EDUCATIONAL INCUBATION & HATCHING CHAT THREAD, w/ Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs

[Akrnaf2]

Sh... happens! Take it in proportion! In the end its only a chicken!

True, but I invested a lot in getting some Heritage RIR and of the thirteen from one group I only got four pullets. She was the best, and one of only two that were close enough to SOP for breed. I have two other pullets I got from a big breeder a bit older. Without the one I only have a pair and a trio for breeding. It is very frustrating. All my hatchery egg layers are fine, but my breeding plans took a hit. I cannot afford to spend the money for more because too true they are just chickens.

I am REALLY sorry, I can feel your pain!
You never know why it happens this way and not the other.

 

[daxigait]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..........

[thunk]

Well, it had been a while and while she knows all of the chickens, I had to tell her about everyone's new personality quirks... 

Thanks!!!! 

I'm embarrassed to tell you how many I try to keep up with... 






Banti - might I suggest putting honey in her water or otherwise making a sugar solution? To get a few calories in her short term until you can figure out how to get food into her (or she does it herself)? I agree with Dax that you don't want her to go without for too long. The sugar solution (or honey) might be a bridge and perk her up. 




George Jensen posted once or twice on the Breeding for Production thread: "Remember, all of your very best birds have targets on their back." He was making a point about having back up roosters for a breeding program in this case. He claimed that it always seemed to the be best or the favorite that would get sick or attacked. 

AN unhappy thought, but I can't tell you how many times it has been good to remember that as I think about my birds and their housing, and also back ups...

- Ant Farm

True, but I can't breed what I didn't get. Over 75% cockerels. I only had six four of which were my group of them only two were keepers. Now I only have one from that group.

 

[Akrnaf2]

Thank you very much my friend!

 

[BantyChooks]

Day 14 candling done. 1 more has revealed itself to be alive, making a total of three, but it has THE worst air cell I've ever seen, including in photos. Hugs dips reaching nearly to the bottom- On both sides. It's doomed. No way it can grow, let alone pip.... Lots of fluid in AC too. The other two have moderate saddles.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote: Oh, I know - I realize you're in a bind. I was just commenting in general about his advice to expect the worst. I wanted to breed German New Hampshires and got 8 chicks (too few, in retrospect). One died early, so that's 7. 4 boys, 3 girls. One additional boy with a cross beak got culled, so I have 3 boys (all of good quality) and 3 girls (only two of which are laying even after all this time). I despair of getting going with this few, and I live in fear of anything happening to those pullets. I'm incubating eggs from the two who are laying crossed with my NN rooster Tank right now (I also live in fear of losing Tank, who is probably my favorite chicken period, for lots of reasons). I'll put those GNH girls in with one of the GNH cockerels next. Since I'm also doing NN crosses with GNH, I may do a hybrid "spiral" method of moving the three GNH pullets/hens from one GNH cockerel/cock bird to the next, and having the "spare" GNH boys with NNs or as bachelors in the meanwhile. Once I have daughters, I'll incorporate that as well. I believe this is the best way to get enough diversity starting with a very small number of original birds (for me). Did you keep more than one HRIR boy? I suppose you could try something similar - or even better, with space, rotating single pair breeding to get more diversity. A lot of work, but a possibly, I suppose. If you don't already know about it, look up spiral breeding... (I read about it in Harvey Usury's book, but there's stuff online as well.)

Edit: I just reread your post and I think I understand it to say you only have 1 or 2 cockerels. Not sure what to tell you...

Day 14 candling done. 1 more has revealed itself to be alive, making a total of three, but it has THE worst air cell I've ever seen, including in photos. Hugs dips reaching nearly to the bottom- On both sides. It's doomed. No way it can grow, let alone pip.... Lots of fluid in AC too. The other two have moderate saddles.

Have hope. That hatch I had with the shipped eggs that had such a hard trip, I had horrific saddled air cells. Certainly I didn't get a lot, but I was surprised at some of them that made it. (You're incubating upright, correct?)

- Ant Farm

 

[BantyChooks]

Oh, I know - I realize you're in a bind. I was just commenting in general about his advice to expect the worst. I wanted to breed German New Hampshires and got 8 chicks (too few, in retrospect). One died early, so that's 7. 4 boys, 3 girls. One additional boy with a cross beak got culled, so I have 3 boys (all of good quality) and 3 girls (only two of which are laying even after all this time). I despair of getting going with this few, and I live in fear of anything happening to those pullets. I'm incubating eggs from the two who are laying crossed with my NN rooster Tank right now (I also live in fear of losing Tank, who is probably my favorite chicken period, for lots of reasons). I'll put those GNH girls in with one of the GNH cockerels next. Since I'm also doing NN crosses with GNH, I may do a hybrid "spiral" method of moving the three GNH pullets/hens from one GNH cockerel/cock bird to the next, and having the "spare" GNH boys with NNs or as bachelors in the meanwhile. Once I have daughters, I'll incorporate that as well. I believe this is the best way to get enough diversity starting with a very small number of original birds (for me). Did you keep more than one HRIR boy? I suppose you could try something similar - or even better, with space, rotating single pair breeding to get more diversity. A lot of work, but a possibly, I suppose. If you don't already know about it, look up spiral breeding... (I read about it in Harvey Usury's book, but there's stuff online as well.)

Edit: I just reread your post and I think I understand it to say you only have 1 or 2 cockerels. Not sure what to tell you...

Have hope. That hatch I had with the shipped eggs that had such a hard trip, I had horrific saddled air cells. Certainly I didn't get a lot, but I was surprised at some of them that made it. (You're incubating upright, correct?)

- Ant Farm 

Yes, upright. However, this is also a cracked one, so it might just be too many odds against it...

 

[casportpony]

Happy Hanukkah!

 

[daxigait]

@Fire Ant Farm I have one cockerel that met SOP. I planned on putting the two pairs besides each other and moving the cock each week with a rest from Saturday morning to Sunday evening each week. Now I may have to use the two not so good pullets too to get two families started.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

@Fire Ant Farm I have one cockerel that met SOP. I planned on putting the two pairs besides each other and moving the cock each week with a rest from Saturday morning to Sunday evening each week. Now I may have to use the two not so good pullets too to get two families started.

With a lot of effort, you can probably get there, but yeah a lot of work, and more time than you were probably hoping it would take.

 

[Akrnaf2]

Happy Hanukkah!

Thanks Kathy!