Going into Lock-Down ~ Round #2

[swheat]

This is round #2 for a&m eggs, hopefully I will get a better hatch rate on these. The 1st round yielded 25% hatch.

There is 267 a&m eggs(these were shipped) in lock-down- Due this Sunday.

I have them in 2 hatching trays and I separated the larger eggs from the smaller ones and it looks to be about 50/50 on the sizes. Not sure if the eggs size has anything to do with the size of the birds, but I guess it might pass to the girls to lay large eggs. I want to keep the birds separate just to see. Of course I know nothing of the birds that laid the eggs, the smaller eggs might have been laid from younger birds.

 

[shelleyd2008]

The 'small' whites I used to have laid eggs as big as my jumbo browns. I don't know what the one white hen I have now (also 'small') lays since they are all together. But it would make sense that the bigger the bird, the bigger the egg. But I don't think egg size makes a difference in chick size. Obviously, the chick that hatches out of that egg will be bigger than one that hatches out of a smaller egg, just because it has more room to grow. But genetics determine how big the bird will get, not egg size

But you already knew that

 

[joe125]

Yes genetics dictates the over all size of the bird, not the egg size. Generally speaking, the larger the egg, the larger the chick that hatches from it, but sometimes people can't tell the difference between a large hatch able egg, and a super giant double yoking stinker

Good luck with your hatch swheat!

 

[MobyQuail]

Quote:
has the potential to be alot of fuzz! good luck bud!

 

[swheat]

Looks like the larger set of eggs is off to a early start...1 just out. I added more hot water to water pans.

5:35 pm 8/06/11 Temp-100 Humidity 76%
Large eggs- 1 hatch
Small eggs- 0 hatch

 

[Tikkajazz94]

A good start okay!!!! Keep us posted!

 

[swheat]

There is something going on in the trays..I hear Pop

! Zip ! Crackle

! Whew!! finally got out of that spotted up shell,

it was so cramped in there !

OK boys, lets go find those stripper chicks!

swheat wrote about...

 

[swheat]

Got a pretty good hatch from the a&m eggs this round. 168 chicks out of 267 shipped eggs.

ETA: They are pictured in tubs before going to the big brooder tubs. I learned the hard way from the hatch last week. I now block the hatching tray up in a corner before lifting the hatcher tray lid. They ran to my hand and then jumping out to the tray faster than I could get them out(talk about a panic

, then I had to chase them down..

and they are fast

I didn't want to go down that road again. So I kept a small plastic tub at hand to place them in while I get out of the hatching tray. Then transport them to the brooder tub and dip each beak in the water fount ( at one time I thought my arm was going to fall off in the brooder before I gave each one a drink..

So far I have really enjoyed hatching these quail. I did have to get some red bulbs for my bobs(8 days old now) to keep the pecking down and also dropped the temp just a little for them..and they seem much better. Yeah, I have been reading..hmm...studying all these informative posts...thanks to all of you here with the knowledge.

73 chicks hatched from small eggs There were 3 browns in the hatch)

95 hatched from large eggs

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yep, the size difference is obvious at this point but you won't be able to tell them apart in a week

You do realize how much they smell, right?

No way would I ever have that many babies all at one time

 

[swheat]

Quote:
I am going to keep them apart to see if they will be any difference in the size of the eggs laid from the hens. I know genetics will probably play a role in large eggs, and those are the hen I want to keep. Especially since there will be not difference in the birds themselves, so I'll keep them in separate pens. It just a little observation I can do for a short period of time to see the out come.

Working on more outdoor brooder now...so they won't stay inside long...so far I have been cleaning tubs every 3 day...smell is not to bad.