BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Fire Ant Farm]

Sorry I've been away - I've been going through my first hatch! (Cream Legbars from my backyard). Most hatched quickly and easily on day 20, but there are a few (all from one pullet who lays more rounded eggs) that had small air cells, and were malpositioned. Today I've been helping the last ones out. One died in the shell. Last one is not ready yet, but will need some help when s/he is.






- Ant Farm

Edit: More specifically, 15 eggs went into lockdown, 13 have hatched, one DIS, and waiting to see if the final one will make it.

 

[DesertChic]

Sorry I've been away - I've been going through my first hatch! (Cream Legbars from my backyard). Most hatched quickly and easily on day 20, but there are a few (all from one pullet who lays more rounded eggs) that had small air cells, and were malpositioned. Today I've been helping the last ones out. One died in the shell. Last one is not ready yet, but will need some help when s/he is.






- Ant Farm

Edit: More specifically, 15 eggs went into lockdown, 13 have hatched, one DIS, and waiting to see if the final one will make it.

Yay! Pretty babies! Congratulations on your first hatch!

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Sorry I've been away - I've been going through my first hatch! (Cream Legbars from my backyard). Most hatched quickly and easily on day 20, but there are a few (all from one pullet who lays more rounded eggs) that had small air cells, and were malpositioned. Today I've been helping the last ones out. One died in the shell. Last one is not ready yet, but will need some help when s/he is.






- Ant Farm

Edit: More specifically, 15 eggs went into lockdown, 13 have hatched, one DIS, and waiting to see if the final one will make it.

Congratulations on your hatch! Such pretty chicks they are, too.....and........... are those chicks sitting on MEMORY FOAM!!???? Don't let my chickens see that, I'll never hear the end of it.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Went down to the barn after all my chickens roosted for the night, and slathered on the vaseline. It was tricky to get it on nicely, but I think I got all the combs covered. It was only a half degree below zero centigrade, and I was astonished at how cold their combs and feet were. I'm really not looking forward to this weekend

poor chickens at thirty below.

While I was down there, I checked the hens for width between the pubic bones and the capacity- I guess I'm not doing this right, the three cornish hens should be laying as well as the sex link crosses! My Buckeye rooster was pretty narrow between the pubic bones, (I'm not expecting eggs of course, but I assume he'll pass that width on to his chicks) which I guess is not good, but has good depth, and a nice broad back.

 

[stryker]

Went down to the barn after all my chickens roosted for the night, and slathered on the vaseline. It was tricky to get it on nicely, but I think I got all the combs covered. It was only a half degree below zero centigrade, and I was astonished at how cold their combs and feet were. I'm really not looking forward to this weekend    poor chickens at thirty below.

While I was down there, I checked the hens for width between the pubic bones and the capacity- I guess I'm not doing this right, the three cornish hens should be laying as well as the sex link crosses! My Buckeye  rooster was pretty narrow between the pubic bones, (I'm not expecting eggs of course, but I assume he'll pass that width on to his chicks) which I guess is not good, but has good depth, and a nice broad back.

I always heard to use lipstick to see the hens who is and is not laying. I tried the way you said but mine are hard to catch.

 

[Beekissed]

They don't run very fast while on the roosts.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Congratulations on your hatch! Such pretty chicks they are, too.....and........... are those chicks sitting on MEMORY FOAM!!???? Don't let my chickens see that, I'll never hear the end of it.

No!!!!

They are on paper towels for the first day or two (over bedding), and under a heating pad attached to a wire frame, to mimic a mama hen. They are more content with this mama heating pad arrangement than any other chicks I have had...

I have 14 out of 15 that hatched, but two (males) were significantly malpositioned and needed a lot of help - they are quite weak and still in the incubator. I suspect I will be culling them in the morning (not looking forward to that new skill). The DIS one had a lethal malposition (beak away from air cell) on eggtopsy, so there was nothing I could have done.



I learned an awful lot during this hatch!!!

- Ant Farm

 

[jbkirk]

No!!!!

They are on paper towels for the first day or two (over bedding), and under a heating pad attached to a wire frame, to mimic a mama hen. They are more content with this mama heating pad arrangement than any other chicks I have had...

I have 14 out of 15 that hatched, but two (males) were significantly malpositioned and needed a lot of help - they are quite weak and still in the incubator. I suspect I will be culling them in the morning (not looking forward to that new skill). The DIS one had a lethal malposition (beak away from air cell) on eggtopsy, so there was nothing I could have done.



I learned an awful lot during this hatch!!!

- Ant Farm

That's to bad. But at least you learned some thing.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

...t two (males) were significantly malpositioned and... DIS one had a lethal malposition ..

I learned an awful lot during this hatch!!!

- Ant Farm

You may want to consult an incubation text, I seem to remember that malpositions may be caused by incorrect temperature during incubation, and that seems like a fairly high percentage of your hatch.
Angela

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

No!!!!

They are on paper towels for the first day or two (over bedding), and under a heating pad attached to a wire frame, to mimic a mama hen. They are more content with this mama heating pad arrangement than any other chicks I have had...

I have 14 out of 15 that hatched, but two (males) were significantly malpositioned and needed a lot of help - they are quite weak and still in the incubator. I suspect I will be culling them in the morning (not looking forward to that new skill). The DIS one had a lethal malposition (beak away from air cell) on eggtopsy, so there was nothing I could have done.


I learned an awful lot during this hatch!!!

- Ant Farm

Good idea about the heating pad- pricey but will probably save electricity costs. Your chicks do look content!
I found out that it's not worth helping chicks out of the shell- they are weak for a reason and it's tougher to cull a weakling day old than one in the shell - and you definitely don't want to have anything less than the strongest and healthiest chicks or your flock will suffer for it in the long run.
"Don't hatch if you can't dispatch" was some very good advice that I keep in the back of my mind, sadly it's very true even though difficult. I actually find it harder to cull the older birds- especially the older cockerels :-( (unless they are mean).