The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[Tonyroo]

I've done three batches with the Hovabator from my Gold Duckwing project,Silver Leghorns,and Lavender Creles... nothing.I'm using the thermostat it came with and a backup digital thermo/hydrometer that @ChicKat sent me.
Plenty of clears,some stopped developing,dead in the shell,and some pip,but never hatch. I'm going to do a few eggtopsies tomorrow and see how they look inside.
The Silkies on the other hand, 90% hatch rate,same Hovabator.
I don't know what's up.

Are your birds young or old? I would think the condition of the egg relates to the health level of the hen that laid it. Or maybe the roosters fertility is in question. Just a thought.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I've done three batches with the Hovabator from my Gold Duckwing project,Silver Leghorns,and Lavender Creles... nothing.I'm using the thermostat it came with and a backup digital thermo/hydrometer that @ChicKat sent me.
Plenty of clears,some stopped developing,dead in the shell,and some pip,but never hatch. I'm going to do a few eggtopsies tomorrow and see how they look inside.
The Silkies on the other hand, 90% hatch rate,same Hovabator.
I don't know what's up.

N could it be the heat if you're not collecting right away? I left some eggs in hopes of my Japanese bantam going broody, and it's been hot enough that I got development with no sitting. Granted I think it turned to a bloodring, but still

 

[Amer]

White most common by far

Not so common
Black
Blue
Cuckoo
Silver Duckwing

Rare
Mottled
Gold Duckwing
Buff

Surprising. Here gold duckwing (light brown) is the second most common.
https://www.breedersacademy.com/ep53-the-ultimate-breeders-roundtable/

 

[Painted Calls]

Also laying question for both @Overo Mare and @The Moonshiner:

When Do your bantam Cochin start laying and when do your not white leghorns start laying?

I had a banty Cochin lay an egg today that I wasn't expecting for another 3 weeks or so and I'm having a mystery bird lay an egg on my polish cage every day, but I'm fairly confident my April hatched leghorns aren't the ones doing it

Soonest I've had one lay is 6 months. Average is 7-10 months for me.

I would imagine hatchery birds lay much sooner though.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

Are your birds young or old? I would think the condition of the egg relates to the health level of the hen that laid it. Or maybe the roosters fertility is in question. Just a thought.

They are about a year old.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

I can only compare like this with breeding parrots.. usually when you have this situation,and diet,age,and conditions are proper,you take them to.perform an endoscopy on both parents.This will let you know the condition of the sexual organs of both. But I mean, it's expensive and we're not dealing with parrots here.
IDK.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I had a broody pheonix hatch eggs today and another sitting, does that count?

Now that we're hearing about them it counts.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Also laying question for both @Overo Mare and @The Moonshiner:

When Do your bantam Cochin start laying and when do your not white leghorns start laying?

I had a banty Cochin lay an egg today that I wasn't expecting for another 3 weeks or so and I'm having a mystery bird lay an egg on my polish cage every day, but I'm fairly confident my April hatched leghorns aren't the ones doing it

5 months or a little after usually.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Now that we're hearing about them it counts.

Yay.

If you ever want reliable broodies that are good to freerange/Don't need a seeing eye human, get some. Even the hatchery ones do decent brooding, the only problem is if they can, they'll disappear and then come back a month later with chicks

 

[JacinLarkwell]

5 months or a little after usually.

Wow, so mine are actually probably close then.

Soonest I've had one lay is 6 months. Average is 7-10 months for me.

I would imagine hatchery birds lay much sooner though.

This bird is about 21.5 weeks old, give or take a few days. But I know it wasn't my Japanese cause it was a light brown egg compared to stark white. But she is a hatchery bird too