Only one.....

[kano]

My mapuche "collonca"was supossed to "give birth" this past Thursday. Out of 9 remaining eggs,( out of 11) only 1 came out. Another, was pecked from inside , but couldn,t make it. I broke the rest of the eggs, and four were completely formed (the chicks) .What in the @#$%$#@ happen? She was very devoted to the duty. Somebody told me, may be the shells too hard (very mapuche caracteristic). Humidity, perhaps? The nest was on cement floor with sand, dust, herbs on top. I always wet around the nests with broodys, this time didn't.

. What do you think could happen? (Finally , I bougth some chicks and put them for her)
Here she is .....

 

[Ridgerunner]

My thoughts pretty much coincide with yours. It is possible the low humidity caused a problem. It is also possible thick egg shells caused a problem if that is a genetic trait with that breed.

Thick egg shells are not that uncommon with eggs from young pullets. When you combine that the chicks in the small pullet eggs don't have enough nutrients to grow big and strong like chicks in regular-sized (for the breed) eggs and the shells can be thicker than normal, you might get a poorer hatch rate like you described with fully grown chicks in the shells. You did not say you used pullet eggs. I'm just mentioning another possibility that might compound the problem. I've had good hatch rates but lower than normal survivability with the small pullet eggs.

Another possibility. I'm not familiar with that breed but understand they have some genetic links with what we call Araucana, the rumpless blue egg layer. With them, if the genetics combine right, having tuffs from both parents is a death senence. I don't know if something like that is going on with yours. Just a thought.

Good luck!

 

[kano]

Quote:
Thankyou .for your answer. Yes ,"collonca"is one of the "races" that formed (with the "quetro", who brougth the earings , and the letal gene) the modern araucana. The eggs were bougth to a man who raises a lot of birds, so I don't know really how the "parents' were. I asked for "mapuche's"eggs I didn't mind with beards (quechua) or earings, or crests. (crested mapuche),and these eggs were quite big to belong to pullets. Anyway I'm going to insist ,I 've got another broody, and 12 more of these eggs, but I"m going to be more carefull with this clutch.
The "mother"is a "collonca de aretes", as you can see here......not very clear, I know.....

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[tallyho]

She is a very pretty and interesting bird! I hope your next hatch is better.

 

[Surehatch]

Give her another chance - she was probably just feeling a bit off

 

[kano]

:

 

[LaurenM23]

Good luck with your next hatch! I am sorry for such a poor result, this time. At least one is better than none!

 

[kano]

Well, the other hen hatched 9 out of 12, yesterday. I had the concern to keep around the nest , humid; even I put fresh grass in the nest under the eggs. They are all well. ( colloncos tojudos."bearded", and one with earings, 1st photo the brown one.)

 

[kano]

sorry.....