Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[Maggiesdad]

@ wisher - also the first 40 pages of your SOP.

 

[brahmabreeder]

Is anyone else still having low/no fertility? I just had to pitch a dozen infertile eggs and setting more again today.

 

[Wisher1000]

Oh, yes, I understand that vigor is paramount. I rarely have any issues with that, I don't help chicks hatch and it takes care of most of the weak chicks. If there were any that hatched alone, I wouldn't use them as breeders.

The first 40 pages of the SOP I have read many times and intend to keep reading those pages until I have it committed to memory. I think all that info is why I need a simple, workable, effective strategy to get started! I guess I get overwhelmed trying to do it in my head. I'm hoping it is easier with live birds, not harder. LOL!

One of my biggest advantages in this endeavor is my patience, combined with a tad of OCD. With those two qualities working together, I think I may be really good at this "Chicken Breeding" thing. Providing, of course, that I have a plan and an eye.

 

[Wisher1000]

Is anyone else still having low/no fertility? I just had to pitch a dozen infertile eggs and setting more again today.

Yes, I have been hatching all eggs produced by a trio of Black Orpingtons. I am finding that many (>50%) are infertile. The curious thing is that many are. You would think it would be all or nothing.

 

[thedragonlady]

Is anyone else still having low/no fertility? I just had to pitch a dozen infertile eggs and setting more again today.

Suddenly every egg is fertile here. The birds are sounding the all clear for the first week of March weather. We'll see if they are right. I have daffodils in full bloom right now, while there are still piles of plowed snow melting around town. I hope they are right !

 

[thedragonlady]

Yes, I have been hatching all eggs produced by a trio of Black Orpingtons. I am finding that many (>50%) are infertile. The curious thing is that many are. You would think it would be all or nothing.

Are all those Orps closely trimmed ?

 

[RedRidge]

Is anyone else still having low/no fertility? I just had to pitch a dozen infertile eggs and setting more again today.

Opposite problem here. .. I set more I can hatch and am now candling 10 day set eggs every 5 days and ALL are growing. I have 3 bators going... I NEED to find a cabinet incubator!

 

[brahmabreeder]

Well as long as it's not just me I won't worry. Guess I'll have to skip my show I planned on attending in June and just go as a spectator. Maybe the rooster won't be bad condition wise. I NEED at least six hens from this year's hatch and three males. The plan is to hatch 100 out to hopefully meet this goal.

 

[bnjrob]

Is anyone else still having low/no fertility? I just had to pitch a dozen infertile eggs and setting more again today.

yep

 

[Tomtommom]

Semi-related question:

How did you folks find a place where you were able to breed chickens? What are the channels to go through? I've tried searching the varied 'farm/land for sale' websites, but they're all MASSIVE amounts of land, often hunting type land, and nowhere close to affordable. Then there's the zoning and the inside/outside city limits thing... I couldn't imagine having 100+ acres, around 3-5 would be perfectly ok.

I hope to breed heritage fowl, some day.. long ways away from that, seeing as I can't even have a rooster (that seems to be a vital part in the whole 'making babies' equation

)

For now, I read. A lot.

Feel free to PM, instead of me hijacking this thread