Difficult breeds to hatch? Are there any that seem harder to incubate?

[Hootrvil]

I had 15 silkie eggs and 10 barnyard mix go into the incubator. Today is hatch day. I'm down to 4 silkie eggs after candling and seeing no development in 11. I don't think those were fertilized.
So far, one of the BYM has hatched and I have 5 more pipped. It looks like 1 silkie has pipped.
I've just been wondering if there are certain breeds whose eggs are tougher to incubate? Not basing on the silkie thing....I think that was a fertilization issue.
I was just wondering.
Pic of my first little cheerleader.

 

[wrathsfarm]

The dark Marans eggs are more difficult to candle. I've heard the darker eggs like Olives can be also.

 

[Hootrvil]

The dark Marans eggs are more difficult to candle. I've heard the darker eggs like Olives can be also.

Agree...I have some olive and BCM in there now and I could not see either of them when trying to candle. Last time I incubated this same mix from a local lady...I hatched 24/25. The roo was full BCM, and the ladies included BCM, Welsumer, Legbar and easter eggers. She was working toward the more Olive eggs.
I had no idea what I was heading in with the last 3 days because candling those eggs was not working at all!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yes, the American version of the Araucana. Each country has its own breed requirements. In the US the Araucana breed standards require them to have ear tufts. I don't know of any other country that has that ear tuft requirement but the US does.

The ear tuft gene is a fatal gene if both copies of that gene are present so any Araucana you see with tufts has one copy of that gene only. It is dominant so if it is there you will see it.

So if you cross two tufted birds 1/4 will not be tufted and will not experience death from that gene. 1/2 will inherit only 1 copy of that gene and will be OK. But 1/4 will inherit two copies of that gene and not live.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Yes, but generally it comes down to darker eggs causing candling issues, breeds that carry fatal genes and rare breeds. The dark egg color issues are fairly obvious because well you can’t really see too well what is going on. The fatal gene issues arise when you breed two birds carrying that fatal gene together. Then the rare breed issue is because often to save a breed when the population numbers get low a lot of in-breeding occurs. All of the in-breeding results in genetic deformities and hatching issues. Ducks for example, take the Dutch Hookbill. Their numbers were down to only 15 total at one point in the 80’s. Currently while there are now many more than 15 left they are still on the critically endangered list. They are already quite inbred and sourcing them can be somewhat difficult so many people end up breeding siblings together once they get them. I raised hookbills for year and they are indeed more difficult to hatch. I spent years sourcing from as many different breeders as possible to try and create as diverse of a gene pool as possible.

 

[Hootrvil]

Yes, the American version of the Araucana. Each country has its own breed requirements. In the US the Araucana breed standards require them to have ear tufts. I don't know of any other country that has that ear tuft requirement but the US does.

The ear tuft gene is a fatal gene if both copies of that gene are present so any Araucana you see with tufts has one copy of that gene only. It is dominant so if it is there you will see it.

So if you cross two tufted birds 1/4 will not be tufted and will not experience death from that gene. 1/2 will inherit only 1 copy of that gene and will be OK. But 1/4 will inherit two copies of that gene and not live.

Wow that's tough...I wonder do the 1/4 who get two copies make to hatch or are they done right from the start?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Wow that's tough...I wonder do the 1/4 who get two copies make to hatch or are they done right from the start?

They supposedly die fairly late in incubation.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Agree...I have some olive and BCM in there now and I could not see either of them when trying to candle. Last time I incubated this same mix from a local lady...I hatched 24/25. The roo was full BCM, and the ladies included BCM, Welsumer, Legbar and easter eggers. She was working toward the more Olive eggs.
I had no idea what I was heading in with the last 3 days because candling those eggs was not working at all!

That's a great hatch rate..

 

[Hootrvil]

They supposedly die fairly late in incubation.

Hmmm that's so sad...but I suppose better than hatching and getting to know them and then they die.

 

[Hootrvil]

That's a great hatch rate..

I was shocked. I hadn't incubated in probably 15 years. They are all 18 weeks old now and doing great! I did have to rehome about 12 out of the 24 because there were so many roosters!