Barnevelder breeders lets work together and improve the breed

[flocknfoal]

My first try at incubating didn't go so well. Out of 36 fertile eggs only 8 barnies and 4 silkies hatched. They were packed very well so I'm sure it's my fault, but I don't know what I did wrong.

I put in18 eggs from Trisha, 18 silkie eggs from Catdance (my daughter's project), and 6 eggs that turned out not to be fertile, but he is sending more. When I candled at 15 days I pulled out some that were obviously not developing or had an obvious blood rings. So I went into lock down with 12 barnie eggs and 15 silkie eggs. Eight of the barnie eggs have hatched and look fabulous, but only four of the silkies have hatched. That's still only 44% of the barnie eggs and 22% for the silkies. I'm sad.

I have a genesis 1588 with an auto turner. Temp was steady at 100 +/- 0.5. I candled at day 7 and 15 and didn't open it or touch them in-between. I tried 'dry hatching' so humidity was around 30%-35% most of the first 18 days. As low as 22% once, and as high as 42% a few days. At 18 days I raised humidity to 65% to 70%. The ones that have hatched started Thursday night or early Friday morning and continued throughout the day yesterday. Last hatch was around 9 pm last night. Nothing since them - no sound, no cracks.

I did quickly take the hatched chicks out about half an hour ago and moved them to the brooder, and they are doing well. I have one splash - hope it is a pullet. I know with the blacks and blues the chest color gives a good clue for gender. Is it the same for splash?

Anyhow, any advice on improving my numbers next time would be greatly appreciated!

thanks,
Shanna

edit: I'm pretty sure the one I thought was a splash barnie is actually a silkie. Of the 8 barnies, two have very dark chests, two have very white chests, and the other four are various shades of cream.

 

[ChickNmamma]

My first try at incubating didn't go so well. Out of 36 fertile eggs only 8 barnies and 4 silkies hatched. They were packed very well so I'm sure it's my fault, but I don't know what I did wrong.

I put in18 eggs from Trisha, 18 silkie eggs from Catdance (my daughter's project), and 6 eggs that turned out not to be fertile, but he is sending more. When I candled at 15 days I pulled out some that were obviously not developing or had an obvious blood rings. So I went into lock down with 12 barnie eggs and 15 silkie eggs. Eight of the barnie eggs have hatched and look fabulous, but only four of the silkies have hatched. That's still only 44% of the barnie eggs and 22% for the silkies. I'm sad.

I have a genesis 1588 with an auto turner. Temp was steady at 100 +/- 0.5. I candled at day 7 and 15 and didn't open it or touch them in-between. I tried 'dry hatching' so humidity was around 30%-35% most of the first 18 days. As low as 22% once, and as high as 42% a few days. At 18 days I raised humidity to 65% to 70%. The ones that have hatched started Thursday night or early Friday morning and continued throughout the day yesterday. Last hatch was around 9 pm last night. Nothing since them - no sound, no cracks.

I did quickly take the hatched chicks out about half an hour ago and moved them to the brooder, and they are doing well. I have one splash - hope it is a pullet. I know with the blacks and blues the chest color gives a good clue for gender. Is it the same for splash?

Anyhow, any advice on improving my numbers next time would be greatly appreciated!

thanks,
Shanna

It is only Saturday. You still have a chance for more to hatch. I would check the eggs - listen for peeping. You can float test them if there are no external pips. You can also candle them to look for movement.

I had 4 Silkies die in the shell after internally pipping, not sure why. If I had known they had pipped I might have helped them out. I think the valuted skulls on the Silkies can prevent them hatching because they get stuck.

Some birds don't hatch until day 24.. so don't give up yet.

 

[Helen in the Desert]

My first try at incubating didn't go so well. Out of 36 fertile eggs only 8 barnies and 4 silkies hatched. They were packed very well so I'm sure it's my fault, but I don't know what I did wrong.

I put in18 eggs from Trisha, 18 silkie eggs from Catdance (my daughter's project), and 6 eggs that turned out not to be fertile, but he is sending more. When I candled at 15 days I pulled out some that were obviously not developing or had an obvious blood rings. So I went into lock down with 12 barnie eggs and 15 silkie eggs. Eight of the barnie eggs have hatched and look fabulous, but only four of the silkies have hatched. That's still only 44% of the barnie eggs and 22% for the silkies. I'm sad.

I have a genesis 1588 with an auto turner. Temp was steady at 100 +/- 0.5. I candled at day 7 and 15 and didn't open it or touch them in-between. I tried 'dry hatching' so humidity was around 30%-35% most of the first 18 days. As low as 22% once, and as high as 42% a few days. At 18 days I raised humidity to 65% to 70%. The ones that have hatched started Thursday night or early Friday morning and continued throughout the day yesterday. Last hatch was around 9 pm last night. Nothing since them - no sound, no cracks.

I did quickly take the hatched chicks out about half an hour ago and moved them to the brooder, and they are doing well. I have one splash - hope it is a pullet. I know with the blacks and blues the chest color gives a good clue for gender. Is it the same for splash?

Anyhow, any advice on improving my numbers next time would be greatly appreciated!

thanks,
Shanna

edit: I'm pretty sure the one I thought was a splash barnie is actually a silkie. Of the 8 barnies, two have very dark chests, two have very white chests, and the other four are various shades of cream.

For shipped eggs your hatch rate isn't that bad. The mail service where I live is evil when it comes to eggs and I am lucky to get 30%. Which has made me cheep, when it comes to buying eggs....

 

[pysankigirl]

My first try at incubating didn't go so well. Out of 36 fertile eggs only 8 barnies and 4 silkies hatched. They were packed very well so I'm sure it's my fault, but I don't know what I did wrong.

I put in18 eggs from Trisha, 18 silkie eggs from Catdance (my daughter's project), and 6 eggs that turned out not to be fertile, but he is sending more. When I candled at 15 days I pulled out some that were obviously not developing or had an obvious blood rings. So I went into lock down with 12 barnie eggs and 15 silkie eggs. Eight of the barnie eggs have hatched and look fabulous, but only four of the silkies have hatched. That's still only 44% of the barnie eggs and 22% for the silkies. I'm sad.

I have a genesis 1588 with an auto turner. Temp was steady at 100 +/- 0.5. I candled at day 7 and 15 and didn't open it or touch them in-between. I tried 'dry hatching' so humidity was around 30%-35% most of the first 18 days. As low as 22% once, and as high as 42% a few days. At 18 days I raised humidity to 65% to 70%. The ones that have hatched started Thursday night or early Friday morning and continued throughout the day yesterday. Last hatch was around 9 pm last night. Nothing since them - no sound, no cracks.

I did quickly take the hatched chicks out about half an hour ago and moved them to the brooder, and they are doing well. I have one splash - hope it is a pullet. I know with the blacks and blues the chest color gives a good clue for gender. Is it the same for splash?

Anyhow, any advice on improving my numbers next time would be greatly appreciated!

thanks,
Shanna

edit: I'm pretty sure the one I thought was a splash barnie is actually a silkie. Of the 8 barnies, two have very dark chests, two have very white chests, and the other four are various shades of cream.

LOL I'd have been satisfied that that many hatched. eggs that go through shipping even if they look okay can still have problems. the filament that holds the yolk where it needs to be is fragile. air sacks can get dislodged. it is kind of a toss of the dice with how the package is handled. I am sure it was nothing that you did.

 

[Jobele]

Okay everybody.....I've taken some pics of the Barnevelder eggs that I hatched.....trust me.....if they are Barnevelders......they are definitely crossed with something! Actually they are sorta cute...but just don't know what they are.....LOL! Only 2 of the chicks have yellow legs! The others are slate gray. The black and white ones may be a cross to a Plymouth rock? Don't have a clue where the Gold and Black came from. I'm just chalking this one up as "I got Jipped!.....Don't trust everybody on eBAY!" They will make somebody a pretty flock of egg layers....LOL. Here I come Craigslist!











THIS ONE MIGHT BE BARNEVELDER?

THIS MIGHT BE TOO?







Discuss amongst yourselves.....LOL

 

[pysankigirl]

yeah...definitely crosses at best. so sorry. but so curious as to how they will look! I had two oops eggs. a dorkvelder and a barnEE. Both male and both I gave to a coworker...I should get him to send me pictures before they ecome dinner ventually. LOL. Sorry for your wasted money and dashed hopes.

 

[juststruttin]

breeding methods vary from one breeder to another. they typically breed a pen of 1 rooster over 2-4 hens. they will usually have a "cockerel line" and a "pullet line".

I hope someone will correct me if im wrong, as I haven't been able to get my barnevelders going well.

typically you would pick your very best rooster, and put him over more coarsely colored hens. pay attention on the hens especially in the breast area for odd colors that could throw his colors off. this is your cockerel line.

for your pullet line; you would select 4 of your nicest hens, preferably sisters and breed to a show quality cockerel. if not show quality he needs to be of very good type for the breed.

always breed for type first, color second.

most people who show and breed successfully, raise 25-50 birds to choose one.

this is just a loose breeding plan that I would follow unless I got better advice.

How do you account for egg size? Are you only measuring chicks that hatch from the same size egg? Pullet eggs/chicks are going to be smaller.

 

[Helen in the Desert]

How do you account for egg size? Are you only measuring chicks that hatch from the same size egg? Pullet eggs/chicks are going to be smaller.

I don't agree, respectfully - I have two pullets that hatched out of monster eggs and are bigger than the boys 4 months later - where did you hear that?

 

[RachaelS]

Quote:
I think juststruttin means that eggs laid by a pullet are smaller and the chicks are smaller, compared to eggs laid by an older hen. Not the gender that actually hatches. Okay re-read, and now not sure if the meaning is what you said or what I originally thought, LOL

 

[Jobele]

yeah...definitely crosses at best. so sorry. but so curious as to how they will look! I had two oops eggs. a dorkvelder and a barnEE. Both male and both I gave to a coworker...I should get him to send me pictures before they ecome dinner ventually. LOL. Sorry for your wasted money and dashed hopes.

You know....I sorta wondered the same thing......but I'm not gonna raise them to find out......those little buggers are eating like horses. Nothing wrong with their appetites....LOL I'll try and stay in touch with whoever buys them.....because I would like to know what they look like grown. I seriously think they will be very pretty!