Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[mrheinz77]

I'm betting its a cockerel with the light color showing up in its neck feathers. How is the other one? When you are ready for more eggs let me know.

 

[anderson8505]

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Little mixed one doing good too. I want to take a break from hatching after the NYD Hatch, so I will get back w ya!

 

[Lifesong Farm]

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For future use, I had luck with placing a damp warm paper towel over mine till they are ready.

 

[anderson8505]

Thank you! I will def try that! Appreciate it.

 

[Myabcs3]

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No brown ones in our hatch. All various shades of black. Will try to grab some pics today and put them up.

Had several that quit during the last few days before hatch - formed, but didn't quit before pipping.

Do you think Iowa Blues need to hatch at a different humidity level than other eggs?

 

[mrheinz77]

I'm not sure about that. Some times I have great hatch rates, other times I have bad hatches. We'll see how my next few hatches do. I have some that go into lock down tomorrow and Friday and I set 22 I think for the NYD Hatch.

I can't wait to see what you get, especially when they start to feather in and after their juvenile molt. From what I can tell, I have only hatched one cockerel although it looks like a younger one might also be a cockerel.

 

[Myabcs3]

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Any way IBs can be sexed as chicks by markings/coloring?

 

[ChooksChick]

Thought I'd toss out what I observed during MyABCs3's hatch in my RCom:

I hatched 5 other breeds at the same time, and had normal hatches with them. I did have a total of 8 IBs hatch (or partial), 3 of which survived. Of the 5 that didn't survive, 2 pipped and passed, and 3 burst out like popcorn, but with unabsorbed yolks or very raw umbilicus sites. One tore the yolk and I tied it off with thread, but it passed later that day. Another got very weak and just lay down. The third was mostly a raw umbilicus, but bled profusely and lasted 3 days.

I've never had a hatch quite like this, but would say it was a humidity issue if I hadn't had 15 other birds hatch just fine at the same time. It really was surprising with all of the other successful chicks all around them. This closely resembles what can happen in a styro incubator if hatching dark Marans or Penedescenca eggs if one doesn't use the dry incubation method.

I'm given to the idea that Iowa Blues may need a lower humidity for a better success- I'd be very curious to do an experiment and see whether I'm right!

The three that hatched well are huge, robust, active chicks, and seem to be growing very rapidly. I was kind of sad when MyABCs3 came to get them! ...like I need another breed...

 

[Lifesong Farm]

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What was your humidity at and what would you say to try differently? This will be my second year hatching and i am not sure what a dry hatch is.

 

[mrheinz77]

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Any way IBs can be sexed as chicks by markings/coloring?

Not that I know of but I have read they can be used to make sex link offspring.