Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[speckledhen]

Ellie and Georgie have similar markings. Ellie's is a bit more barred at the top of the hackles than Georgie's and she has even better tail black. Could be she's Ellie's daughter. Ellie is my largest Delaware hen, but she and Georgie look very much alike.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
I would never even attempt to put pointed end up. The air cell is in the large end, and should be up. Re hatching ... I often refer to these publications, as well as others ....

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa204

http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/incubation.html

http://gallus.tamu.edu/library/extpublications/b6092.pdf

 

[speckledhen]

X's being those eggs stored pointy end up,

The only time it's recommended to store hatching eggs pointy end up is when you store them for a longer than normal period. Seems counterintuitive, but here is the documentation on it.

From Shagbark Bantam's Hatching Success page http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/page10.htm

Place your (hopefully) fertile eggs in an egg flat in your basement, if you have one. Otherwise, shoot for 60-65oF for eggs stored less than 7 days or 55oF for storage more than 7. Do not refrigerate. Keeping the eggs at these temperatures will arrest the development of the embryo - which is what you want. When eggs are warm enough to begin development before incubation, the embryos often die once placed in the incubator. If you're storing eggs for more than 10 days, store them UPSIDE DOWN in the trays. (This is the ONLY time you'd store eggs upside down.) The goal here is to prevent too much CO2 loss from the air cell at the top of the egg, and moisture loss during storage. I'll talk about moisture loss later, but CO2 loss will change the pH and turn the environment toxic. This is one reason for losses where no bacteria or fungi have been identified upon studying the dead embryo. Turning (or rocking), eggs that are stored upside down is unnecessary. Eggs stored less than 10 days can be placed right side up and need rocking.​

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
I would never even attempt to put pointed end up. The air cell is in the large end, and should be up. Re hatching ... I often refer to these publications, as well as others ....

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa204

http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/incubation.html

http://gallus.tamu.edu/library/extpublications/b6092.pdf

Did I mention the PP addresses storing eggs pointy end up.. I'd have to reread why, I don't remember. So I thought I'd give it a try. I have two chicks that i'm sorry to say I watched struggle enough, opened the incu and busted them out. They're fine. 2 other eggs have barely begun. PP says to have the humidity 65% which I've shot for. Sometimes it was 72% Vent is not plugged.
I've got 3 and 3. 3 X's and 3 not. The three w/o seemed to have started to pip. One I'm not sure. If they hatch then the non X's will be the winner. These are thosed stored pointy end down. The three X's haven't started to pip so I doubt they will hatch.
Either way for me 17 out of 23 is the best I've had. My worries about temp were unfounded. Humidity was not maintained as well as I would have liked. Sometimes dropping to the 20's. Wish I knew how to move this to an incubation post. So I don't have to write it twice.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
The only time it's recommended to store hatching eggs pointy end up is when you store them for a longer than normal period. Seems counterintuitive, but here is the documentation on it.

From Shagbark Bantam's Hatching Success page http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/page10.htm

Place your (hopefully) fertile eggs in an egg flat in your basement, if you have one. Otherwise, shoot for 60-65oF for eggs stored less than 7 days or 55oF for storage more than 7. Do not refrigerate. Keeping the eggs at these temperatures will arrest the development of the embryo - which is what you want. When eggs are warm enough to begin development before incubation, the embryos often die once placed in the incubator. If you're storing eggs for more than 10 days, store them UPSIDE DOWN in the trays. (This is the ONLY time you'd store eggs upside down.) The goal here is to prevent too much CO2 loss from the air cell at the top of the egg, and moisture loss during storage. I'll talk about moisture loss later, but CO2 loss will change the pH and turn the environment toxic. This is one reason for losses where no bacteria or fungi have been identified upon studying the dead embryo. Turning (or rocking), eggs that are stored upside down is unnecessary. Eggs stored less than 10 days can be placed right side up and need rocking.
​

Very interesting. I have never heard of that before. I don't think I will try it though. I prefer the fresh eggs.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
That is a great hatch! Congratulations! I also have found that humidity dipping at times has not really been a problem. Interesting, isn't it!

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Thanks all for pics of your flocks. Speckledhen I have a Georgie looking hen in my flock, mother of some of these little peeps. My Peeper has awesome tail black, she's one of the ones with black tipped hackles. She should be laying next month

Everybody has such pretty birds!

Does anyone know where the greenish legs come in? I have had a couple that had kinda greenish yellow legs. Just enough green to make it off looking. May have been overflow from the bad blood I had, but I want to be sure. I have no pics because I got rid of them and I only had 2 I think. They were very nice otherwise best I remember. I went out and looked at some of my boys today and a few have those awful side sprigs on the back of their combs. I'm just trying to decide who to do what with this Fall. DD wants her own layer flock, so she's getting some of them

 

[jeremy]

I unpacked 17 Delaware eggs from Bill Braden just now, 17!

I only paid for a dozen, so he included many extras. When they go in the bator tomorrow with the other Dels I will have 29 total Delaware eggs incubating that should all be hatched by or around May 20th. He also included one egg that was marked "BLR". I didn't ask for this egg, so I don't know what it is. Either way, I'm happy to have more Delaware babies on the way! If all goes well it looks as if little Stewart is going to have himself quite a flock.

(No... I am not counting my chickens before they hatch, all I'm saying is that out of 29 eggs he better get some ladies to eventually live with!

)

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Oh, I can help you out here .... that is a very common abbreviation for Best Laying Red! Yep. It will be a red! Good luck!

 

[jeremy]

I visited his website Kathy and I think it may stand for Blue Laced Red, considering he has Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. I tried Silver Laced Wyandottes 2 years ago and found them to be the ugliest, most unfriendly bird I've had so far, so if the little BLRW chick hatches we'll see how long it lasts. First it'll have to be a pullet for me to even consider keeping it, I have no more room for roos! Then, it better be friendly, or it'll get sold or thrown in the stew pot, whichever is quickest.

It would be interesting to cross it with my BW Ameraucana roo down the road, that would probably make for some interesting looking EEs.

I'm still more excited about all the possible Del babies though!