to clean too. Humidity is not a problem--I keep a spray bottle with clean water in it and squirt some water in when I have to remove a chick.

It is relevant to the thread though. Arkansas Blues are odd to hatch. I do not remember if I posted about them on this thread but did on the old one. They help to teach patience in hatching because they hatch over a lot of days.

You got it, Ron. These chicks as I said earlier are weird hatchers. They never hatch early. They usually hatch at 22 days. They also don't zip like most chicks. They just bull their way out of the pipping hole. I don't know if that is some weird hold over from the Araucana because Araucana are also hard to hatch or what. Araucana though normally are hard to get good hatch rates because of lethality gene and fertility issues with the rumplessness.

How many days do you normally give yours to complete hatch?

 

[ronott1]

You got it, Ron. These chicks as I said earlier are weird hatchers. They never hatch early. They usually hatch at 22 days. They also don't zip like most chicks. They just bull their way out of the pipping hole. I don't know if that is some weird hold over from the Araucana because Araucana are also hard to hatch or what. Araucana though normally are hard to get good hatch rates because of lethality gene and fertility issues with the rumplessness.

How many days do you normally give yours to complete hatch?

They do start late and I have had them hatch over a three day period.

I have not hatched Araucana eggs but have read that they hatch oddly too.

The chicks are fine and healthy after they hatch though and the adults are robust.