Red Partridge Orpington informational hatch thread

[Windrider]

Heh, your broody is marveling that it took so little time sitting on those eggs.

I just did a quick search on partridge colored chicks of various breeds, and there does seem to be quite a variety of down color. When pics said "chocolate partridge" the chick was pretty definitely red. But just "partridge" they were more varied.

I think you said somewhere that Papa's had three different pens of partridge from three different lines. That could explain why they look so different.

 

[K0k0shka]

Heh, your broody is marveling that it took so little time sitting on those eggs.

I just did a quick search on partridge colored chicks of various breeds, and there does seem to be quite a variety of down color. When pics said "chocolate partridge" the chick was pretty definitely red. But just "partridge" they were more varied.

I think you said somewhere that Papa's had three different pens of partridge from three different lines. That could explain why they look so different.

These are supposed to be “red partridge”, which I think is the default? And yeah, he has 3 pens and is breeding back to other orp varieties to improve the lines, so inconsistency makes sense. I like that, though - it does make it easier to tell them apart

 

[Newyorkrita]

I heard peeps on the camera and saw a couple little heads sticking out of the box! Wohooo! On my way to check on them now. It’s a nice sunny day, maybe she’ll bring them out of the box!

So fantastic. Going to be such fun watching her mother them.

 

[K0k0shka]

Another successful assist! The 5th partridge got stuck like the 4th one from last night - zipped up to a point and couldn’t progress. I gave it 4-5 hours but it was just struggling and getting nowhere. I helped it the rest of the way. This one was a lot more stuck than the other one, with pieces of membrane glued firmly to its body and dried out. Took some work, but I rescued it and it’s drying off in the incubator now. I like these kinds of assists - where the beak is already out and there’s no danger of imminent death, like that assist from last year...

 

[K0k0shka]

One more partridge egg has pipped! I think the reason why the last two were stuck, and I suspect this next one might be stuck as well, is because it’s day 23 and the eggs have just lost too much moisture at this point, even though humidity hasn’t fallen below 70. They are drying out and getting stuck to the membrane, which makes it hard for them to turn and zip. As long as they can get their beaks out and pip, I can do the rest if they can’t progress. The hard part last year was that they weren’t even pipping, and I couldn’t find their beaks...

 

[K0k0shka]

Third successful assist. This one was the driest. It couldn’t even get through the papery membrane. It zipped all around just fine, but only broke the shell through pressure, it couldn’t pierce the membrane enough to get out. But it was very active and energetic, like the rest, and wanted to get out.

So that’s 6 partridges so far, and a 50% success rate - the expected for shipped eggs. 3 more shipped eggs remain, with no pips yet. I don’t have high hopes for those, but I was hoping for 6 so I’m happy. I’ll candle the remaining 3 tonight and see if they are still alive.

 

[aart]

Good Job!

 

[K0k0shka]

Good Job!

Thanks! These successful interventions have done a lot in balancing out my guilt from last year.

 

[aart]

Thanks! These successful interventions have done a lot in balancing out my guilt from last year.

Empowering for sure.
I've really admired and enjoyed observing your steep and well documented learning curve with hatching, thanks for sharing it.

 

[K0k0shka]

Empowering for sure.
I've really admired and enjoyed observing your steep and well documented learning curve with hatching, thanks for sharing it.

Thank you! I've learned so much on BYC. I hope somebody can find my threads useful, too.