Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[3riverschick]

It's interesting, Chris09. The old books on Light Sussex admonish to breed them like Light Brahmas.
Yet, now we know this is a mistake since the 2 breeds are built on different alleles.
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

I think some breeders in their zeal to create a new color (or revive/preserve an old color) make the mistake of crossing birds with different alleles. We see this in Marans wher they cross ER ( Black Copper) and E ( Black Copper or Black) . Or e+ (Golden Salmon) and eWh (Wheaten) . In Sussex, when they cross Light Sussex (eWh) and Silver Sussex (ER). Then they have not only the color variation, but the heterozygous alleles to deal with too.
Best,
Karen

 

[NanaKat]

We need to get back to the basics of Preserving old breeds of poultry ....

Enough on this. I hope we can get back to the basics of finding breeds for those interested and try to get you guys to learn how to run incubators and reproduce your young chicks next year.

I saw a picture of a incubator when I came on here tonight the Geneious from Georgia Quail Company. If you want to give someone a heck of a Christmas present that is a good incuabator to buy and own. Its is also a great hatcher. That's it for me. Charlie did you get my emails I sent you about the pens? Bill will take some pictures tomorrow of your R I Red Cock bird you sent me.

KISS.

Great information as always!
Now about the use of incubators...My little giant is ready for replacement. I used to get good hatch rates but this winter I'm batting maybe 5 out of 48 eggs set.....bad percentage. So I'm in the market for a better incubator. Thanks for this tip, I'll check this one out.

Question...is it better to lay the egg on its side in the hatcher or set it in an egg carton. I have a set that will go in the hatcher on the 5th. I've done both but have had mixed results.

 

[NanaKat]

It's interesting, Chris09. The old books on Light Sussex admonish to breed them like Light Brahmas.
Yet, now we know this is a mistake since the 2 breeds are built on different alleles.
Karen

I think some breeders in their zeal to create a new color (or revive/preserve an old color) make the mistake of crossing birds with different alleles. We see this in Marans wher they cross ER ( Black Copper) and E ( Black Copper or Black) . Or e+ (Golden Salmon) and eWh (Wheaten) . In Sussex, when they cross Light Sussex (eWh) and Silver Sussex (ER). Then they have not only the color variation, but the heterozygous alleles to deal with too.
Best,
Karen

In breeding for the Birchen in the Columbian Wyandotte I used black Australorp hens. I know I'm going to have to focus on the yellow leg. Have two F1 cockerels with great yellow legs too young to tell for sure on the type and two F1 roosters with great body type and black over yellow on the legs that will cover hens this spring. So far we have good green irridescence . Will there be a problem with alleles?

young cockerel with required yellow leg.


Rooster with black over yellow leg shows the green irridescence also. One has a better color on the wing bow and the other has a better tail. Will do a breeding pen for each using hens to improve the weakness....learned from your discussions.

 

[thedragonlady]

Great information as always!
Now about the use of incubators...My little giant is ready for replacement. I used to get good hatch rates but this winter I'm batting maybe 5 out of 48 eggs set.....bad percentage. So I'm in the market for a better incubator. Thanks for this tip, I'll check this one out.

Question...is it better to lay the egg on its side in the hatcher or set it in an egg carton. I have a set that will go in the hatcher on the 5th. I've done both but have had mixed results.

I always set my eggs in cut out egg cartons in the hatcher. My big Orp chicks, who hatch first, will roll the other eggs around like basket balls otherwise. The poor chicks in those eggs are trying to get into the air space to hatch, and don't know which end is up, if they are rolled by those early chicks. Much better hatches in carton bottoms !

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

I always set my eggs in cut out egg cartons in the hatcher. My big Orp chicks, who hatch first, will roll the other eggs around like basket balls otherwise. The poor chicks in those eggs are trying to get into the air space to hatch, and don't know which end is up, if they are rolled by those early chicks. Much better hatches in carton bottoms !

I am right there with you "thedragonlady"....my hatch rates are MUCH higher using the bottom half of an egg carton. I always use either the plastic or styrofoam one as they don't absorb moisture like the paper/cardboard ones do.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I always set my eggs in cut out egg cartons in the hatcher. My big Orp chicks, who hatch first, will roll the other eggs around like basket balls otherwise. The poor chicks in those eggs are trying to get into the air space to hatch, and don't know which end is up, if they are rolled by those early chicks. Much better hatches in carton bottoms !

Interesing. So you found that by placing chicks in cover-removed egg cartons for hatching, with the air cell up, I assume, you had stronger hatches? They don't have trouble struggling free from the shell?

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I am right there with you "thedragonlady"....my hatch rates are MUCH higher using the bottom half of an egg carton. I always use either the plastic or styrofoam one as they don't absorb moisture like the paper/cardboard ones do.

This is, indeed, interesting. Although our hatches are typically strong. I find that in the incubators I always have some chicks stuck in the sell that I'm certain otherwie would hve hatched had they been underneath hens.

 

[NanaKat]

Quote:

Quote:
Will set this hatch in the cartons then.
And before giving up on the winter hatch, I'm going to try a dry hatch with a dozen selected eggs to see if there is any improvement. Then...I'll buy a new incubator and start in the spring.

 

[Pozees]

I always set my eggs in cut out egg cartons in the hatcher. My big Orp chicks, who hatch first, will roll the other eggs around like basket balls otherwise. The poor chicks in those eggs are trying to get into the air space to hatch, and don't know which end is up, if they are rolled by those early chicks. Much better hatches in carton bottoms !

By this do you mean you cut each individual cell apart to allow space between them, or just that you cut the top off and cut a section of however many cells you need?