~*Third Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatch-Athon*~ all poultry welcome!

[HEChicken]

I figure it this way--- better to have clears and pull them early , then have them start and quit. I'm betting shipping causes many eggs to qut before they even start.

I shipped two boxes of eggs at the same time from the same pens to two diferent locations. One person had only a few develop, andthe other person had 23/26 develeop. Same eggs, same pens, same age on the eggs. ME thinks shipping is afoot here.

Or incubating styles…..

On my turkey eggs, I've had 100% hatch rate so far this year. I sold a dozen to a guy a mile from me who runs a still air styro bator. I checked in with him on hatch day (he and I set at the same time) and while mine were popping out left, right and center, he didn't have a single pip yet. I sold a second dozn to another gal with a styro bator (still air, I think, but don't quote me). They were doing great for the first 48 hours but then she went out for a few hours, came home to find the thermometer sitting at 106. I told her to leave them in awhile but two weeks later she says candling indicates they are not doing anything.

Since my eggs in my Rcom are hatching at 100% rate, and so far my two customers have 0% (shipping not a factor), I have to conclude that there is no issue with fertility but it is the incubation process itself that is failing - certainly something outside my control. Your two customers with the very different hatch rates might have incubation factors going on in addition to potential shipping concerns.

I agree on the early clears. I never pull before day 7 but I generally am happy to free up some space in the incubator so I can set more eggs…..

 

[HEChicken]

A few of my turkeys that hatched on Tuesday, along with their tutors. Tutors have done a great job and the turkeys are ready to graduate already (eating and drinking well) so the chicks are being reused as broody breakers LOL. Multi purpose chicks. The "orange" chicks are heritage NH's that are already under a mama hen. The black chicks (only one in this pic) will go down to the coop tonight. Some of the poults are Black Spanish, the rest are Bourbon Red/Royal Palm mixes.

 

[SilkieSensation]

A few of my turkeys that hatched on Tuesday, along with their tutors. Tutors have done a great job and the turkeys are ready to graduate already (eating and drinking well) so the chicks are being reused as broody breakers LOL. Multi purpose chicks. The "orange" chicks are heritage NH's that are already under a mama hen. The black chicks (only one in this pic) will go down to the coop tonight. Some of the poults are Black Spanish, the rest are Bourbon Red/Royal Palm mixes.

Will the BR/Palm make red palms???

 

[HEChicken]

Will the BR/Palm make red palms???

I have no idea

I had a trio of each breed but my RP tom sadly died right as breeding season was getting underway. I gathered all the RP eggs hoping some of them might have been fertilized by him since I had seen him active with them shortly before he died, but after his death, I turned the RP hens out with the BR trio and I guess the BR tom's breedings took precedence over those of the RP tom, since all the poults are mixed. At first I had wanted to keep the breeds pure but DH said if we're raising them for meat, what does it matter, and I'd rather hatch them than eat them. They are really cute and one advantage to the mixes is that each is a little different. Last year I raised 20+ RP's and even after weeks spending a lot of time with them, I couldn't tell one from another.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: You are totally correct. As Yinepu is the creme dela creme of hatching gurus,if anyone can get it to hatch, she can!!

I pulled a number of clears-- I usually get the leftovers after selling the eggs to others, so my eggs tend to be the older eggs. Figure at least with out the added stress of shippig they have a shot at developing here.

On another note-- I though a second muscovy hen was making a nest to sit. She was stuck to the nest at bed time which is unusual. ANd this morning the feathers are everywhere, like she has been busy plucking feathers. However she jumped out of the coop with all the others for her morning exercise. IDK-- maybe the eggs will have to stay in storage a few more days.

 

[HEChicken]

On another note-- I though a second muscovy hen was making a nest to sit. She was stuck to the nest at bed time which is unusual. ANd this morning the feathers are everywhere, like she has been busy plucking feathers. However she jumped out of the coop with all the others for her morning exercise. IDK-- maybe the eggs will have to stay in storage a few more days.

Maybe she was just taking her broody break. I've been greeted at the door by birds I thought were broody, only to find they actually are and they were just off their nest taking their break.

My RP hen is doing a fantastic job of sitting. She chose to brood in the hay wall I set up for my sheep and goats this winter. In the pic below, we had the sheep corralled to get sheared. She was getting upset at all the commotion so I pegged a feedbag up to hide her view so you can't actually see her in the photo - she is there behind that feedbag. Anyway, the hay walls are the width of a bale of hay, which is sandwiched between two cattle panels. The sheep can eat the hay through the holes in the panel but don't scatter it everywhere and make a mess this way. The RP hen thought this was a great place to brood so she made a nest, and I then put a little welded wire over the panels on either side so the sheep don't stick their noses into the nest and mess with her. She's been stuck to that nest for about 10 days and I gave her eggs that had been in the incubator 6 days so she only has a couple of weeks to go. I had been wondering how she eats and drinks from there and yesterday got to see it. From the nest (the wall started 3 bales high but was eaten down to about 1 bale high by now) she jumps up to sit on top of the cattle panel for a second. And from there she flies into the chicken yard. This is a pretty impressive feat due to the distance and she has to clear a couple of fences on her way. She landed nicely, ran a few steps to brake, then zipped around eating, drinking, pooping and getting a little grass. She wasn't off the nest more than 7-8 minutes before she started the job of getting back. Up to the top of one fence, jump down the other side, up to the top of the cattle panel (made that jump from the ground look easy), down onto the hay wall, then over to the nest, rearrange the eggs, sit down and……she's been so committed that I bet it was the only break she took all day.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
yup...

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
yeah.. but it's still sad to see those clears.. I would rather see little embryos in there!

 

[yinepu]

Quote: You are totally correct. As Yinepu is the creme dela creme of hatching gurus,if anyone can get it to hatch, she can!!

I pulled a number of clears-- I usually get the leftovers after selling the eggs to others, so my eggs tend to be the older eggs. Figure at least with out the added stress of shippig they have a shot at developing here.

On another note-- I though a second muscovy hen was making a nest to sit. She was stuck to the nest at bed time which is unusual. ANd this morning the feathers are everywhere, like she has been busy plucking feathers. However she jumped out of the coop with all the others for her morning exercise. IDK-- maybe the eggs will have to stay in storage a few more days.

I have french white muscovys hatching now .. out of 18 shipped eggs.. 2 arrived broken.. the other 16 are either hatched or finishing up...
I think just this week I have had around 40+ ducklings hatch... some shipped eggs just do better than others...


for turkeys... I've had 100% hatch rate this year too (our eggs, laid here).. but the broody turkey who had the hidden nest has 0.. so incubation methods do play a big part since I had taken some of her eggs before she decided to go hide a nest (fertility was pretty much the same since the tom was still doing his part)..

 

[Arielle]

Quote: You are totally correct. As Yinepu is the creme dela creme of hatching gurus,if anyone can get it to hatch, she can!!

I pulled a number of clears-- I usually get the leftovers after selling the eggs to others, so my eggs tend to be the older eggs. Figure at least with out the added stress of shippig they have a shot at developing here.

On another note-- I though a second muscovy hen was making a nest to sit. She was stuck to the nest at bed time which is unusual. ANd this morning the feathers are everywhere, like she has been busy plucking feathers. However she jumped out of the coop with all the others for her morning exercise. IDK-- maybe the eggs will have to stay in storage a few more days.

I have french white muscovys hatching now .. out of 18 shipped eggs.. 2 arrived broken.. the other 16 are either hatched or finishing up...
I think just this week I have had around 40+ ducklings hatch... some shipped eggs just do better than others...


for turkeys... I've had 100% hatch rate this year too (our eggs, laid here).. but the broody turkey who had the hidden nest has 0.. so incubation methods do play a big part since I had taken some of her eggs before she decided to go hide a nest (fertility was pretty much the same since the tom was still doing his part)..
So many factors beyond fertility . . .

You'll have to keep me updated on the growth rate of those white muscovys . . . I have only had duck a few times in my life and boy, I love the flavor and texture. Better than turkey.