Isbar thread

[TheTropix]

Hi Carla,
Yes, I've had some of the same happen with my Isbars. Here's what I think I know about it. They do flip on their backs.. a lot, during the first day/day and a half. I'll go in and check on them ever half hour or so, and flip 'em back on their bellies. Sometime during the 2nd day, they started staying on their feet. I also noticed that they do better if given a few meals of grogel for a couple of days, sometimes 3 days. They've all been strong and good eaters/drinkers. But that first couple of days is spent giving them grogel (and baby starter & water) and flipping them over. lol Then they're fine. Their little voices are different that a most chicks, too... did you notice that? I hope this helps and eases your mind a little. : )
Sherry

 

[lawatt]

I have had trouble hatching isbars successfully (all from shipped eggs), only a very small proportion hatch -- but i've had similar problems with shipped eggs of other breeds. and the chicks that DO hatch have all been perfectly healthy, with one exception of a very small-sized black one that died about two days after hatching much later than the others.

 

[Carlas Marans]

Thank you for the replies. That information does help. I will pass it along to the owner when he picks up the chicks. I am sure that he will feel better too.

Compared to my healthy Marans chicks, these isbars look like runts.

Back to chick flipping.

 

[atmaclean]

That is odd. I have never had problems like that when hatching Isbars but I haven't hatched a huge amount of them. This year, I have hatched the second batch of my own pure Isbars and they did really well. I've had 2, 100% hatches - one from shipped eggs and this year from my own eggs. They are about 4 weeks old now and I already have them outside in the coop (with heat lamps). I raised some half Isbars earlier this year and they are a few months old already. They are doing well and no problems with hatching.

One thing I have noticed on one of the pure Isbars is a little tuft on her head! I have not seen that before and the male and female don't have tufts on their heads. They are both splash colored. 2 babies came out splash colored and the other 5 are either blue or black, it looks like. I think most of them are hens, thank goodness!

The mixes (I am trying for some olive eggers) are from splash Isbar rooster and my brown egg laying hens (rhodebars, orpingtons, rhode islands,etc.) I just took the darkest brown eggs) - they are really pretty with some interesting feather patterns!

I hope you don't have any trouble with the next batch!

Angela in NC

 

[DCchicken]

Some of the early lines of Isbars that Greenfire imported had suppressed immune systems. I have had poor hatches from Isbars. However, they have a new line that apparently does not have this issue. I am thinking of purchasing some just to broaden the genetic pool of my own Isbars.

Edit: Kudos to Greenfire for stating this on their website: http://greenfirefarms.com/store/category/chickens/isbar/ . I really appreciate when breeders are honest to customers. It does not mean that you should avoid Isbars, but just be aware of it and adapt. Isbars are one of my favorite breeds (and I have 15 breeds).

 

[atmaclean]

Oh wow! Well, that makes sense then with some people having trouble with hatches. Mine seem pretty hardy. My hen can be a bit "flighty" though. I'm not sure why she is more skittish than all my other girls.

Angela

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

I have hatched out two sets of shipped eggs. The first had four chicks now 3.5 months old. I am surprised at how hearty they are. Yes, they are smaller than my Marans (and they ought to be) but haven't skipped a beat. The second batch was three chicks just hatched last week and they're fine. I've not experienced the day-late hatch timing that many breeders talk about, nor any weak or "flippy" chicks at all. I have heard of a line that has trouble with E. coli vertical transmission (through the eggs) but blessedly also have not experienced this. Surely nutrition and shipping take their toll as well. My birds are calm and friendly. I'm sorry to hear of your friend's difficulty with this great breed.

 

[flitter]

I'm waiting for 9 eggs in my incubator right now... I hope they are the tough kind!

 

[Nomibear]

Still haven't been able to get any of these for myself. That Will change this year! My son and I just finished building our own incubater. We have our first test hatch going right now. We are on day 9. I Think 16 of 18 are going strong...

 

[longgrove]

That is odd. I have never had problems like that when hatching Isbars but I haven't hatched a huge amount of them. This year, I have hatched the second batch of my own pure Isbars and they did really well. I've had 2, 100% hatches - one from shipped eggs and this year from my own eggs. They are about 4 weeks old now and I already have them outside in the coop (with heat lamps). I raised some half Isbars earlier this year and they are a few months old already. They are doing well and no problems with hatching.

One thing I have noticed on one of the pure Isbars is a little tuft on her head! I have not seen that before and the male and female don't have tufts on their heads. They are both splash colored. 2 babies came out splash colored and the other 5 are either blue or black, it looks like. I think most of them are hens, thank goodness!

The mixes (I am trying for some olive eggers) are from splash Isbar rooster and my brown egg laying hens (rhodebars, orpingtons, rhode islands,etc.) I just took the darkest brown eggs) - they are really pretty with some interesting feather patterns!

I hope you don't have any trouble with the next batch!

Angela in NC

I'm glad they hatched out well. I got a mix of colors from a bluexblue breeding. (Also got a blue chick from my blue Isbar roo and a red EE hen (with grey under fluff) who is very pretty, nice lacing and white marks on the tips of the lower hackles that look like a necklace.) (The EE's eggs are similar in color to the Isbar hens and one got mixed in). I'm puzzled. You said that the hen and roo of your pure hatch are both splash and only 2 of the chicks were splash and 5 were blue or black? I thought that splash to splash only threw splash in BBS breeding??? Could a little crest have come down from the araucana used on the development of the Isbar?

Mary in Maine