Sulmtalers Thread

[cutipatooti]

I've had the opposite observation, our females are such slow developers in comparison with the cockerels.

Interesting. I hope some others chime in with their experience.

 

[cluckandcrow]

Only one hole for air intake should be open. Only one hole for air to get out should be open. All other holes should be closed. I promise you. You humidity is way off course. The purpose of raising the humidity for the last three days is to soften the shell so the chicks can pip and then start zipping. Try covering the hole that air goes out with a piece of tape. Not completely but about half way. Experiment to get it right. Even the instructions say to get the humidity higher than what yours is doing. I have three of the 1502 sportsman and I hatch over 250 chicks every 10 days.

 

[GabrielBane]

Been kinda hard to make posts of Substance (shoulder injury.... lol) but oh boy it's been a treat seeing so much recent activity in this thread!!!

Out of our 4 boys we *finally* rehomed two of the Gold Wheatens. One had a lot of red leakage in his crest for a gold, the other exhibited poor color. We kept both pullets, of course. But we've noted that our GFF Silver Wheaten pullet is by FAR out-growing the Red Wheaten Pullet we received from a private breeder. It could be a difference in nutrition, but I'm not necessarily banking on that. Maybe she was hatched from a pullet egg, or just smaller lines for the reds. Who knows?



Anyways. Here's some photos from about a week or two ago, all of the boys are still present;

Both of the boys above were kept.

 

[cluckandcrow]

The one that is all silver and black do you still have him? If so, would you be willing to sell him?

 

[Chickielady]

Chickielady and Scamp -- your Sulm's are gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!

Thank you !

 

[Chickielady]

Well the chicks don't even pip internally so could humidity still be a problem? The ones that do hatch have no problem getting out. It is impossible to get mine up to 65-80% best is 55%.

It seems to me, that your babies are dying early.
It may be a handling problem, or eggs are just old.
Try collecting clean eggs daily, do not wash them, store them at 60 degrees or below, for no more than 6 days, turn the egg carton several times a day to prevent sticky embryos.
Then warm the egg carton at room temp for a few hours, and them set them in the incubator.

At this time, eggs should be no older than 7 or 8 days.
They must be held at 60 degrees or below !

To hold them in higher temperatures will begin the embryo's development, and a 21 day clock begins to tick.
But in less than ideal temps, the embryo will struggle to develope, and die short of YOUR day 21...when the baby was going by it's day 21 all along.

Most people do think hatching eggs must be kept warm...WRONG !

The embryo must be held in suspended animation, until it can be warmed and incubated at ideal temperatures.

See if maybe that is a problem ?

I keep my hatching eggs in an ice chest, a refrig is TOO cold and can kill the embryo also, if the day is warm, I add blue ice freezies to the ice chest to keep the eggs at about 45-50 degrees.
Shipping eggs in hot climes can also be an issue...I use a freezer pak if necessary.
In hot hot summer, I do have a few styrofoam boxes, and add a freezie pak to them.
Hope this helps !

 

[Chickielady]

Is it just me or are the males of this breed slower growing then the females? Especially the silver Wheaton.

I have not noticed that the silver wheaten are any slower than any other coloration.

But, that said, YES males do develop slower, especially fledging.

Hens always fledge faster...and the males will be gangly...and develop thicker shanks, but yet seem to be bald but for fluff...while the hen chicks have huge wings, tails and far too big for their bodies.

I have seem this with every breed I have ever had.

 

[Chickielady]

Been kinda hard to make posts of Substance (shoulder injury.... lol) but oh boy it's been a treat seeing so much recent activity in this thread!!!

Out of our 4 boys we *finally* rehomed two of the Gold Wheatens. One had a lot of red leakage in his crest for a gold, the other exhibited poor color. We kept both pullets, of course. But we've noted that our GFF Silver Wheaten pullet is by FAR out-growing the Red Wheaten Pullet we received from a private breeder. It could be a difference in nutrition, but I'm not necessarily banking on that. Maybe she was hatched from a pullet egg, or just smaller lines for the reds. Who knows?



Anyways. Here's some photos from about a week or two ago, all of the boys are still present;

Both of the boys above were kept.

I hope you are getting better !

 

[Chickielady]

Only one hole for air intake should be open. Only one hole for air to get out should be open. All other holes should be closed. I promise you. You humidity is way off course. The purpose of raising the humidity for the last three days is to soften the shell so the chicks can pip and then start zipping. Try covering the hole that air goes out with a piece of tape. Not completely but about half way. Experiment to get it right. Even the instructions say to get the humidity higher than what yours is doing. I have three of the 1502 sportsman and I hatch over 250 chicks every 10 days.

I have 2 gQf professionals, and a separate gQf hatcher.........In my bators, I have 2 top holes open about 1/2 behind the fan only...and 2 holes on the bottom, about 3/4 open.

In both the incubators and hatchers I run wet bulb at 84 degrees.......and everything is perfect.

I have been told a thousand times by old expert poultrymen, that turning the humidity up on day 17 is ridiculous.a hen doesn't do that !

I was told, and I do, run my bators at consistant wet bulb temps for 99.8 degrees, exactly as gQf says to do.

The shell is softened daily, over time, from set to hatch, just as it is under a hen.

There are afew of these old guys who greatly dislike any incubator than an old redwood one, and some still hand turn.
I am not going that far !
But I have auto water pans in the bators and they work fantastic...I could go to Hawaii for 3 weeks and come home to a great hatch.
The best thing, is the wet bulb...it is spot on where no electronic hydrometer can ever be.
I can put 6 hydrometers in there, and they are all from China, and they are all different readings.
Not the wet bulb...just as it says in the gQf handbook...it is spot on.

 

[MontainBourbons]

It seems to me, that your babies are dying early.
It may be a handling problem, or eggs are just old.
Try collecting clean eggs daily, do not wash them, store them at 60 degrees or below, for no more than 6 days, turn the egg carton several times a day to prevent sticky embryos.
Then warm the egg carton at room temp for a few hours, and them set them in the incubator.

At this time, eggs should be no older than 7 or 8 days.
They must be held at 60 degrees or below !

To hold them in higher temperatures will begin the embryo's development, and a 21 day clock begins to tick.
But in less than ideal temps, the embryo will struggle to develope, and die short of YOUR day 21...when the baby was going by it's day 21 all along.

Most people do think hatching eggs must be kept warm...WRONG !

The embryo must be held in suspended animation, until it can be warmed and incubated at ideal temperatures.

See if maybe that is a problem ?

I keep my hatching eggs in an ice chest, a refrig is TOO cold and can kill the embryo also, if the day is warm, I add blue ice freezies to the ice chest to keep the eggs at about 45-50 degrees.
Shipping eggs in hot climes can also be an issue...I use a freezer pak if necessary.
In hot hot summer, I do have a few styrofoam boxes, and add a freezie pak to them.
Hope this helps !

It isn't an early death. When I did the eggtopsy they were fully developed. I don't know what it was.

Only one hole for air intake should be open. Only one hole for air to get out should be open. All other holes should be closed. I promise you. You humidity is way off course. The purpose of raising the humidity for the last three days is to soften the shell so the chicks can pip and then start zipping. Try covering the hole that air goes out with a piece of tape. Not completely but about half way. Experiment to get it right. Even the instructions say to get the humidity higher than what yours is doing. I have three of the 1502 sportsman and I hatch over 250 chicks every 10 days.

Well they don't even pip internally. The ones that do are usually just fine. They just die before they have a chance. Also I live at high elevation so they need more air than do at lower ones.