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

[Pensmaster]

Yep it’s out. Probably the last one of this bunch.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My wife freaked out when she heard chicks peeping yesterday. She isn't happy.
I have to get an assembly line going for getting them out of the house immediately.
Penedesencas start laying at normal LF chicken ages. About 22 weeks in spring/early summer, Perhaps up to 30 weeks in mid autumn.
Many years ago, I lost 2 pullets to egg binding so I try to slow them down now. I know they will lay, I just don't want to rush them. And the eggs are often bigger when they start delayed.

 

[Pensmaster]

Mine’s ok with it but still they are out of here ASAP

It never fails we have extended company when I’m hatching and there’s only one room that can house both. So the noise keeps them from getting to comfy. Lol

This is the first time in quite awhile company hasn’t been here.

The Bresse will start laying about 3+1/2 - 4 months. How do you slow them down?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There is no air conditioning in the room where the incubators are. So that room is staying between 85 and 90 F. That is making the incubators much more stable.
The incubator that has been running a while has been hovering at 99.6 for two weeks except when it plunged to 94.3 when I pulled the chicks.
I doubt it will stay that steady when I start incubating in the winter.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Mine’s ok with it but still they are out of here ASAP

It never fails we have extended company when I’m hatching and there’s only one room that can house both. So the noise keeps them from getting to comfy. Lol

This is the first time in quite awhile company hasn’t been here.

The Bresse will start laying about 3+1/2 - 4 months. How do you slow them down?

Keeping them on short days by blacking out the windows with shade cloth.
I keep them on the same day length till they are old enough. I do the same if I want to force molt them by slowly decreasing day length. That's how commercial farms do it, plus they tend to restrict feed but I haven't found that necessary.

Bresse laying at 14 to 16 weeks? That's incredible - and a bit scary.

 

[Pensmaster]

I’m liking them over Bielefelders by far. Meat is much more developed on the Bresse as well. Hatched some in March this year of both varieties. The meat amount on the Bresse is impressive. Of course the White Cornish did very well also but they aren’t for eggs and typically start laying about 8 months.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Do you mean both white and black Bresse?

 

[Pensmaster]

Do you mean both white and black Bresse?

No I only have the white. I also have the Bielefelders and raised both at the same time. Bresse filled in real well Bielefelders were thin runts in comparison one pound lighter. Bielefelders also eat more food that any breed I’ve had.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

No I only have the white. I also have the Bielefelders and raised both at the same time. Bresse filled in real well Bielefelders were thin runts in comparison one pound lighter. Bielefelders also eat more food that any breed I’ve had.

I've never seen a Bresse carcass except maybe in pictures.

 

[Pensmaster]

Since I part mine on the stand I no longer have a bird to take a picture of. In another month of so I’ll have 40 more I’ll try and make a comparison shot then. Although I’m not sure I have Bielefelders rooster I do have hens to compare of all three varieties.
I’m probably giving the Bielefelders to a friend of mine. They lay well first year. Second year still lay well but the egg shells get a bit thin.