Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[Ripster]

Back when we had a commercial layer operation we always called them filler flats.

 

[bnjrob]

Interesting. We heat with wood and have a terrible time keeping humidity up in the winter so... I find out much easier to maintain hatching humidity in the Octagon than in the foam. So. .. I use two foam to incubate and transfer to an Octagon every 5 days to hatch.

That's our situation also - woodburning fireplace in winter and window unit ACs the rest of the year.

I have the smallest Brinsea so hatching more than 7 eggs is not an option in it. I usually put my oldest eggs into it since it keeps better humidity and temp levels without the fluctuations that I get with my Styrofoam Hovabator Genesis 1588.

I found an aftermarket humidity pump controller that I put into my Styrofoam incubator. This has also helped a lot with the humidity issues - no more pouring water into an open tray in the bottom and it automatically pumps water into a moisture sponge to keep the humidity level close to what I set it at.

This year the incubators are inside a greenhouse shelving unit - one of those ones that has a cover of greenhouse fabric covering it. This has made things better for the Styrofoam incubator and I am not seeing as big of temp/humidity fluctuations in it when the cover is zipped closed.

 

[ronott1]

That's our situation also - woodburning fireplace in winter and window unit ACs the rest of the year.

I have the smallest Brinsea so hatching more than 7 eggs is not an option in it. I usually put my oldest eggs into it since it keeps better humidity and temp levels without the fluctuations that I get with my Styrofoam Hovabator Genesis 1588.

I found an aftermarket humidity pump controller that I put into my Styrofoam incubator. This has also helped a lot with the humidity issues - no more pouring water into an open tray in the bottom and it automatically pumps water into a moisture sponge to keep the humidity level close to what I set it at.

This year the incubators are inside a greenhouse shelving unit - one of those ones that has a cover of greenhouse fabric covering it. This has made things better for the Styrofoam incubator and I am not seeing as big of temp/humidity fluctuations in it when the cover is zipped closed.

Make sure they is plenty of ventilation. Lack of oxygen in the incubator is the third most common cause of chick death during the last three days.

I like the Green house idea!

 

[Rhinoman]

New to chicken breeding, have 23 hatchery birds, am getting 25 Heritage Ancona's this spring; most of you could easily guess where from.

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.

 

[3riverschick]

Make sure they is plenty of ventilation. Lack of oxygen in the incubator is the third most common cause of chick death during the last three days.

I like the Green house idea!

Hubby Bob bought me one last week at Tractor Supply. They had them on sale for 25.oo Has that
zip cover and 4 shelves each of which can hold 2 of those 72 cube mini greenhouse trays with
the clear plastic lids. The trays usually sell for 5.00 each at Dollar General.
Best,
Karen

 

[Arielle]

New to chicken breeding, have 23 hatchery birds, am getting 25 Heritage Ancona's this spring; most of you could easily guess where from.

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 have had two things happen in this reguard. THe more obvious is that when a specific rooster no longer feels safe he moves to another coop where he is more accepted. In general I see the extra roosters as lvingin on the outskirts of the flock in a safety zone away fromt he dominant roosters but will coop up with that flock.

In another situation, a group of chickens were raise with a group of turkeys. The group was split up and put in two different coops about 75 feet apart. THe turekys into a coop unti themselves; ant the chickens into the main coop with other hens and roosters. THe little pullet would go back to the turkey coop to look for her friends every day until one day the turkeys turned on her. SHe has never really fit in with a buddy since but she also stopped going to the turkey coop. Midnight is two and a half now.

Not sure if this helps. Just my limited experience.

 

[bnjrob]

Hubby Bob bought me one last week at Tractor Supply. They had them on sale for 25.oo Has that
zip cover and 4 shelves each of which can hold 2 of those 72 cube mini greenhouse trays with
the clear plastic lids. The trays usually sell for 5.00 each at Dollar General.
Best,
Karen

That's the one I have Karen. It is working great as a nursery station for the incubators keeping the drafts off.

Just pulled 7 Mottled Java chicks out and put them into the brooder with another 3 still drying off. I never cease to get a kick out of watching food turn into fluffy peeps. Went to a small little niche feed store in downtown Dallas today. Owner said he had heard of Javas but had never met anyone that actually had them until today. Gotta keep spreading the word about standard bred poultry.

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
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

 

[thedragonlady]

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

We are having extreme weather this year. I'm seeing very little fertility from my older cock bird, who is just coming out of a molt, and the older hens are molting. The year old hens, and a few 7-8 month old pullets, are laying up a storm. I'm using a 7 month old cockerel over them, and fertility is great.Your answer may be that your older, wiser birds simply are waiting for spring .The old pros are listening to Mother Nature, and the young ones are not.

Vigor is so important, and I think you will see increased vigor in later hatches this spring from your older birds. I've talked to a lot of people who are seeing weird molts, in the crazy up and down weather, and who are not having great fertility from older, proven birds.Once we get past February, I bet things will improve.

 

[brahmabreeder]

The breeder I was talking to has the opposite problem. Only the older males are fertilizing and the youngins aren't doing anything

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