The Legbar Thread!

[lonnyandrinda]

But I'm having very low loss rates- it's not just that the girls aren't hatching- when I eggtopsy afterwards it's usually about even (on the ones old enough to tell). When I have 10 boys, 5 girls, and losses were 3 girls 2 boys (if I remember right), and only 2 eggs were early quitters, it still shows boy heavy. The other hatches have all been about the same ratios on the losses and early quitters. It's that most of my eggs are male eggs!

ETA: Oh I see, you are suggesting lowering the temp to encourage the female eggs to make it to hatch! Worth a try next time I have a big batch go through!

 

[KPenley]

But I'm having very low loss rates- it's not just that the girls aren't hatching- when I eggtopsy afterwards it's usually about even (on the ones old enough to tell). When I have 10 boys, 5 girls, and losses were 3 girls 2 boys (if I remember right), and only 2 eggs were early quitters, it still shows boy heavy. The other hatches have all been about the same ratios on the losses and early quitters. It's that most of my eggs are male eggs!

ETA: Oh I see, you are suggesting lowering the temp to encourage the female eggs to make it to hatch! Worth a try next time I have a big batch go through!

I think a few people are trying this method now, just to avoid putting down the excess boys at hatch. It's seems harder when they're fluffy and and just so darn beautiful.

 

[Flaming Chicken]

For everyone with male heavy hatches, was the parent rooster or hen older? Curtis' theory that *breeding a younger cockeral/roo to and older hen produces more females* has worked for me so far. So I'm curious!

My Cockerel is 8 months old and the hens are that old and older. Sorry.

 

[Flaming Chicken]

Here are pictures of my 6 weekers.

This is Itachi a male from eggs from my Jordan farm stock

This is Naruto, a sport white cockerel from my Lorinda stock.

Konan, female from Lorinda's line

Kisame, hatched with light shoulders and more grey than brown down. Watching him to see if he'll be a good keeper.
Diedara, hatched from Lorinda's eggs. Had more brown down than Kisame
And Alicia, hatched from my Jordan Farms stock. She has a nice light brown neck and a dark crest. It will be interesting to see how she turns out too.

The photo loader was not my friend today. Kept getting stuck but finally have them all on here. I posted pictures of these guys when they were about 4 days old too.

 

[darkbrowneggs]

Why would a lower temperature increase only the female hatch rate?

 

[KPenley]

Beautiful juvies and such awesome names too!

 

[1muttsfan]

Higher incubator temps can decrease the number of female eggs making it to hatching. Male embryos seem to be more tolerant of higher temps. This may lead to a higher male:female hatch ratio.

Temperature does NOT affect the ratio of male to female eggs produced, as that is set by the genes in the embryo, and not by hatching temps. So at higher temps you may see a higher male: female ratio, but overall you will hatch fewer chicks, as some of the female embryos die.

 

[darkbrowneggs]

Higher incubator temps can decrease the number of female eggs making it to hatching. Male embryos seem to be more tolerant of higher temps. This may lead to a higher male:female hatch ratio.

Temperature does NOT affect the ratio of male to female eggs produced, as that is set by the genes in the embryo, and not by hatching temps. So at higher temps you may see a higher male: female ratio, but overall you will hatch fewer chicks, as some of the female embryos die.

What temp would you suggest for a Brinsea forced air model? Here in the UK I think it generally instructs setting it at 37.5 C.

 

[1muttsfan]

99.5-99.7 F (depending on who you talk to) would be considered ideal for a forced air incubator. Remember that thermometers, even ones included with incubators, can easily be off by several degrees. Always calibrate your thermometer!

Check out the Hatching 101 article in the Learning Center for a great hatching resource.

 

[texasmomma]

I incubated 4 cream legbar eggs that I received from a local source. 1 was clear. The other three seemed to develop normally. I candled three times. Once to see that they were developing early on, a little less than a week later, and a third on day 18. Two of them hatched and are boys. That seems to be all I can hatch, and I can't have roosters where I live. The third is still in the incubator.

Have any of you had cream legbars take longer to hatch?

The other two are doing wonderfully.