Sexing eggs!

[scflock]

I found that with my last incubation, the large eggs did not fare well. Very disappointing, b/c some of my gals only lay very large eggs. I'm not so sure if it was strictly related to egg size, or may have been related to the fact that all of the large eggs were on one side of the bator, and the temp may have been off on that side.

My last hatch of cuckoo marans, the largest eggs yielded chickosaurs. I have quite a few large ones in this batch, so I think I could test this theory better than the highering of the pointiest eggs

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I found that with my last incubation, the large eggs did not fare well. Very disappointing, b/c some of my gals only lay very large eggs. I'm not so sure if it was strictly related to egg size, or may have been related to the fact that all of the large eggs were on one side of the bator, and the temp may have been off on that side.

Would it improve hatch rates if you only incubated large eggs together? That way humidity and such could be altered to their needs w/o compromising smaller eggs. The hatch before this last one I had an overly large egg that didn't make it. I believe it to be because that egg did not loose as much moisture as it was pretty wet inside at eggtopsy. I go by the majority of eggs in my bator when I adjust and would be crazy to adjust for the minority or one egg. But if all the eggs were reletively large, I could adjust to the norm of those eggs.

 

[scflock]

Would it improve hatch rates if you only incubated large eggs together? That way humidity and such could be altered to their needs w/o compromising smaller eggs. The hatch before this last one I had an overly large egg that didn't make it. I believe it to be because that egg did not loose as much moisture as it was pretty wet inside at eggtopsy. I go by the majority of eggs in my bator when I adjust and would be crazy to adjust for the minority or one egg. But if all the eggs were reletively large, I could adjust to the norm of those eggs.

I hatched d'uccle along with those marans. The d'uccle were a day earlier, but 90% on d'uccle and 80 on marans

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I hatched d'uccle along with those marans. The d'uccle were a day earlier, but 90% on d'uccle and 80 on marans

You say that like I know the size difference...

I've been working so hard on perfecting my humidity theories I haven't had the time to learn breeds yet....lol

 

[scflock]

You say that like I know the size difference...

I've been working so hard on perfecting my humidity theories I haven't had the time to learn breeds yet....lol

Marans eggs are hard to close an egg container around sometimes. D'uccle are smaller than a silkie

 

[scflock]

You say that like I know the size difference...

I've been working so hard on perfecting my humidity theories I haven't had the time to learn breeds yet....lol

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Oh wow. That's a big difference...lol I had a couple banties in this last one that looked tiny compared to the rest of mine. (And they both made it out.) I had expected both of them to hatch before my standards and while one of them was my first pipper, the other pipped and hatched after a handful of my standards. So the d'uccles are banties then?

 

[scflock]

Oh wow. That's a big difference...lol I had a couple banties in this last one that looked tiny compared to the rest of mine. (And they both made it out.) I had expected both of them to hatch before my standards and while one of them was my first pipper, the other pipped and hatched after a handful of my standards. So the d'uccles are banties then?

Yes, a little smaller than silkies. I would post a pic, but mine are way off as far as SQ. Too much white, but they are great pets, and great broodies. I have even caught the rooster covering new chicks while mommy was ranging

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Yes, a little smaller than silkies. I would post a pic, but mine are way off as far as SQ. Too much white, but they are great pets, and great broodies. I have even caught the rooster covering new chicks while mommy was ranging

That's sweet.

 

[EvilleGardener]

No one means to hurt your feelings, but us old timers (50+ years of chicken keeping) know this is not true. If it was true, we would use the method, we don't like culling roosters any better than any one else.

I don't know about that... First time I butchered and stewed a rooster my husband said, "Two things...this is the most delicious chicken I've ever tasted, and you're no longer allowed to name the roosters!" This was after weeks of him saying he'd divorce me if I ever tried to feed him our 'pets' when I mentioned one of the roosters had to go.