Delawares from kathyinmo

[LeslieDJoyce]

Here is a little something for people who do a lot of hatching ... its part of a 10 article series on hatchery practices from The Poultry Site. The article on breeder nutrition and related problems with chicks I posted yesterday is part of the same series. This article is on examining the hatch debris for clues about hatching/hatch-rate problems.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/artic...-hatchery-practice-examining-the-hatch-debris

There is a chart in this article which illustrates and describes the normal hatching position as well as the six "recognized malpositions."

Maybe not what we would read while eating our soft boiled eggs, but interesting!

One of the things I read yesterday was that hatch rates are better when eggs gathered for hatching are stored SMALL end up. This is opposite of what I've been told, so I made a note to go back and look at that claim more closely. Of course now I can't remember where I read it. Ha!

 

[finnfur]

Here is a little something for people who do a lot of hatching ... its part of a 10 article series on hatchery practices from The Poultry Site. The article on breeder nutrition and related problems with chicks I posted yesterday is part of the same series. This article is on examining the hatch debris for clues about hatching/hatch-rate problems.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/artic...-hatchery-practice-examining-the-hatch-debris

There is a chart in this article which illustrates and describes the normal hatching position as well as the six "recognized malpositions."

Maybe not what we would read while eating our soft boiled eggs, but interesting!

One of the things I read yesterday was that hatch rates are better when eggs gathered for hatching are stored SMALL end up. This is opposite of what I've been told, so I made a note to go back and look at that claim more closely. Of course now I can't remember where I read it. Ha!

Very interesting
And that article says they can be small end up till 8th day of incubation without ill effect.
I learned something today - BUT will I remember it. LOL

 

[rancher hicks]

Here is a little something for people who do a lot of hatching ... its part of a 10 article series on hatchery practices from The Poultry Site. The article on breeder nutrition and related problems with chicks I posted yesterday is part of the same series. This article is on examining the hatch debris for clues about hatching/hatch-rate problems.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/artic...-hatchery-practice-examining-the-hatch-debris

There is a chart in this article which illustrates and describes the normal hatching position as well as the six "recognized malpositions."

Maybe not what we would read while eating our soft boiled eggs, but interesting!

One of the things I read yesterday was that hatch rates are better when eggs gathered for hatching are stored SMALL end up. This is opposite of what I've been told, so I made a note to go back and look at that claim more closely. Of course now I can't remember where I read it. Ha!

This is not new to me. Practical Poultry had an article too.
So what I did was an experiment of my own, storing egg large end up and small end up. My results were of three different breeds I had in the incubator and one egg from each breed did not hatch. Each egg was stored small end up.

I've seen the "position" part too.

There are many theories to why eggs don't hatch. IMO It may have to do with many variables and we can't be sure which.
Egg health, age of hen, breed, etc. etc. I like to give my girls some vitamins a few days before collecting eggs.

I do know that my Marans eggs hatch better with a broody than in my incubator. I think hens help chicks to hatch and know when and what to do. At least some hens.

My Dels and EE's are best and used as a control. If they don't hatch then I know it's a problem on my end.

I just figure you have to find your groove. It's definitely a skill.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

One more article from that series about Hatchery Practices over at The Poultry Site ... this one is some bullet points on the collection, disinfection, storage, pre-warming, etc., of hatching eggs.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1635/investigating-hatchery-practice-appendices

Does anyone disinfect their hatching eggs? If so, how?

How do you guys store your hatching eggs?

 

[rancher hicks]

One more article from that series about Hatchery Practices over at The Poultry Site ... this one is some bullet points on the collection, disinfection, storage, pre-warming, etc., of hatching eggs.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1635/investigating-hatchery-practice-appendices

Does anyone disinfect their hatching eggs? If so, how?

How do you guys store your hatching eggs?

If your nest boxes are clean and eggs clean they should be fine as is. I don't as a rule wash my hatching eggs. If figure the hen won't wash them so why should I. Perhaps I will try washing them in a future and see if that increases my hatch rate. The dark marans eggs have always given me trouble.

I store them large end up in the laundry room since it's unheated and cool.

As always you'll get varying opinions so choose the one that works for you.

Don Schrider of the ALBC and contributor to Back Yard Poultry magazine says to follow the manufacturers instructions that come with your particular incubator. I use a turner but like to turn them a quarter turn a couple of times or so each day for the first week of incubation.

I have a Genesis 1588 as recommended by Speckledhen and it serves me well.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I use Broody-bators. They don't have instructions, they're just bossy.

I figure anything I clean off an egg will be back on it pretty much as soon as the Broody-bator is fired up. BUT ... if I'm going to be storing eggs for very long before sticking them under a hot hen, I *suppose* surface contamination *could* have a chance to multiply and penetrate ...

Last year I did okay-ish keeping the eggs from my two breeding hens looking relatively clean. And those eggs had to be stored a while to gather clutches. My hatch rates weren't that great and I still ended up with about as many chicks as I could reasonably handle in that coop. Next year I'm hoping to breed those two hens back to one of their sons as a trio (just need a cockerel that's an improvement over their sire), so will have a similar setup for those eggs and just hope the F4 hens will be equally productive next spring.

For the F5 pullets, I'm hoping to have enough of them to breed to their sire next season that the eggs from that coop can be set more frequently.

I'm wondering about the UV light thing. Though not very seriously if I'm fully honest with myself. Cleaning measures would make more sense if using an incubator.

Fingers crossed we get broodies again next year.

 

[finnfur]

If your nest boxes are clean and eggs clean they should be fine as is. I don't as a rule wash my hatching eggs. If figure the hen won't wash them so why should I. Perhaps I will try washing them in a future and see if that increases my hatch rate. The dark marans eggs have always given me trouble.

I store them large end up in the laundry room since it's unheated and cool.

As always you'll get varying opinions so choose the one that works for you.

Don Schrider of the ALBC and contributor to Back Yard Poultry magazine says to follow the manufacturers instructions that come with your particular incubator. I use a turner but like to turn them a quarter turn a couple of times or so each day for the first week of incubation.

I have a Genesis 1588 as recommended by Speckledhen and it serves me well.

No expert but I thought it was the ALBC site that I read dip not wash in mixture of bleach/H2O .I do remember it stated thats what most pro hatcheries do .
I just collect and store large end up in egg cartons then dip the eggs to put in incubator after dry.
My hatch rates aren't pro but acceptable except when the operator doesn't plug in the turner for first 18 days LOL

 

[rancher hicks]

No expert but I thought it was the ALBC site that I read dip not wash in mixture of bleach/H2O .I do remember it stated thats what most pro hatcheries do .
I just collect and store large end up in egg cartons then dip the eggs to put in incubator after dry.
My hatch rates aren't pro but acceptable except when the operator doesn't plug in the turner for first 18 days LOL

My reference to the ALBC was only in regards to incubators. I'd be surprised by those who follow the directions to the letter.

I do know some wash hatching eggs and I'm aware that hatcheries do too.

I don't but perhaps I should. Maybe then my Marans eggs would have a better hatch. Some are hard to figure as there is not quite as pointy an eggs as my other eggs. I've had good hatches and bad, but the bad are when I don't pay as much attention as I should.

I don't mind broody hens except that they're unpredictable and then it take too long for them to get back to laying. I have and EE who broke from brooding, went back to laying, then got suckered into brooding again. Guess the chicks were just to cute for her.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

My guess is if you are going to sanitize eggs for hatching, do it as soon after collection and initial cool down as possible.

I thought the charts about storage temps were very interesting, too.

My procedural goal next year is to set eggs a bit more quickly so the hatches are less spread out. That will tighten up culling season, too. Should be easier with more than 2 egg makers to work with.

 

[ChickenBoy1999]

[/IMG]

My flock of delawares Their beautiful.!