How long to give eggs?

[KKluckers]

Okay I have about ten eggs in the one incubator about twenty have hatched. This morning there was four chicks running around and a egg that has been pipped since yestreday morning. I removed the chicks and took out the pipped egg but, it was to late she was already dead (to bad it was a light colored Orp.) So do I give the eggs in the incubator for a few more days? I ask this because I open the egg with the chick and the yolk was not fully absorbed. Im thinking I might of had some cool spots in the incubator. Does anyone rotate your eggs during incubation?

 

[speckledhen]

Some do rotate the eggs, Christina. I confess that I usually don't because I just dont think of it, but there are cooler spots in the bator. You could give the eggs another day, but I've begun just pipping through the aircell end myself at the end of Day 21 if I've heard nothing from that particular egg. Some would say I rush it, but I've read that late-hatching chicks are not usually that vigorous in general, so that's why I do it. I've never found a chick alive that had not absorbed the yolk by that time. That is just what I do, but most would rather give them a day or two longer and just discard the late-hatchers. Too bad about the Orp; that's happened to me before. Was it one of mine or John's?

 

[KKluckers]

It was one of James I even got a splash, I think. One of your Orps have hatched and it looks black. One of the BR hatched and all four of the buff brah/orp. Im still waiting on the others I will give them till tonight. Ive heard if you keep chicks that hatch late and keep them in a couple of years most of your hatches will hatch late? Is this true?

 

[speckledhen]

I read that late hatchers produce late hatchers as well. I have no real experience with that myself, though. Wow, all four of Caroline's hatched? She and Suede are a great combination! Should be very strong chicks. Of the two pure Orps I just hatched, one is definitely black and one is such a beautiful steel-gray-blue color with white spectacles-that's the one DH helped out.

 

[silkiechicken]

It is true that late hatcher's can produce late hatcher's. The group of researchers who bred a strain of birds that could hatch eggs consistently at high temperatures (102 in forced air rather than 99.5), also found that some birds could be bred to have early hatchers as much as 3 days!

 

[KKluckers]

Cynthia Caroline's eggs just exploded and were out. Out of the whole group they are the most vigorous. I'm really happy with them.

Silkie chicken, that is interesting. A good reason not to keep late hatches. I don't want my hatch to be dragged out, or happen really late. I guess it is something I can work on with my birds. Thanks