We ordered a dozen Blue Coppers/Blues from Bev Davis. On Friday, 9 hatched, 1 died right after, but we have 8 healthy little chickies running around. I think 5 or 6 are blue, 2 or 3 are black. The one that died was a splash :( Very nice chicks though and great fertility! It was worth the wait and the cost for sure!!! I think I may have a new favorite chick. I do like those Blue Cochins though. am a blue fan in general!
Our New Marans Chicks are here!
Congrats! I have been reading about her marans. I am sure they are beautiful!
They are REALLY nice. I must say though, I have some wheatons in the incubator right now that are HUGE. I am hoping that I get some nice chicks from them. Bev's eggs are more on the medium size, but all perfect. These new ones are like a larger extra large and have very few pores. They are the biggest eggs I have put in the incubator yet. I am just going to have to make sure I keep the humidity on the low side, because I can tell the shells are very thick. Think happy thoughts that some hatch out! They were just put in on Friday.
great news Kris!
now tell me aobut humidity and shell thickness... please. my own stock have VERY thick shells, and i have had some hatching humidity problems...
I guess I just feel if they have really, really thick shells with little to no pours visible, I try to keep the humidity a little lower in the incubator, like 35-40% instead of 45-50%. It may be just me, but it seems to work better. Otherwise, I have had a few drowned at hatching over the years.
These last ones had very nice shells, that were medium Marans thickness, but thicker than an average shell. I kept the humidity at 40-45% for the first 18 days, 55-60% the last 3 and I had no sticky chicks, and the chicks hatched like clock work. I didn't help any and they all hatched within 7 hours. I did lose 2 chicks in shell. 1 was too big and didn't have an air cell, 1 never pipped for some reason. But, all in all, I still think it was an exceptional hatch.
I know a lot of things I have read says keep the humidity up around 65-70% at hatching, but that never seems to work for me. I get better hatches with a lower humidity rate.
Hmmmmmmmmm nice to know.
GG
good, thank you. My buckeyes have VERY thinck shells, and most have drowned when hatching, some never pipped.
this time i will be separating into three hatchers... one for OEG, one for Buckeyes, and one for the others which seem to have normal shells... so now i also know to keep humidity lower for the Buckeyes.
thank you so much, Kris, i am so glad you are here at Dave's!