Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[U_Stormcrow]

Sig Updated. We have a new hatch, and yes, that egg in the backround, left is pipped externally.

Also, my incubator is slightly out of calibration.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Going to be a long and noisy night.

Sig updated.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Five more have hatched overnight (total of seven so far), another has pipped - leaving 3 as yet unknown. And the thermal alarm (overheat) has now gone off twice. Thinking the incubator needs a good cleaning with some canned air.

Sig updated.
Oh, I've not seen some of the new chicks - three hatched while i was sleeping, woke up to two others. Those two were a soft grey/black and a very pale yellow. Don't ask for more details, I'm waiting on coffee.

/edit candled. One in progress, one quit after filling half the shell, three infertile. My pour girls are being overmated, don't understand why my fertility rate is so low.

 

[3KillerBs]

/edit candled. One in progress, one quit after filling half the shell, three infertile. My pour girls are being overmated, don't understand why my fertility rate is so low.

Could one of the boys be firing blanks?

Or have bad technique?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Could one of the boys be firing blanks?

Or have bad technique?

Lots of boys - I'm actually starting to wonder if over-mating may be a problem, and one of the boys is still (relatively) young, but is on the cull list anyways. Looks a lot like "Ugly", absent the size and the feathered feet - basically, mama was an SLW, not a Brahma.

and the original hens in the flock have now hit 53 weeks - longer than I had intended on keeping them. This hatching, and the next few are intended to replace those layers, so I have none of the original flock by fall. (Other than the three remaining Brahma, at the request of a close friend of mine.)

 

[3KillerBs]

and the original hens in the flock have now hit 53 weeks - longer than I had intended on keeping them. This hatching, and the next few are intended to replace those layers, so I have none of the original flock by fall. (Other than the three remaining Brahma, at the request of a close friend of mine.)

Except for Cordon, who looks likely to be a solid broody (setting her up for a hatch today), I'll be culling my originals this fall too.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Picture - to prove it happened. They are, as expected, in the "bundle of down next to the heat plate" stage.

Its a good "range of colors" shot too. The eggs they hatched from were all my largest and lightest in color, so if nothing else, it demonstrates that egg shell color and chick coloration are not closely correlated. I'd have been happier not hatching two blacks. Maybe they will both be males - I'venot had a fryer in a while.

 

[NatJ]

I'd have been happier not hatching two blacks. Maybe they will both be males - I'venot had a fryer in a while.

You were trying to get rid of white. I predict that those blacks do NOT have the Dominant White gene

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You were trying to get rid of white. I predict that those blacks do NOT have the Dominant White gene

That's the silver lining in my "touch of grey".

 

[MysteryChicken]

Cute peeps.

Soon I'll be setting some eggs for a friend, they're getting a total of 9 chicks from me, but I'm placing 14 eggs, I'm keeping back 3 Silkies.

They're getting 4 EEs, 3 Silkies, & 4random mixed breeds. I'm setting 6 Silkie eggs.

I'll also be hatching some Malays for another friend, I'll be placing 6 eggs, giving them 3, & I'll be keeping 3 back.