Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[thedragonlady]

Same here - I have eggs going to the hatcher tomorrow, and have had the same problem Jeff described, I am definitely going to try this too - will be good to compare notes.

I hatch in plastic egg cartons with the bottoms cut out for air flow. Under the cartons is shelf liner. Keeps the hatcher cleaner, and gives the chicks good footing.Without cartons , the first hatched chicks roll a lot of unsecured eggs around, so those later chicks drown in their shells. Just when they figure which way is up, somebody yells, "Touchdown!" and sends them rolling.

I used 3 Sportmans for years. Now I use two GQF styrofoams. One has a fan and turner. The other I use as a hatcher,just has a fan.They work great. I do clean,and disinfect the hatcher in between hatches.I spray the inside bottom with TILEX. This gets into all those cracks. Rinse, and use an Oxine solution to disinfect. Then sit in the sun until dry.The lid is wiped down with a cloth soaked in Oxine also. If you smell anything in an incubator, you have a bacteria build up problem.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

We discuss how our Heritage Large fowl should be productive.
This is an interesting book and have only read Chapter one.
The author spent 10 years ( 1912-1922) studying the plusses
and minuses of the Potter and Hogan culling systems. Ch. 1
explains this better than I. Potter, "Don't Kill The Laying Hen"
was the predecessor  of Hogan.  Author Foreman gives the
best synopsis of the Hogan system I have read.
[COLOR=008000]Every step in culling and breeding[/COLOR]
[COLOR=EE82EE] By E. C. Foreman[/COLOR]
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924003164955;view=1up;seq=1
 Best,
 Karen

Is there some way I could get a hard copy of this?

 

[finnfur]

OK , For the novice here . When we say "upright" referring to eggs does that mean large end up ?
I'd like to say I really enjoy this informative thread . Keep it rolling . Thanks Bob for starting it.

 

[colburg]

Is anyone else noticing a pattern here? Eggs brooded by hens spend their 21 days on their sides, and hatch on their sides with good results. Incubated eggs in turners spend their lives being mostly upright, and have better hatches when kept upright for the hatch.


Potential conclusion:
Eggs incubated/brooded on their side should be hatched on their side.
Eggs incubated upright, should be hatched upright.

There is one hole: Does anyone incubate eggs on their side and just roll them over daily instead of using a turner? Have you tried hatching upright and sideways? Which direction has better results?

Thanks,
colburg.

 

[ronott1]

I wonder if this could be what's been happening? It doesn't make sense to me though, it's not like I shake the egg either gently or vigorously. I can't see why laying it on its side would kill the embryo. I will try keeping them upright this next hatch season and see what happens.

A couple of months before Bob Passed, he started checking the Great Shipping Experiment Thread. If you ship eggs or get shipped eggs, you should check it out.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/738943/the-great-egg-shipping-experiment/1230#post_11427581

Bob was going to work with us there.

 

[chickadoodles]

This spring I would like to find some Welsummer and Light Brahma hatching eggs from good quaility stock. I had some but my dogs killed abt. 30 of my birds and now I have to start over. If anyone will sell hatching eggs please let me know for spring. Thank you.Cheryl

 

[thedragonlady]

Is anyone else noticing a pattern here? Eggs brooded by hens spend their 21 days on their sides, and hatch on their sides with good results. Incubated eggs in turners spend their lives being mostly upright, and have better hatches when kept upright for the hatch.


Potential conclusion:
Eggs incubated/brooded on their side should be hatched on their side.
Eggs incubated upright, should be hatched upright.

There is one hole: Does anyone incubate eggs on their side and just roll them over daily instead of using a turner? Have you tried hatching upright and sideways? Which direction has better results?

Thanks,
colburg.

One of my mentors told me years ago to put eggs upright for hatching,even when I was hand turning eggs.On the 18th day,I put them upright, and had great hatches. Why mess with success ?

When a hen is sitting on eggs, she keeps them from rolling about due to her body pressure. Most newly hatched chicks end up under her wings too. This leaves the later hatching eggs in peace.

 

[3riverschick]

This spring I would like to find some Welsummer and Light Brahma hatching eggs from good quality stock. I had some but my dogs killed abt. 30 of my birds and now I have to start over. If anyone will sell hatching eggs please let me know for spring. Thank you. Cheryl

Who has top notch Wellies and Brahmas? I am not familiar with those breeds.
I remember folk discussing them here, tho.
Best,
Karen

 

[bnjrob]

There is one hole: Does anyone incubate eggs on their side and just roll them over daily instead of using a turner? Have you tried hatching upright and sideways? Which direction has better results?

Thanks,
colburg.

My small Brinsea that only holds 7 eggs is a horizontal incubator. It has a turning plate that rotates underneath the eggs and rolls them over. The hatches from it are very good, close to 100%. Because of the design, there isn't an easy way to incubate or hatch eggs in an upright position but I haven't tried to incubate or hatch vertically in it.

Also have a Hovabator Genesis with the "regular" upright egg turner. The hatch rate is less with this Styrofoam model, but I had attributed it to be from other cause - it does not keep a steady temperature or humidity level as well as the Brinsea does. But I have noticed issues with eggs that I thought were going to hatch, but after getting kicked around by the chicks, they failed to hatch, so that could also be the problem.

For a best comparison though, I'd have to try to incubate/hatch vertical/horizontal in both incubators to make sure other factors weren't influencing the hatch besides the egg position.

 

[3riverschick]

My small Brinsea that only holds 7 eggs is a horizontal incubator. It has a turning plate that rotates underneath the eggs and rolls them over. The hatches from it are very good, close to 100%. Because of the design, there isn't an easy way to incubate or hatch eggs in an upright position but I haven't tried to incubate or hatch vertically in it.

I have 2 of these Brinseas. Just love them! So reliable! I Plus I like the
staggered 7 or 14 chick hatches. That's a nice number to brood at one
time. Lots of individual time to get to know the chicks. Been thinking
about my breeding season. I think I will fill one Brinsea with
Knight and Day ex Sweetie and the other with Tux ex May. Then leg
band the chicks and turn them out together in the brooder. That way
I can see how the development of the outcross chicks compares to the
inbred chicks. Am not enamored with the egg flock girls. However, I
have had numerous folk contact me wanting to buy the 6 pullets I sold
2 weeks ago. (for some reason Craigslist will not let me tag the ad with
a Sold sign). So the market is out there for folk who just want an egg
flock and/or "pretty" hens. Next Spring, I may let the egg flock sit eggs
so I have laying pullets to sell. No boys tho.
Best,
Karen