FERTILITY!

[JLeigh]

Out of 37 eggs set, 27 confirmed fertile. Two were old eggs (weird) 1 blood ring and a few non-fertiles. I'm SO excited! My first really big hatch of the season. One happy male, four content hens and one ecstatic human. How are everyone else's hatches going?!

This time, Peeps, I promise to get pictures as soon as they're all in the brooder! I'll even go get a nice, new, white 5 gallon bucket for their photo op. .

 

[ericmcginn5]

this year i didnt even stat eggs in my icubator i just bout some road iland red chicks at a feed store

 

[PeepsCA]

Out of 37 eggs set, 27 confirmed fertile. Two were old eggs (weird) 1 blood ring and a few non-fertiles. I'm SO excited! My first really big hatch of the season. One happy male, four content hens and one ecstatic human. How are everyone else's hatches going?!

This time, Peeps, I promise to get pictures as soon as they're all in the brooder! I'll even go get a nice, new, white 5 gallon bucket for their photo op. .

Gotta love it when a plan finally comes together huh? I'm excited for you, and to see what hatches!

I have stopped setting Guinea eggs for the season, but I think I hatched somewhere around 375 keets give or take a couple. I'd have to double check my hatch notes. I know, that's a surprisingly low number for a hatch-o-holic like me, lol. I am still getting fertile eggs from my girls but I've hatched too many Turkey poults, Silkie/Showgirl chicks and Peachicks this season instead of just keets like I used to, so all of my brooders and grow out pens are already full. I'm keeping about 30 of the keets that I hatched, plus a BUNCH of Turkey poults, all my Peachicks and a lot of the Silkies/Showgirls (until they start crowing, lol)... so there's more room for any more keets, lol (if I hatch more I'll keep more, so time to stop setting eggs!).

When is the big hatch day??? And you better stay true to your promise of the pics, lol (the 5 gallon buckets rock for photo ops!)

 

[JLeigh]

You can hatch 375 keets in your sleep, LOL. But it's nice to take a break, live on the edge and move on to other fowl - mixing it up keeps it interesting. I'm very happy about the fertility rate in these eggs. That means my quiet wallflower male is doing exactly what he's supposed to, so I'm very hopeful for some Chocolates out of this hatch. I know I'll get Buff Dundottes - already proven that! Surely I'll get one or two Chocs.....at least....I hope....we'll see. Hatch date is August 20-somethingth. Seems like forever. I'm charging up my camera already .

 

[nailladi]

JLeigh, I had a lady looking for some chocolate keets today, already sold all mine. Hope it was ok to give her your info..

 

[JLeigh]

Not a problem! Thanks naillady. I should have some Chocolates from this upcoming hatch. How many? No idea. "Can't count your guineas before they hatch". I'll be glad to sell her what I get though . Is she in GA?

 

[PeepsCA]

You might get some Chocolates... but if Me Mel isn't carrying the partially-pearled gene then his fully-pearled gene will rule rule/dominate the hatches (so you'll get lots of Buff Dundottes, Browns, maybe some Cinnamons, (and maybe some Pearl Greys too if he's got that dark color gene swimming somewhere close to the surface in his genetic pool/background). I'd be surprised if any Blue gened kets show up, but it's possible too. Unfortunately, whenever I am trying to breed for and work with recessive genes, the dominant genes always muddy the waters. It only takes one copy of that dang dominant fully-pearled gene to produce fully-pearled keets, but you need 2 copies of the partially-pearled genes (1 from each parent) to produce Chocolates (or any other color of the partially-pearled variety).


With 27 viable eggs to work with this time, let's keep our fingers crossed tho! Ugh, august 20-somethingth is a long wait, lol.


And nailladi... if you are/have been hatching Chocolates, where are the pics!?!?!

 

[JLeigh]

Browns would be fine, but I may "reorganize" the flock after this hatch for a male who has the partially-pearled genes. Dunno. We'll see.

 

[nailladi]

OK, Peeps, you got me...BUT I am not the only one who has sold birds before they got the pic.. They were barely dry when the lady got them. She was not concerned with the color only that they were not PG. She got 26 of that multi color hatch and I still don't know why I let them go.. I guess I figured it was early in the season and I would get more. I will try to get her to get a picture for me. I usually do a follow up with my buyers to make sure all is well.

 

[nailladi]

Yes JL she is in Danielsville Ga...
My birds are mad at me, I thought they just stopped laying but I see where a rat had gotten into my supose to be bullet proof pen I had build while were on the road last year. (hubbie and I drive 18 wheeler team 48 states) Seems where anyone could see he did the concrete like we told him but in the back he layed some bricks and covered it with dirt. The rat tunneled in and has been eating eggs and terrorizing the birds at night. They are leaving me one a day now like they are just starting. They may have gotten robbed bad when I was at my son's wedding in NY last month (June 29th).. I was shocked when I got home and there were no eggs.
My night vision cameras were ruined as they were wired wrong (same guy) and got zapped by the last big storm. Needless to say I am home now to stay untill I can find a new farm hand.
I could be wrong about the chocolates but they look just like the royal purple only brown right??