EE's mortality rate?

dianneS

Songster
Mar 16, 2009
843
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241
South Central PA
I read something online when researching the breeds that make up the EE, that there can be something in the genetics that causes eggs not to develope completely? Could this explain my lousy hatch rate with EE's? I've always had great success hatching bantam eggs. My OEGB are almost always 100% hatch rate, but the EE's are like 50%? I always end up with a lot of early quitters with the EE's. Could it be genetics?
 
This article talks about the tuffed gene that can be fatal if it comes from both parents. It is the BYC breed page.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/breeds/araucana/478

I'm not an expert on this, but it does not sound like this is your problem. Even if both parents had a copy, it would only be paired up in 25% of your chicks and these supposedly are late quitters, not early quitters.

It could be genetics, but I don't think it is the fatal gene genetics. I'll give you a couple of links that troubleshoot incubation problems. There are lots of reasons they could be early quitters. Maybe you will see something that is different with your bantams and EE's.

Mississippi State Incubation Troubleshooting
http://www.poultry.msstate.edu/extension/pdf/troubleshooting_incubation.pdf

Florida Incubation Troubleshooting
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa204
 
Huh. Never heard that. All my EEs have had great percents of hatching, and always are first out of the shell.

As for the tufted gene, I've never heard of an EE with tufts. I know true Arucanas have them, and have trouble with hatching because of it.
 
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Are the tufts or muffs? There is a difference. I am not saying you don't know the difference, but just in case you didn't know. Not trying to offend
 
dianneS, Could you post some pics of your EE's with the tufts? Have been raising EE's for many years and have never seen any with tufts, maybe they were bred from Araucana's. I have always had a great hatch rate with EE's both in a 'bator and under hens. Chicks seem to be very hardy too.
 
I don't know if they are called tufts or muffs. Below is a picture of our 2 EEs, Stella on the left, Agnes on the right. Agnes has nothing on her face....hard to tell in the picture. Both lay light green eggs.
64243_img_1329b.jpg


Here is a better picture of Stella:
64243_img_0204.jpg
 
OK thank you for the pics! Those are muffs and as far as I know are not related to a lethal gene. I don't know what could be causing your low hatches but it isn't a lethal gene.
ETA - Very pretty EE girls! Just love those colors!
 
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