First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[JRNash]

I told her it just POPPED UP....

 

[Molpet]

Well first time I ever incubated, eggs should have hatched Monday 4-17.. they started Saturday the 15th and the last one hatched Monday. Temp had been running 100 on extra thermometer.. incuview said 99.5
I bred my pullet (Eve) out of a cx hen, to her brother, along with a mix BR pullet and a mix BJG pullet. Bred to the same 1/2 cx cockerel...all these breeders have the same mix roo dad... The CX and BR hatch around Halloween and the BJG labor day... Yeah they are young but I figured what do I have to lose..

they had been laying for over a month before I started collecting their smallish eggs.
set 5 cx: 3 hatched and 2 died at 1 day and 2 day old (they were the last 2 to hatch on Monday). 2 double yolk quit.
set 5 br: 2 hatched and 2 pipped but got rolled over 1 quit
set 5 BJG: 2 hatched , 1 pipped and got rolled over, 2 quit
so 5 that are part cx hoping for a few girls

also set 12 BR and BJG ( 1 yr old from townline hatchery) bred to mix roo ( got to have something to eat LOL )... 8 hatched, 2 had blood rings and 2 quit.
out of 27 eggs I have 15 that hatched and 13 still alive

So I will try again.
lowered the temp by 1/2 degree and loaded up the incuview. unfortunately lots of the cx pullet eggs are questionable: porous and one has a detached air cell so I didn't put those in.
same cx cockerel (red leg band) over the 3 same pullets and 1 one year old br hen that finally accepted the cockerel.
The older hens do not like younger men

4 cx mix pullet
8 bjg mix pullet
9 br mix pullet
6 br hen from townline hatchery (maybe mix roo or maybe cx cockerel took)

eta pics



some pipped from the wrong end

 

[Fat Daddy]

I don't know if you have ever tried it or not. But I am a firm believer in hatching eggs in a upright position... I get higher hatch rates this way. It almost eliminates both drowned in the shell losses and those caused by the early hatchers playing kick ball with those yet to hatch. I also use pulp egg cartons so I can wet them a bit during hatches to quickly up the humidity if I should need to open the hatcher to save a distressed chick while others are pipped. They stay wet a long time but not so wet as to cause harm. Good luck either way. Bill

 

[JRNash]

I had wondered about that. Seems like a good idea. One of the problems I've had with laying them flat is eggshell from one that's hatched getting stuck to one that hasn't

 

[JRNash]

The chicks bouncing around rolling the ones that haven't hatched all over the place. Yep, I'm going to try that.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I had wondered about that. Seems like a good idea. One of the problems I've had with laying them flat is eggshell from one that's hatched getting stuck to one that hasn't

The chicks bouncing around rolling the ones that haven't hatched all over the place. Yep, I'm going to try that.

I hatch laying down and when they knock the eggs around loud sometimes I just say 8 ball in the corner pocket---LOL. Never effects my hatch.

 

[JRNash]

Putting up another 100' x 100' pen this weekend.

 

[Dave C]

Update on my Bishop Ranger crosses at 3 weeks now.
Feathering up nice and off heat.
Will be outside by the weekend.
















The Bishop Rangers are the meatier birds already.
The Marans cross cockerels are still doing well and gaining more black markings.
The Marans cross Pullet is turning from black to gold, think she will end up gold cuckoo.

 

[JRNash]

My dealings with the marans was a disaster. Your birds(as always) look spectacular Dave!!

 

[JRNash]

I didn't have my phone with me this evening when I was feeding all the birds. I've got 2 barred pattern 5week olds that have me scratching my head. They were part of an all blue egger hatch. Nearly every one of the birds looks as expected. Myriad colors,and tufts.... The two barred pattern also have tufts but they are twice as wide as their egg mates. The potential males that were involved were all from my Saipan hybrid experiments.