Setting Eggs Sept. 24th-Oct. 4th-Last Hatch of the Year. Anyone care to join me?

[Brookhavens]

Hi everyone, I had set eggs on the 28 of sept.
12 showgirls
6 Seramas
I'm somewhat disappointed after candling I now have
7 showgirls and 2 possibly 1 serama
But it could be worse I suppose, these were bought on eBay so they are shipped eggs
I'm using a hova bator with turbo fan
I'm keeping humid at 50% and temp 99.5F

Glad you joined us. It's not so lonely here.

I just hatched out some Silkies last week (4/12 local eggs). Both the breeds you have are difficult to incubate. Drop your humidity to about 40-45%. 50% is too high for those teeny eggs. I just ordered some Seramas yesterday knowing that I will be very lucky to get even one out of the 12+ eggs that are coming. Everyone I contacted around here doesn't sell eggs or chicks. Only adult birds.

 

[Brookhavens]

I set 12 SLW on the 27th at 8:40 AM and 6 look clear

and 6 have development

. I am keeping them all in until day 10 but I don't think they are fertile. These are shipped eggs.

My two control eggs are developing!

50% is good on shipped eggs. I always leave them in too hoping that they are just late bloomers. Knowing that your own eggs are fertile and growing makes it even better.

 

[Brookhavens]

Well so far Wilma my broody BO has stayed on the eggs. She went out for a few minutes to refresh and potty, but that was it. Since I am doing a broody hatch, I'm not sure if I should be candeling or not. We are on day 9. Wilma is so grouchy that I hate to distrub her. should I just not worry about it or try and wait until another break happens?

If it were me I would candle. There is no way I could wait

I am having a hard time now sitting on my hands and waiting until day 10. I promised myself that this time around I wouldn't candle as much and would only candle at Day 10 and 18. I really want a few of these shipped eggs to hatch. I watched a video on youtube and the lady had a grouchy hen too. She actually had to wear an oven mitt to get the eggs out from under the broody...

. Either wait until she gets off the eggs again or take a chance and get one out from under her. Being Day 9 you should know for sure if the eggs are developing or not.

 

[Brookhavens]

Hey Roxanneinla....Did you get your eggs yet?

 

[lynn1961]

Interesting idea about the shape of the eggs. In humans, the males sperm determines the sex of the child. Would that be the same in chickens? And I thought he shape of the egg is determined by the hen as goes through her. Just talking out loud...your thoughts?

Here is one article I read on the subject:

Does the temperature in the incubator determine the sex of a chicken? Last spring we incubated some eggs and ended up with a bunch of roosters. We turned the temperature down to about 99°F and ended up with mostly hens and a few roosters.
The effect of temperature on the sex of the offspring is related to reptile eggs (such as alligators) and not for birds.
The sex of a bird is determined genetically and is set before the egg is even laid. Unlike mammals, however, it is the female bird that determines the sex of the offspring and not the male. In mammals the male is heterozygous (XY) and the female homozygous (XX) so that the male is the only parent with the Y gene which will result in a male offspring. In birds the female is heterozygous (ZW) and the male is homozygous (ZZ) so that the female determines the sex of the offspring.
While the sex of the chick is determined before the egg is laid, research has shown that male and female embryos may differ in their sensitivity to suboptimal conditions during embryo development. As a result, the ratio of males and females that actually hatch can vary depending on incubation conditions. This is because the ratio of males and females that do not hatch is affected not because the sex of the embryos was changed by the temperature (as happens with some reptiles).

 

[lynn1961]

Does the temperature in the incubator determine the sex of a chicken? Last spring we incubated some eggs and ended up with a bunch of roosters. We turned the temperature down to about 99°F and ended up with mostly hens and a few roosters.
The effect of temperature on the sex of the offspring is related to reptile eggs (such as alligators) and not for birds.
The sex of a bird is determined genetically and is set before the egg is even laid. Unlike mammals, however, it is the female bird that determines the sex of the offspring and not the male. In mammals the male is heterozygous (XY) and the female homozygous (XX) so that the male is the only parent with the Y gene which will result in a male offspring. In birds the female is heterozygous (ZW) and the male is homozygous (ZZ) so that the female determines the sex of the offspring.
While the sex of the chick is determined before the egg is laid, research has shown that male and female embryos may differ in their sensitivity to suboptimal conditions during embryo development. As a result, the ratio of males and females that actually hatch can vary depending on incubation conditions. This is because the ratio of males and females that do not hatch is affected not because the sex of the embryos was changed by the temperature (as happens with some reptiles).

Genetics of sex determination in mammals versus birds

MAMMALS

(e.g., humans, cows, etc.)
Male = XY
Female = XX
Males determine the sex of the offspring

BIRDS

(Including poultry)
Male = ZZ
Female = ZW
Females determine the sex of the offspring​

 

[lynn1961]

Here is the link to one of the articles, I will look for the others ones about egg apperance, round vs pointy eggs.

http://www.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/faq.html

 

[lynn1961]

http://www.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/faq.htm

This is the article from Mother Earth News:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/sustainable-farming/buying-fertilized-chicken-eggs-zmaz74zhol.aspx

Don't count your chickens before they're hatched," the old saving goes. True, you can't be sure any given egg will produce a live chick, but you can make a pretty good guess at the hypothetical bird's sex before the smallest crack appears in its shell. When you're buying fertilized chicken eggs or choosing which eggs to hatch from your own flock, there's just one simple method to keep in mind. It's quick, easy, works for all breeds and is so reliable that we raised 23 pullets from 23 carefully chosen eggs!
Here's the secret: If you want your brood to be mostly female, select and incubate only the most nearly oval eggs. Those with a noticeably pointed end produce cockerels. Many of the chicks-to-be you examine, of course (especially the first time you try this idea), will fall into an indeterminate range, so pick only the most clearly oval shapes if you want to hatch future layers.

Commercial breeders cull and hatch their "female" eggs because pullets bring a higher price, Therefore, a fertile batch of "straight-run" eggs bought from a big dealer is likely to contain mostly indeterminate and pointed discards and give you considerably less than a 50/50 chance of hatching female chicks. To improve the odds, choose from your own hens' layings or ask a local chicken raiser to save his most obviously oval finds for you.

Sound hard to believe? The first time I heard of this trick, I thought someone was pulling my only-recently-rural leg. But try it, it works!


Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/sustainable-farming/buying-fertilized-chicken-eggs-zmaz74zhol.aspx#ixzz28EoT9fl9

 

[Roxannemc]

Just read this interesting article and thought I would share. Apparently a hen only uses the left ovary for reproduction/eggs. If for some reason the left ovary is damaged or doesn't function any more the right ovary goes into over drive and produces testosterone and the hen can become a roo but not a functional roo. Don't believe me? Read this

Wow really interesting Brook! Thanks..now we know! I did read the other day that a chicken in the egg can be changed in some circumstances hormones to act similarly to the opposite sex even though tecnically still was whatever sex it was but not this ovum thing!

 

[Roxannemc]

Well it sort of does make se nse as things do affect how many of a certain sex are bornI cant discount it just from the articles i read didnt find the supposition foolproof..I read years ago more human males are born but more female babies live so i think it could be possible but as i said in the studies i read that were done there are so many variables hard to put your finger on a for sure heat as changing the outcoming but doesnt hurt to try it as it might workand if it does consistantly please let us know
Also yes the mother earth article i read that but quite a few others onBYC tried and said it wasnt true .amAgain cant hurt to get the rounder ones in caseAnything that might help get hens!