Incubators Anonymous

[Faraday40]

I have an Incuview incubator that I got as a Christmas present that currently has only 7 eggs left in it from 18. Candleing revealed most didnt develop. Thank you Ebay.
I also have a GFQ 1588 and a Little Giant Ive had for years but dont use much because its so hard to keep the temps regulated.
My rooster is older and doesnt seem to be that fertile. Might need a new guy. Would love to hatch some banty eggs someday.

7:18 isn't all that bad for shipped eggs. You could easily get 0. I hope you get a decent hatch from the remaining eggs.

I had a strange fertility issue with my silver laced orps last spring. Although both females were laying for a few months & my roo was occasionally mating them, very few eggs developed. (Those eggs that did develop happened to come from an accidental encounter with my lav orp roo.) I trimmed all the vents for easier contact & even made up a special love nest - aka private tractor - to make it easier for the male to breed. I expected things to improve, but it wasn't until summer when he reached 1 year old that I finally had some decent fertile eggs from that group.

Even now, I'm not seeing much breeding. It's mid winter, so the hormones are low. I expect they'll start increasing breeding activity in early March. Sometimes a rooster can be too much of a gentleman. This may have been the case with my "Mr Wonderful." He had the handsome looks, but his SLO hens actually preferred the other rooster. Poor SLO guy would dance for his hens. They weren't impressed and rarely squatted, but when mixed back in with the flock, the SLO hens got mated regularly by my lav orp roo. I guess it took a couple months of separation with no other options before my roo could successfully breed.



I never had such a polite young cockerel before. (Most of the time, they go through a crazy hormonal stage before they figure out proper etiquette.) I hope he'll do better this spring when I separate them again.

 

[WVduckchick]

7:18 isn't all that bad for shipped eggs. You could easily get 0. I hope you get a decent hatch from the remaining eggs.

I had a strange fertility issue with my silver laced orps last spring. Although both females were laying for a few months & my roo was occasionally mating them, very few eggs developed. (Those eggs that did develop happened to come from an accidental encounter with my lav orp roo.) I trimmed all the vents for easier contact & even made up a special love nest - aka private tractor - to make it easier for the male to breed. I expected things to improve, but it wasn't until summer when he reached 1 year old that I finally had some decent fertile eggs from that group.

Even now, I'm not seeing much breeding. It's mid winter, so the hormones are low. I expect they'll start increasing breeding activity in early March. Sometimes a rooster can be too much of a gentleman. This may have been the case with my "Mr Wonderful." He had the handsome looks, but his SLO hens actually preferred the other rooster. Poor SLO guy would dance for his hens. They weren't impressed and rarely squatted, but when mixed back in with the flock, the SLO hens got mated regularly by my lav orp roo. I guess it took a couple months of separation with no other options before my roo could successfully breed.

View attachment 1663256 View attachment 1663257

I never had such a polite young cockerel before. (Most of the time, they go through a crazy hormonal stage before they figure out proper etiquette.) I hope he'll do better this spring when I separate them again.

I certainly hope my Cream Legbar cockerel is just too much of a gentleman too. I set 14 eggs, I think, and only 4 (or was it 5?) developed. They are due this Saturday. I almost turned the incubator off half-way through, when I saw such low fertility, but I couldn't do it. All of the ones that developed are still looking good. We'll see in a few days. I sure hope I get some girls, since the only CLs I've hatched from my flock so far have turned out to be boys. (only 3, last fall with a couple broodies… but still! ugh!)
Here's one of those boys from last fall, he's a real scaredy cat, like his dad. lol

 

[KikiLeigh02]

I certainly hope my Cream Legbar cockerel is just too much of a gentleman too. I set 14 eggs, I think, and only 4 (or was it 5?) developed. They are due this Saturday. I almost turned the incubator off half-way through, when I saw such low fertility, but I couldn't do it. All of the ones that developed are still looking good. We'll see in a few days. I sure hope I get some girls, since the only CLs I've hatched from my flock so far have turned out to be boys. (only 3, last fall with a couple broodies… but still! ugh!)
Here's one of those boys from last fall, he's a real scaredy cat, like his dad. lol
View attachment 1663285

He's so handsome! I love how much color he has! My Bielefelder has similar issues, lol. I did finally hear him crow yesterday, so ! His crow was definitely a change of pace from the squeaky little bantam crows I'm used to.

 

[WVduckchick]

He's so handsome! I love how much color he has! My Bielefelder has similar issues, lol. I did finally hear him crow yesterday, so ! His crow was definitely a change of pace from the squeaky little bantam crows I'm used to.

Wow he's lovely!

I'm surprised the hens don't squat in a line for these beautiful boys!

 

[Rammy]

I certainly hope my Cream Legbar cockerel is just too much of a gentleman too. I set 14 eggs, I think, and only 4 (or was it 5?) developed. They are due this Saturday. I almost turned the incubator off half-way through, when I saw such low fertility, but I couldn't do it. All of the ones that developed are still looking good. We'll see in a few days. I sure hope I get some girls, since the only CLs I've hatched from my flock so far have turned out to be boys. (only 3, last fall with a couple broodies… but still! ugh!)
Here's one of those boys from last fall, he's a real scaredy cat, like his dad. lol
View attachment 1663285

Hes pretty.

 

[Faraday40]

I certainly hope my Cream Legbar cockerel is just too much of a gentleman too. I set 14 eggs, I think, and only 4 (or was it 5?) developed. They are due this Saturday. I almost turned the incubator off half-way through, when I saw such low fertility, but I couldn't do it. All of the ones that developed are still looking good. We'll see in a few days. I sure hope I get some girls, since the only CLs I've hatched from my flock so far have turned out to be boys. (only 3, last fall with a couple broodies… but still! ugh!)
Here's one of those boys from last fall, he's a real scaredy cat, like his dad. lol
View attachment 1663285

Let's hope it's just the winter season & your young CCL boy improves much by spring. The Orps are a slow maturing breed, but usually by 9 months a male can fertilize his hens. Mr Wonderful was a "special" case and took a whole 12 months. He's such a sweet, gentle rooster, and I think he's so pretty.

I guess my hens like the bad boys. The black/lav split guy below seemed to always get the hens. (He was an early bloomer and at 6 mo & mated more hens than Mr Wonderful. He was only a fill-in until a decent lav roo could be grown up....... but what a summer he had!)

 

[Flowerbh]

My dd told me we need to make room in the bator for some more Nn eggs......we only hatched 3 black ones last time..... she doesn't think that is enough lol

I love my NNs! They are some of my best egg layers! And mine lay blue or green eggs!

This is Penelope!

This is Bindy! I have many more.....frizzled and smooth feathered! We think they are 'adorably ugly'! Love them!

 

[Faraday40]

I can't say I like the look of NNs, but I make an exception for this one:

She's pretty!

 

[duluthralphie]

I love my NNs! They are some of my best egg layers! And mine lay blue or green eggs!
View attachment 1666294
This is Penelope! View attachment 1666295
This is Bindy! I have many more.....frizzled and smooth feathered! We think they are 'adorably ugly'! Love them!

NN would die here...

let's hear more about the legbar behind you, nice crest color.....

 

[aliciaplus3]

it can become an addiction to hatch out mixes to see what they will become..... ok I Love an interesting mix!