Hatching Eggs / Paypal CHAT Thread

[flocksalot]

My first serama has hatched. 6 made it to lockdown, 3 more are pipped, and all were internally pipped when I moved them to the hatcher. Yeah for tiny chickens! The egg I dropped yesterday while moving them also hatched. It was wrapped up in wet tissue paper since most of the shell fell off when I picked it up. Its only a mutt, but a cute and determined to live mutt. i like those healthy strong chicks. And lastly the goose that was due last weekend finally hatched. All the other eggs in with it hatched on time, but this little bugger took its own sweet time. Seems healthy and active, so I have no idea why it was slow. Kid has been calling it lazy daisy or pokey. And my last two turkey eggs from this batch hatched! Yeah turkeys! Once the seramas are done its time to clean and put more turkey eggs in. Gotta keep them hatchin! I have lots of orders to fill come thanksgiving.

I also need to set a large batch of mutts and crank the heat to get mostly boys. If I keep my temp above 100.2 for the first five days I can actually get all boys sometimes. Did three batches like that last year. Two of them were back to back. I need the roosters to sell to the Hmongs for their cultural celebrations. We have quiet a few regular customers of them. I'm trying the lower temps to get more girls with some eggs right now. I'll do a half dozen different batches to see how it goes. We are holding right around 98 degrees for the first 5 days. I did it once last year and had only two boys out of 20, but want to see if I can repeat it.

When I was a kid I used to help a lady that had a large (small by today's standards) egg business. That's how she ensured mostly female chicks. Or at least that's what I remember. Hoping it works with today's equipment.

 

[debs_flock]

I also need to set a large batch of mutts and crank the heat to get mostly boys. If I keep my temp above 100.2 for the first five days I can actually get all boys sometimes. Did three batches like that last year. Two of them were back to back. I need the roosters to sell to the Hmongs for their cultural celebrations. We have quiet a few regular customers of them. I'm trying the lower temps to get more girls with some eggs right now. I'll do a half dozen different batches to see how it goes. We are holding right around 98 degrees for the first 5 days. I did it once last year and had only two boys out of 20, but want to see if I can repeat it.

I didn't think that worked in chickens (reptiles yes, but not chickens). The sex is determined by the hen and established at the time the ova is fertilized internally. I don't believe changing the temperature during incubation will do anything to vary the sex of chicks hatched.

But I do know what you mean about the sales. We have a couple of middle eastern families that come to us for lambs (must be a ram) and roosters. Their religion prevents them from eating female animals.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:
I have heard about changing the temperatures to get all girls/boys. I have read scientific evidence that it doesn't change the sex, as Deb says that is determined by the hen at ovation - but the boys are better able to stand the heat. The girls die off early (early quitters) and only the boys survive. I noticed this when I had an early incubator overheat and I got 5 boys and 1 girl. The lower heat probably allows all the girls to survive, possibly the boys can't tolerate it?

There was also an old wives tale about the shape of the egg determining the sex (round = female, pointed = male). Since I have heard it the opposite way once too.. I wonder.

I am pretty sure that if either of these actually worked the mass hatcheries would be using these methods. They don't use them - so I would say they probably don't change the odds enough.

 

[reesepoultry]

Does anyone know who is shipping Rachael's (crazypetlady) eggs out. I got a box from her yesterday that said Wolf Farms. But wasn't post marked from a differant address than hers. The packing was horrible, there was little to none in the box. A bunch of eggs but not packed very well at all. The box was leaking and my po lady picked it up and got egg goo all over her. It leaked all over my truck and it was a nasty mess inside the box. Whoever is shipping for her needs to take better care in packing the box's.

 

[flocksalot]

Well then my girls know when to ovulate all girls or all boys! When I only have a few quiters in each batch it seems pretty odd. I have no idea what is affecting it, but I do know I had good luck in the past, and it worked for the the lady years ago. If it works don't change it is my motto.

 

[flocksalot]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/a-drop-in-temperature-can-change-the-sex-of-chickens-1238516.html

http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/275/1652/2703.full

Here are two studies that say we haven't heard the last word on it either.

 

[Bettacreek]

I've read that feed quality can change it too. Excellent feeding and they produce more males. Poorer feed (quality and/or amount) and they produce more females.

 

[Lilwanis]

I had a lot of that, too. I was moving eggs from the cabinet where they developed just fine, into the Hovabator for hatching...and they'd stop. I'm currently running a hatch straight through of eggs just in the cabinet. I'm betting they'll be fine. Then I'll need to sort out that Hovabator.

Lilwanis, I've had that happen a LOT this spring -- eggs making it to lockdown and then failing to hatch. I'm looking forward to reading others' responses, but I have no clue why it's been happening here.

In a sick way, that makes me feel a little better. I only have Hovabators. I have been monitoring the temp very closely. The thermometer I am using is a super high tech thermometer that is known in the industry for being very accurate. It is meant for precision work. It is not meant to be run constantly for months on end, so I do have to reset it every few days, but the point is, I trust its accuracy for temp. I also have two digital thermometers/hygrometers that I am using. I do not trust their readings as much, but temp wise they are the same as the high tech thermometer I am using. I use the Inc. thermometer/hygrometer as a check point (it is usually lower then the other two on both the humidity reading and the temp). Anyhow, since the one thermometer is one that has a use as a calibrating thermometer and is newly calibrated itself, I know what temp range it my bators run in. When I only have one running I get high, low, and average temp for it as well as the current. When I have both nodes running I also see the difference between them and the high/low/average between them. Anyhow, I have to believe that it has something to do with a)shipped eggs or b) humidity issues.

I have one lav am hatched as of this morning before work. I am still hoping that one of the other two will hatch

Otherwise, I am going to need to go get a chick from the feed store. Maybe a leghorn or a sexlink of some sort.

 

[Huntress78]

PayPal sent to Papa Brooder for #10200.

I'd like to ask all you seasoned hatchers here...have any of you ever had a broody hen kill her own newborn chick? I've never had a hen do that before and I'm wondering if I should take the others away from her.

 

[madamwlf]

Does anyone know who is shipping Rachael's (crazypetlady) eggs out. I got a box from her yesterday that said Wolf Farms. But wasn't post marked from a differant address than hers. The packing was horrible, there was little to none in the box. A bunch of eggs but not packed very well at all. The box was leaking and my po lady picked it up and got egg goo all over her. It leaked all over my truck and it was a nasty mess inside the box. Whoever is shipping for her needs to take better care in packing the box's.

I doubt it was BM6. I got an awesomely packed box from her a week ago.