Self Blue (Lavender) Silkie Thread

[SimplySplendidSilkies]

I have been following this thread but never post because I do not work with Self Blue's. I was just curious of the humidity you are running at lockdown? I may be out of place here and please ignore me if this has already been brought up but..........
When I lowered my humidity I had much better hatch rates. Lower meaning 35-45 during incubation, and 55 at lockdown going up to 65 after a few pips. Ok butting back out, now back to your regular programing.

I do hope your hatch rates improve, it sounds like a heart breaker.

 

[renovationmom]

Quote:
I just now saw your post-Thank you for being so honest-

I have the very same problem, although I am not hatching as many at a time, but my problem has been with just silkies, and the rare colors seem to be so fragile. I posted this problem on another silkie forum, and many other "newbies" or back yard enthusiests were having the same problems, but none of the more experienced breeders would step up and say they are having problems. I hope you find the solution, and will post your findings. I had been wondering the same thing, I move my eggs into a hatcher on day 18. I use a turner, if I just unplug the turner, can my eggs just hatch in the turner cups?

Darling Farms, some have improved hatchability rates by adding Manna Pro bird conditioner to their breeder's diets. Some have also had a bit better luck with using broodies rather than incubators. It was thought that the hatching problems were due to close relationships while getting the lavender color and improving type. But with so many continuing to have problems using splits it appears that might more at work here than just close relationships.

Thank You for this information. I also thought my incubation methods were the reason for my poor hatching rate, and I still look for and try other methods, but other breeds did not give me this trouble. Also, I hatch with broodies as well, with the same results. My broodies just can not handle the volume an incubator can, which is why I started incubating.

 

[renovationmom]

Quote:
Thank You- I have been running 35-45 during incubation, but I normally keep humidity up at 65-70 during lockdown and hatching, so afraid I will have them dry up and seal themselves in-but I will try your method,-Thanks again for the good advice.

 

[SimplySplendidSilkies]

I am by no means an expert with anything. I just know I also lost lots of chicks at lock down prior to lowering humidity. I have seen with my own eyes a silkie chick hatch with 20% humidity and the bator being opened and closed with no regard. So when I start thinking about upping my humidity I always go back to that. I personally was shocked to see someone so casual with opening the bator and refused to watch but I am telling you the chicks were hatching. I think more damage is done by too much humidity than to little. Now if my hatch is past day 21 and most have hatched I will up the humidity. I have not touched the temp on my Hova's in mths. Like I said earlier I have only lost 2 eggs that made it past the first candle in the last 4 mths. In the beginning of my hatching I opened every egg that did not hatch. It was gross but I feel I learned so very much. One more thing I do different than most. I enter lock down on day 19, 6 hrs earlier than the time I set the eggs. Ok this is going to maybe throw you but here goes. When I candle at lock down I usually have a low spot on the air cell. I will always set the lowest side of the air cell up with the egg laying on it's side, sitting in egg cartons (also laying on the side) I have cut way down. I started doing this for myself because it seems the chicks 9 out of 10 times will pip on that low end. That helps me to monitor the chicks progress if I can see the pip. It may also assist the chick for all I know but now I have a few friends also using my method with great results.
I do hope I have not confused you.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

For all my eggs I run at 40% for incubation and 60% for hatching. I don't bump the humitiy until the first pip because I don't want to risk them drowning in the shell

 

[SimplySplendidSilkies]

Ok I really am butting back out of this tread
I do wish you all the best of luck hatching.

 

[BetsyOK]

I read where someone (and I remember it being a known successful breeder) said to add a bit of bleach to the water you put in the incubator--maybe a Tablespoon to a gallon?? That helped that person's success rate a lot. Of course, it would cut down on bacteria in the ' bator.

 

[AHappychick]

i have struggles a lot hatching out these little guys. I have found for me they do best with the red cap on the vent and humidity at 60 or so for LD I used to forget that red cap but I think the less O2 is better as they need CO2 to zip. They are really tough still but my hatch rate improved greatly when I started that.

 

[chikincrazee]

Hi I have been lurking here reading the posts...I read somewhere else about this color having hatchability problems and i think it may occur in the lav ameraucana projects too...from the silkie eggs i have been sent and hatched out I average only about 1 live chick out of every 6 eggs so i dont think its your incubation techniques....I have some lavs and i took one egg as an experiment and it hatched fine then the next group i got nothing....maybe they are just a finicky color....i know my hatching rates are way up after i put the breeders on a diet of 21.5 percent protein with meat protein in it...i use Kent 27% with fish meal mixed with a 16% US layer ration with porcine in it....I also add red cell and iron supplement a wheat germ based oil and some kelp..I get 85 to 95 hatchability on my own group of colors but not the lavs....hmmmmm...i run my sportsman on an auto humidity pail with no sponge for 16 days then add one sponge and lately i have been doing staggered hatches with one sponge in so its at about 55 % and the chicks are some of the best I have had for getting out on their own...maybe i will try crossing my black line that i know has great thriving chicks with the lavs ....interesting topic.....Chris

 

[Darling Farms]

Good Morning!

We have tried a few things differently in our incubation practices...

A tiny splash of bleach in the incubation water
A tiny splash of Oxiene in the incubation water
Using different incubators
Not moving the eggs to a separate hatcher
Dry Hatching... with TERRIBLE results

And a few other things...

Our hatch rates did improve quite a bit.

IMPORTANT POINT... OUR CHICK DEATH RATE WENT UP by the equal and opposite amount.

Loosing so many little chicks with in the first few weeks has been hard but we have learned some important lessons.

So all of that work to come to the very definite conclusion that the ones that were not hatching SHOULD NOT BE hatching. This is NOT an incubation issue.

The lavenders (and even the first generation of split black lavenders... to a slightly lesser degree) are just weaker. There are some genetic flaws that need time and SERIOUS out crossing to work themselves out.



Lavenders are NOT for happenstance breeders that are not aware of the challenges that this variety of silkie pose. They do require different breeding practices than other varieties.

Lavender silkies are a difficult breed that is going to take quite a bit of time to become more stable and to be a family friendly variety.

Yes they are pretty but breeders need to inform their buyers about what they are getting into! I don't think any of these things should be deal breakers but I believe that buyers should have an informed choice if they are thinking of breeding. If they are going to be pets than the potential buyer needs to know that a large percentage of these birds are weaker and more susceptible to illness and blindness... etc. We will be writing up our thoughts on this and posting them to our website. Hopefully the more information the better... right?

~Darling Farms