Baby peachicks!!!!!

[Eps32]

Got four eggs shipped from a friend in Nebraska to North Carolina. And I'm happy to say 100 percent hatch rate. First time ever hatching peachicks. There India blue.

 

[Midnightman14]

I just calculate hatch rate/percentage by comparing how many eggs that were set end up hatching. Ex. I put 10 eggs in the incubator and 6 end up hatching.

 

[PhoredaBurds]

This is true---I have never ordered ANY eggs, as far as the peachick eggs they are from a local guy. With them or any eggs---just to make it clear---My hatch percentage is figured on good fertile eggs that go into lock-down----not hatch percentage of the Flock. My Incubator and no one else's can hatch non-fertile eggs. So if I get a dozen peachick eggs and at lock down two are clear---I put 10 into lock down---if 5 hatch I get a 50% hatch rate for my incubator, if all 10 hatch I get 100% hatch rate for the incubator/hatcher which has been the case with the few peachick eggs I have hatched. If all were clear---I would Not put any in lock down to hatch so there would not be a hatch percentage because they all were duds----which has been the case a few times from chicken eggs from the Auction. Wanted to make that Clear. Again Hatch % for me is figured on what goes in at lock-down to hatch.

That's a very interesting way to calculate hatch rate. It's fantastic that you got a good hatch, but it's good you explain your calculations. There are so many things that can happen between fertilization & lock-down. If u take an egg from a pen known to have excellent fertility and shake it vigorously (as sometimes happens in shipping), it will not develop no matter how fertile the hen & rooster & their egg are. Then temp changes, bator issues, age of eggs, etc should all be factored in. I think those eggs should all be calculated in to shipped egg hatch rate, IMHO. It seems pea eggs are especially sensitive to shipping bc of their size & damage that may occur inside the egg. Congrats on a great hatch, but it's a little misleading to only calculate the 3 days between lock down to hatch. I am by no means calling anyone a liar, just suggesting that some of us calculate hatch percentages differently. Jus sayin.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Yesterday morning I opened my incubator and found 5 newly hatched pea chicks! Hooray! Finally making progress on my hatches here. It sure started off slow.
These 5 are 2 Opal WEs, 2 Purples and a IB pied. I love once they dry off well and fluff a bit so I can see more of the patterns.
And I know a lot of folks say not to use a permanent marker on eggs but pencil doesn't last long when Silkies are turning eggs so I started using markers and do not seem to have a problem. Thoughts?

 

[Midnightman14]

The thing is you never know what you'll end up with as a hatch percentage. This time it might be 100 next time you might not get any. It's the gambling aspect that people usually caution against. It's pretty discouraging when you pay an arm and a leg for eggs and then nothing makes it. Plus some people do it to be cheap (not saying you did this) which is getting off on the wrong foot with peafowl.

 

[Argus]

I record everything that goes into the incubator. On the way in you get a number, on the way out you get a name.

 

[KsKingBee]

I just calculate hatch rate/percentage by comparing how many eggs that were set end up hatching. Ex. I put 10 eggs in the incubator and 6 end up hatching.

That is the normal way people report their hatch rates and is a much more honest way of tracking your hatching progress. @AugeredIn is part of a nationwide study tracking every egg from lay to hatch on spreadsheets. He set me up with a good tracking report form and when he told me I had to count broken perch bombs I almost cried because it makes the actual averages lower.

Everybody likes to brag and make themselves feel better with high percentage results, I know I do, but to skew the results is disingenuous at best.

 

[casportpony]

I count all eggs laid, including perch bombs, soft shelled eggs, and damaged eggs.

 

[barkerg]

@barkerg how do you count? I know you track your eggs too.

We count every egg laid regardless if they are broke, infertile, early quitters, etc... when at the end or near the end of our season we tally our percentage and compare to previous years. From my observations and Im not calling anyone out but, anything near 50% hatch rate is phenomenal, Im not implying that anything above 50% is unattainable rather its harder with larger volumes of egg production. Of course smaller numbers will reap higher rewards but, when you start dealing with eggs in the 700-1000ea range such as @KsKingBee, well your numbers will drop for sure. Having said all of that, our incubation process consists of a brigade of gamefowl hens to start our eggs and we pull them at day 23 for the hatcher, if we need the room, we pull eggs early for the hatcher but never prior to 15 days and that has increased our percentages over the years. The machines we use are, Petersimes and Leahy redwoods and so far so good, I hope this helps,.


Gerald Barker

FB: Bobs Green Peafowl

 

[casportpony]

Those perch bombs drive me crazy.

I have one hen that does it all the time so I placed a dog bed under her perch.