Buckeye X Cornish X breeding project. Third generation pics pg. 20

[Buster52]

Maybe a taller rooster would help.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

The BCM that I have over my two 20# CX girls is getting the job done. They have cut wayyyyy back on laying in the last two weeks though, I'm afraid they might be about done for.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Well, I haven't trimmed any vent feathers nor have I checked for the bullseye... I feel so guilty cracking open a potential egg when these things are so valuable. Who knows when they will stop laying and just eat feed.

I might try a taller rooster. But that kind of defeats my purpose of using the Buckeyes. I may do what Jenny said and try to get a few chicks out of them and see what their offspring could do. The fact is, I have not the slightest clue on how to AI never in my wildest chicken dreams would I ever think that I was going to even think about doing this.... but I just might. I'm very curious to what this cross will throw.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Quote:
I would agree that they will most probably all be white with pea combs - regardless of whether the Cornish X are silver or gold based, the offspring are likely to be white (maybe with some red 'leakage' in the hackle and saddle area (from what I've encountered, they most commonly seem to basically be a black bird where the black is masked by the effects of dominant white - the black itself masking the effects of gold and silver - hence no sex-linkage). If you are keen to obain red females, a backcross back to the Buckeye should achieve this (in small numbers)

Cheers,
Htul

Ya, I'm not really looking for sex links but I didn't know if it was possible. I'm looking to get some red females to cross back to the buckeye rooster though... that's what I'm trying to do. But I'm not sure really if it will work. I will have some cornish x roosters that will be ready to breed by June so they are going to get thrown in the cross as well to see what we can come up with.

 

[dancingbear]

Jeff, it's not uncommon for the first few eggs to be infertile, even with a good roo present. They'll most likely lay for at least 6 months or so, I would be worried about that at all. If you eat the first few eggs, and check the yolk for a bull's eye each time, you'll know right away when you start getting some fertile eggs. Then you can start hoarding and hatching!

Or, if you just can't stand to sacrifice a few, you can save up a dozen or so, stick them in the 'bator, wait 3-5 days, candle, and see if anything's developing. If you don't see anything, wait a little longer, candle at 7 days. I've never had development start that late, but if shells are really dark, or thick, you mat not be able to see well enough to tell until about 10 days. Anything still completely clear at 10 days I toss, I used to keep them until day 15, but they never did anything that late, so I stopped. You should have at least some fertile, but I'd wait until they'd been laying at least a month to figure out what percentage fertility you're getting, because it'll probably start out low, but get at least a little better.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

OH man..... all three eggs that I set are fertile!!! I see veins and little heads in there! Awesome.... it's almost been a week so we have two more weeks to go. However I was so excited I dropped an egg about an inch and it cracked. I'm so mad... but after some research people say to use nail polish over the cracks to seal it. Don't know.... but worth a try.

I have a plain jane incubator (still air and manually turn eggs). There is about a dozen buckeye eggs and three CXR x Buckeyes and most of them look fertile.

Good to know that the rooster is getting the job done and my hens are not too big. So far... so good.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I have never heard about nail polish although I have heard candle wax over and over. I used a band aid in the same situation once and it did hatch.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
Hooray for the fertile eggs! That's just mondo cool. That certainly bodes well for your roo with these hens, congrats all over the place!

Candle wax works, too, most use birthday candles. Hard to control where the drops land, hard to get it exactly where you want it. I also read about somebody painting liquid bandage onto a cracked egg, that actually sounds best too me. I'd definitely seal the crack and give it a go. It may be a slim chance, but if you toss it, there's no chance. As long as the crack isn't in the "zip zone", it should be fine. A lot of people have hatched repaired eggs with no problem. Mine didn't hatch, but they were shipped eggs, too.

If you use nail polish, here's a bit of trivia for you: Back in the day, those of us who were too broke to replace a speaker that had torn or cracked, (this was back when speakers always had a cone shaped thingy with paper or thin plastic over the opening, if that cover was damaged, it buzzed and sounded awful) would paint on a layer of nail polish, stick a piece of tissue paper (the wrapping-paper kind), or a cigarette paper, over the paint while still wet. Let it dry, then paint another layer or two of nail polish over that. Worked pretty well!

 

[Brunty_Farms]

The polish seemed to work it's still alive. However my girlfriend, Mel, thought I was crazy when she walked in and I had her nail polish out brushing it on an egg. She said " I didn't sign up for this when I met you" all in good fun though...

I just set about 20 more eggs, some CX and some pure buckeyes. Two more weeks, and we will see what we have, but I can tell you that the eggs from the CX's are jumbo compared to the buckeye eggs that are in there with them. They weigh heavier and look bigger. I hope the chicks are healthy but time will tell.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

One more week until we have chicks!!

Just a quick update, I'm going to weigh one of the hens today and post some weights. I have to say they are huge, I can't believe how big these things are.

I have to say, they did not take yesterdays heat well at all. The poor girls were miserable, all of the layers were hot, but the CX hens just looked uncomfortable. I think the shear size of them has something to do with that. Will see how it goes, if it gets to the point that they can't handle it, I will have to end the project early. Good thing is, I do have eggs in the bator and as of right now, they just keep coming.

More to come.