Olandsk Dwarf Chickens

[mlm Mike]

very nice

 

[celticgarden]

Any tips on hatching eggs from these little guys? I have some coming in the mail by the end of the week. I um, haven't hatched before but I learn very quickly. My incubator is a brinsea mini advanced. Thanks, everyone's birds are little beauties!

Linda

 

[celticgarden]

Eggs are in the incubator...well, not in this photo but you get the point

 

[BerrytangleFarm]

Our newest grand-Olandsk Dwarfs! 100% hatch rate!

 

[BerrytangleFarm]

Any tips on hatching eggs from these little guys? I have some coming in the mail by the end of the week. I um, haven't hatched before but I learn very quickly. My incubator is a brinsea mini advanced. Thanks, everyone's birds are little beauties!
Linda

I've had the best luck keeping the humidity moderate during lockdown (I've used dry hatching for the first 18 days).

We just got 100% hatch rate on our newest batch (Sven & Olga's grandchickens

 

[Contrastphoto]

Our newest grand-Olandsk Dwarfs! 100% hatch rate!

Congrats! I have three eggs set to hatch next week.

 

[Chooklet]

I've had the best luck keeping the humidity moderate during lockdown (I've used dry hatching for the first 18 days).

We just got 100% hatch rate on our newest batch (Sven & Olga's grandchickens

I agree - high humidity has been tough on hatching - much more so than I have seen with other breeds. My hatch rates have been much better since I reduced lock-down humidity. I have never made it to a 100% hatch rate though. Out of a dozen fertile eggs I usually lose one or two after about a week, and often lose another one or two during lock down - very frustrating - so in all honesty my average Olandsk hatch rate is probably around 75%. My hatch rate on my bantam cochins and Japanese bantams is much higher - near 90%!

I haven't tried the dry hatching during the incubation period. I'll need to give that a try when I start hatching again in the spring (had to take a break from hatching - I was going nuts!) It is very frustrating to have lockdown quitters, and so tempting to help them, but I really want to breed for vitality so I figure if they don't make it out on their own then their genes should not go on. Berrytangle, any other tips for getting to your amazing 100% rate???

I have one pair of dwarfs left inside. They hatched on August 31, so are definitely old enough to move outside, but I don't really have a similar age group to add them to and they are much too young to go in with the adult Olandskies, so they have a large brooder pen all to themselves in my exercise room! They are going to be so pair bonded by the time I move them - the little boy will probably have a fit when the big boys flirt with his little girlfriend. I know that I have enough juvies to sell a few pairs and trios, so maybe I will find a home for this pair where the little boy can be Top Olandsk on the totem pole!

 

[mlm Mike]

Any tips on hatching eggs from these little guys? I have some coming in the mail by the end of the week. I um, haven't hatched before but I learn very quickly. My incubator is a brinsea mini advanced. Thanks, everyone's birds are little beauties!
Linda

Someone had told to stop turning them a little early, day 15 or 16. I did that on my last hatch, all hatched, they also were my eggs so were not shipped eggs.

 

[mlm Mike]

Our newest grand-Olandsk Dwarfs! 100% hatch rate!

Really Cute!

 

[BerrytangleFarm]

I agree - high humidity has been tough on hatching - much more so than I have seen with other breeds. My hatch rates have been much better since I reduced lock-down humidity. I have never made it to a 100% hatch rate though. Out of a dozen fertile eggs I usually lose one or two after about a week, and often lose another one or two during lock down - very frustrating - so in all honesty my average Olandsk hatch rate is probably around 75%. My hatch rate on my bantam cochins and Japanese bantams is much higher - near 90%!

I haven't tried the dry hatching during the incubation period. I'll need to give that a try when I start hatching again in the spring (had to take a break from hatching - I was going nuts!) It is very frustrating to have lockdown quitters, and so tempting to help them, but I really want to breed for vitality so I figure if they don't make it out on their own then their genes should not go on. Berrytangle, any other tips for getting to your amazing 100% rate???

I have one pair of dwarfs left inside. They hatched on August 31, so are definitely old enough to move outside, but I don't really have a similar age group to add them to and they are much too young to go in with the adult Olandskies, so they have a large brooder pen all to themselves in my exercise room! They are going to be so pair bonded by the time I move them - the little boy will probably have a fit when the big boys flirt with his little girlfriend. I know that I have enough juvies to sell a few pairs and trios, so maybe I will find a home for this pair where the little boy can be Top Olandsk on the totem pole!

I think the dry hatching really makes a difference. It promotes maximum evaporation.

The three I have for hatching next week aren't 100%. I lost one early to a blood ring. I think the late quitters tend to be explained by either incubation (even broodies lose 'em!) or the silent diseases like MG and MS which, as I've heard it, mostly cause fertility or early/late quitters. I didn't test for those this first time around with NPIP since WA state doesn't do it as a matter of course, but I plan to do it next year. I hear many hatcheries can't even pass those tests, but I, at least, want to know if that's an issue so I'll know what could be behind fertility/quitter problems.