Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[ocap]

fertile flocks mentioned in the last two texts are from vastly different weather pattern, South Carolina and Ohio, the wind today in Missouri is blowing hard enough to be in the Bahamas by midnight

 

[hellbender]

fertile flocks mentioned in the last two texts are from vastly different weather pattern, South Carolina and Ohio, the wind today in Missouri is blowing hard enough to be in the Bahamas by midnight

I hope it picks me up and carries me right along!

 

[thedragonlady]

fertile flocks mentioned in the last two texts are from vastly different weather pattern, South Carolina and Ohio, the wind today in Missouri is blowing hard enough to be in the Bahamas by midnight

That wind blows right through here on it's way to the Bahamas ! I tarped all the runs due to 30+ MPH winds.

 

[ronott1]

What are the first two causes?

I'm asking because this is my first time hatching from known pairs. Of the eggs that developed enough to make it into the hatcher I am getting an 80% hatch rate from one hen, a 20% hatch rate from another hen (same cock), and a 0% hatch rate from the other two hens (one was under the same cock, the other was under a different cock). The hatched eggs have been right on schedule. The others have either pipped late and eventually died or have not pipped at all. The ones that pipped late and died were from the hens that have produced viable chicks. The 0% hens' eggs have had 0% pips. Since all these eggs have been in the same incubator and the same hatcher at the same time I don't think the problem is conditions in the incubator or hatcher. But I could be wrong.

On the positive side, it's pretty clear which birds have offspring with the most vigor, and that is top priority. If it's a vigor issue, vigor should improve from year to year as those genes become more widespread in the flock, and that is a good thing. If it is related to hatching technique I am open to suggestions about what to try.

I am hatching in a Genesis Hovabator and the eggs are in egg cartons with the bottoms cut out. The eggs from different hens are separated in the hatcher by plastic mesh "corrals" that I made from plastic needlepoint mesh. The mesh separates the chicks from different pairs while allowing a lot of airflow. I'm only hatching 10-12 eggs at a time. Most of the eggs are coming from the hens with successful hatches.

If there is something I could try different to improve the hatch rate I would like to know. On the other hand, if improving the hatch rate from this set of birds means hatching more chicks that aren't as vigorous, maybe I shouldn't try to "improve" the hatch rate at this point. Maybe it's best to let selection work on its own.

Insight would be appreciated.

Sarah

1. Temperature
2. humidity
3. ventilation

During your next hatch move the eggs to different spots in the incubator When you add water. There could be temperature spots. Did they hatch on time? Some of the LCD Genesis models are off for temperatures.

This is a hatch troubleshooting sheet:

 

[bnjrob]

1. Temperature
2. humidity
3. ventilation

During your next hatch move the eggs to different spots in the incubator When you add water. There could be temperature spots. Did they hatch on time? Some of the LCD Genesis models are off for temperatures.

This is a hatch troubleshooting sheet:

Yep - true here. I have stuck different thermometer/hygrometers into my Genesis and even though it has a fan, there are differences in temps and humidity in different areas of the thing. And the thermometer that the incubator has in the monitoring panel is off. I had to play with it to get the temp up because it was reading the temp at 99.6 but the other thermometer that I put into it were reading below 99 so I had to up the desired temp. Wish that they made it so that you could calibrate the thing for both temp and humidity rather than having to figure out where it is sitting at and then play with it. If I could afford nothing but a bunch of Brinseas - that would be my first choice for less hassle.

 

[NanaKat]

We are again having single digit wind chils and a high yesterday of 25 with temperatures tomorrow reaching the 60s. Argggggg!!

The 4 year old Columbian Wyandotte cock bird is getting 50% fertility with the older hens and about 65% with his daughters. At least half of ech breeding is hatching.
The young BCW cockerel with young hens is getting 85% fertility. Only 33% are hatching.
Just now getting fertile eggs from one Cochin pen and the other pen needs to start laying. Both pens have a 21 month old cock bird over a young hen/older hen mix.
The Bantam Delaware pen went from 95% fertility/ 85% hatch rate to 65% fertility/ 30% hatch.

Have been setting eggs since Dec 15 with hatches coming off every 4 to 5 days. All eggs are less than 7 days old going into the two Hovabators for incubation in turners. Using a 5% Oxine mist allowed to dry before setting in. Final three days in a still air styrofoam hatcher with all vent holes open and eggs upright In cartons.

So thinking Mother Nature is my big influence

 

[brahmabreeder]

fertile flocks mentioned in the last two texts are from vastly different weather pattern, South Carolina and Ohio, the wind today in Missouri is blowing hard enough to be in the Bahamas by midnight

It's 3° outside with a wind chill of -17°. I just love winter...

 

[hellbender]

It's 3° outside with a wind chill of -17°. I just love winter...

Enjoy Winter while you can, Mister! Your day is coming...in about 50 years.

Looking out the window...

it's absolutely beautiful here but 0*F and negative 15*F windchill. I understand a series of 'clippers' are

headed this way. Not going to be pleasant for an arthritic old coot.

My birds are out but if that wind

picks up, they'll be headed back to their troughs and roosts.

 

[armorfirelady]

Are low last night was -3 and right now it's a balmy 15 with a wind chill of zero. The winds are picking up and they are saying with the lake not frozen solid we may be in for another blizzard like a couple weeks ago. Just picked up another bale of hay just in case. The hens are out and about and soaking up the sun.

Keep warm everyone

 

[capayvalleychick]

I'm wondering if I brood a group of chickens together than move them to different colony houses, keep them confined for a few weeks than let them free range; will they return to the colony houses or find their brood mates and follow the dominate bird to that colony house? Not anything I need to worry about for a few years but it is a question I've not found an answer to.

I'm sure that a lot depends on the individual birds, themselves, so you might try it and see what happens. I have found that I have to separate the groups so that they cannot see the other group, or they will wander over to check it out.

I start my youngsters in a coop next to my house. Then they transition to enclosed grow out pens or coops with runs. Some are moved quite a ways out to 15 acres of pasture. The birds put out on pasture seem to have a strong desire to return to their original coop, by the house. I have to make sure that the mobile pasture coop is far enough out that they cannot see the house, or other chickens, or they will travel back to their original coop. It's a long trek and they have to go over/through multiple fences, but some chickens will still do it.

So, in my case, I can't have multiple groups free ranging on the 15 acres. They would choose their own group to join. Even the older youngsters free ranging outside the house coop will travel up to 400 feet to hang out outside the grow out pens that contain other groups of chickens.