Hatching Eggs from our Rhode Island Reds

[NWayne]

I'm looking to get into hatching eggs as a means of potentially maintaining our flock, and possibly providing chicks for other friends interested in raising their own chickens. I'm looking for any knowledge anyone has to share on the matter!

We have Rhode Island Reds from the hatchery in the area, 21 being hens and 1 rooster at this point. I'm trying to figure out what I'll get if I incubate the eggs from the Rhode Island Reds, whether the breed is fairly consistent or if I'll weaken the flock by breeding these, and if so is there a breed that I can invest in that will be better for a more stable flock?

I also am looking at about a $100 incubator on Amazon so far to try to incubate with, I'll include the link below as I'd love to hear people's input on equipment, if there's a better incubator for beginners I'd like to find it.

If anyone has any other helpful input on hatching chicks I would appreciate hearing it, thank you all in advance!



https://www.amazon.com/KEBONNIXS-In...b-4427-8b3a-ef39c9559f9f&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I used hatchery quality Barnevelder and red sex links with some breeder quality Marans and Cream Legbars to help build my flock of olive eggers with stellar results. Mind you my goals were healthy, sustainable birds that laid lots of eggs with pretty colors. I am not looking to show my birds or sell anything other than utility layers.

There is nothing wrong with hatchery birds as long as they meet your goals, are healthy, well tempered, and generally good conformation (not cross beaks, split wings, etc.)

Hatchery birds are not necessarily closely related birds, so you get a pretty good diverse genetic pool...unlike some very coveted rare breeds that have suffered from a lot of inbreeding (ie my disastrous Isbar results).

My only hesitation with hatchery RIRs is they are not very standard RIR but are more production red birds bred for high laying and often have a very obnoxious temperament. If you have been spared the rancorous temperaments of hatchery reds with your birds, you absolutely can start a sustainable utility flock with them.

If your plans are to start standard, show quality, or top quality RIRs, I would restart my efforts with actual breeder quality RIRs.

Line breeding (taking one rooster and breeding all hens, daughters, granddaughters, great-grandaughters) can work really well for (shuffling through memory of research) about 4 to 5 generations. Some lines are a lot longer. As long as you start with a good genetic pool, you can get a type pretty quickly and keep it with line breeding. You can also break a line really quickly with using substandard stock.

Once you set your line, then at about generation 4 you take the best daughter and breed a new line to a generation 3 or 5 son. ALWAYS only breed your best animals. I have had more than one breeder tell me, unless it is something very simple like parasites, if they get sick, don't treat them as you don't want to breed that immune weakness forward. Simply cull the bird.

You can refreshen your lines periodically by bringing in a new rooster or hen to freshen the genes.

So if your goal is simply sustainable, healthy, utility layers of production red type, you can start with good quality hatchery reds. If you want to breed standard RIRs, then go to a breeder....or better...look at New Hampshires or Buckeyes if you want stellar dual purpose birds who really need support in more breeders to keep the breeds in tact.

LofMc

 

[NatJ]

We have Rhode Island Reds from the hatchery in the area, 21 being hens and 1 rooster at this point. I'm trying to figure out what I'll get if I incubate the eggs from the Rhode Island Reds, whether the breed is fairly consistent or if I'll weaken the flock by breeding these, and if so is there a breed that I can invest in that will be better for a more stable flock?

Yes, the breed is fairly consistent. You should get chicks that grow up to be a lot like their parents.

No, you will probably not weaken the flock by breeding the birds you have to each other. No, I do not think there is any other breed that will be better in that respect.

In general, inbreeding chickens causes trouble if you do it for too many generations. That would be true for any breed. The easy solution is to bring in new genetics every now and then-- maybe buy a new cockerel from the hatchery every third or fourth year. Chickens from a hatchery, of a popular breed, are probably not too inbred when you buy them (because the hatchery keeps a great big flock). Chickens of a rare breed, or from a specific breeder, have a higher chance of being inbred.

There are a few genes in chickens that can cause chicks to be unhealthy or die before hatching. Rhode Island Reds are not supposed to have any of those genes, and hatcheries try very hard to cull any chickens that carry genes with those effects. Since they are in the business of selling chicks, they want healthy chicks!