I haven't wanted to be a Debbie-downer but there was definitely something wrong with the flock my little Mottled Orpingtons came from. I've lost all but 4 of the chicks and the other breeds I hatched alongside them have all been perfectly fine (thank goodness!).
The 4 remaining Mottled chicks have more of a yellow cast to their white fluff and are larger, all of the chicks that passed away were bright white and smaller so I'm hoping that's the end of my losses and that whatever genetic/health issue was hopefully just in the other hen/hens that were responsible for laying. I met the flock and they all looked really healthy so this was really unexpected. She told me to expect 50% fertility so I wasn't expecting all 24 of the Mottled Orpington eggs I initially set to hatch...but then the late embryo deaths and malpositions happened and now the failure to thrive after hatching...only 4 healthy Mottled Orp chicks out of 24 eggs is heartbreaking.
I've been really fortunate up until now, this hatch brought me to 98 chicks successfully hatched in incubators and these are the first chicks I've EVER lost after hatch.
I really hope the eggs I set for July have a better outcome because I don't think I can handle another bad hatch so soon.
Some pictures of the sweeties that seem to be doing well with Momma.
On a more positive note, I got to visit the goslings I hatched earlier this month and they look great with their new goose family! I didn't get great pictures because the adults weren't thrilled about me getting too close to their babies, lol. They're growing so fast!!
The 4 remaining Mottled chicks have more of a yellow cast to their white fluff and are larger, all of the chicks that passed away were bright white and smaller so I'm hoping that's the end of my losses and that whatever genetic/health issue was hopefully just in the other hen/hens that were responsible for laying. I met the flock and they all looked really healthy so this was really unexpected. She told me to expect 50% fertility so I wasn't expecting all 24 of the Mottled Orpington eggs I initially set to hatch...but then the late embryo deaths and malpositions happened and now the failure to thrive after hatching...only 4 healthy Mottled Orp chicks out of 24 eggs is heartbreaking.
I've been really fortunate up until now, this hatch brought me to 98 chicks successfully hatched in incubators and these are the first chicks I've EVER lost after hatch.
I really hope the eggs I set for July have a better outcome because I don't think I can handle another bad hatch so soon.Some pictures of the sweeties that seem to be doing well with Momma.
On a more positive note, I got to visit the goslings I hatched earlier this month and they look great with their new goose family! I didn't get great pictures because the adults weren't thrilled about me getting too close to their babies, lol. They're growing so fast!!
