California - Northern

[Kaylish]

Interesting. I thought it was a 14 day die-out, so this is new information to me. Thanks!
So, if it were a Blue Mille Fleur Bantam Cochin daddy over a (CCL x Marans) OE, it still doesn't seem like it would give a mildly chipmunk red chick, does it? Color genetics...so interesting!

Not sure about the color but all of the Cochin cross I've hatched have well feathered feet; even those crossed with clean legged birds.

 

[sol2go]

Growing up, my Father taught us about the 30 day life of sperm in hens. The two week thing is perplexing to me since it has proven to be wrong in both poultry studies and real life experience. I have some very pretty Dorking x buff ameraucana chickens that were only separated for two weeks and sold as pure SG Dorking eggs.

Maybe part of the problem is the two weeks of storage of fertile eggs before hatching.

Mixing breeds can bring out a lot of odd genetics and colors. Check the number of toes on your chicks and the will likely be off too.

I was hoping for at least a two week fertility period, but had two occasions that didn't fit that scenario.

I recently set a test hatch of eggs from an active unrelated breeding pair who have been together since hatch and are right at a year old.
I dated the eggs as I collected them. Granted it was a small sample, but every other day was infertile; only half of the eggs developed.
Of those that developed, they all hatched and were nice and robust.

A completely different coop and breed - I lost a rooster in a storm. Naturally the hens were off for a few days, but when they laid again I collected for a week and popped them in the incubator, not one was fertile. So it goes...

btw - was that your Father's birds and the bees explanation, or was it strictly about poultry? If so, what were his interests in poultry?

 

[ronott1]

I was hoping for at least a two week fertility period, but had two occasions that didn't fit that scenario.

I recently set a test hatch of eggs from an active unrelated breeding pair who have been together since hatch and are right at a year old.
I dated the eggs as I collected them. Granted it was a small sample, but every other day was infertile; only half of the eggs developed.
Of those that developed, they all hatched and were nice and robust.

A completely different coop and breed - I lost a rooster in a storm. Naturally the hens were off for a few days, but when they laid again I collected for a week and popped them in the incubator, not one was fertile. So it goes...

btw - was that your Father's birds and the bees explanation, or was it strictly about poultry? If so, what were his interests in poultry?

We hatched chickens and raised them for both meat and eggs back in the 1960s. My Father wanted to be a Science Teacher but wound up being a Postal Worker instead. He was very interested in things and passed that on to his children. I have a MS degree, my youngest brother has a BA and is a teacher, My sister has a BA and my middle brother has his AA degree from a community college.

None of my first cousins(There are a lot of them too) has a college degree. It is amazing the influence parents can have on their children.

 

[chrissyr]

I got my first 8 egg day every one of my original 8 chickens laid today. Now if the 2 new ones would just start eating the feed and start laying again I could look forward to a 10 egg day. And I have a people buying my extra eggs too so they are paying their feed bill. Today is a great day The last 3 days of eggs

Nice!

Fuzzy bums! Out of 7 silkies, it looks like I got 3 frizzles. Yay! Lil' black one white one Parti one

so cute

 

[liz9910]

I have a non chicken question, does anyone breed Boston Terriers or know someone who does? Thank you.

 

[caychris]

Well all I guess I needed to do was complain on BYC because she laid in the nest box today

 

[tj74roberts]

Well all I guess I needed to do was complain on BYC because she laid in the nest box today

Congrats Chris.

 

[SpringPeeper]

I'm still fighting off hatching fever, but I did do fertility checks on some of the eggs today. The BC Marans roo is doing his job to make me black sex links and OEs. The Orpington roos are doing their job if I try to hatch out some more BBS birds (I'd like to separate off the blue roos and pullets so I can have a better shot at getting some black ones). The Faverolles rooster I was thinking of hatching some pet Favaucanas from isn't there yet. I didn't check the Australorp, and the other roosters are in bachelor flocks.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Well all I guess I needed to do was complain on BYC because she laid in the nest box today

 

[sol2go]

We hatched chickens and raised them for both meat and eggs back in the 1960s. My Father wanted to be a Science Teacher but wound up being a Postal Worker instead. He was very interested in things and passed that on to his children. I have a MS degree, my youngest brother has a BA and is a teacher, My sister has a BA and my middle brother has his AA degree from a community college.

None of my first cousins(There are a lot of them too) has a college degree. It is amazing the influence parents can have on their children.

Thanks for the story, and how that explains your community comments (is that what the grey section at the bottom is called?).

"Good parenting" is a good reminder...