Trouble with hatching specific breeds (chickens)

[friednotscrambled]

I have a brinsea incubator which has functioned perfectly for several 'hatches'. I have had chukar, duck, and chicken eggs mailed to me - all took about 5-6 days in transit.

First was 75 chukar, which I got 60% hatch rate, then 12 duck eggs, also 60% hatch rate... Then 3 different 'batches' of deathlayer eggs, totalling 39 from 2 different breeders over 3 different shipments (NPIP certified) with only 25% hatch rate. Most of the deathlayer eggs simply did not develop at all. The first batch was 15 eggs, 5 hatched. Second batch was 10 eggs, 3 hatched (these were given to me as free because the first group had such a low hatch rate). The last shipment (just hatched) 14 eggs and 2 hatched.

Is this a breed thing? I don't understand why the percentage could be so low as compared to the chukar and the ducks.... I always heard ducks were the most difficult and yet they did equally as well as the chukar.

All I want is a rooster, so really hoping one of the two that just hatched is a cockerel.

 

[Pyxis]

Yes, this is a bit of a known issue in the breed in the US. There is a bottleneck in the gene pool, due to the small amount of birds imported. People have reported issues with infertility, which you're seeing, along with high mortality in the shell before hatching.

 

[friednotscrambled]

Thank you. I wondered if that might be the case. Not enough of a gene pool in the states.

The eggs that just hatched were from a breeder that claims to have culled her flock so that they are more robust/healthy birds and a 'higher' hatch rate (whatever that means? LOL) .. alas, the eggs I got from her had the lowest hatch rate of the three groups ....

given that the two cockerels from last summer did not survive to adulthood, I wonder if their problem was also genetic in nature.

 

[Kiki]

I have a brinsea incubator which has functioned perfectly for several 'hatches'. I have had chukar, duck, and chicken eggs mailed to me - all took about 5-6 days in transit.

First was 75 chukar, which I got 60% hatch rate, then 12 duck eggs, also 60% hatch rate... Then 3 different 'batches' of deathlayer eggs, totalling 39 from 2 different breeders over 3 different shipments (NPIP certified) with only 25% hatch rate. Most of the deathlayer eggs simply did not develop at all. The first batch was 15 eggs, 5 hatched. Second batch was 10 eggs, 3 hatched (these were given to me as free because the first group had such a low hatch rate). The last shipment (just hatched) 14 eggs and 2 hatched.

Is this a breed thing? I don't understand why the percentage could be so low as compared to the chukar and the ducks.... I always heard ducks were the most difficult and yet they did equally as well as the chukar.

All I want is a rooster, so really hoping one of the two that just hatched is a cockerel.

Which two breeders did you buy from?

 

[friednotscrambled]

Which two breeders did you buy from?

I will be darned if I can remember where I got the first two - somewhere in NC or SC? (not greefire) - second from Country Haven Farm in OH. I told them of the hatching issues, so they are aware, at least of that. I would recommend people buy live chicks, if they REALLY want to save themselves some money. I'd be far ahead, if I had done that (financially).. Hatching is fun - when it works!

If the issue is in breed genetics I imagine it will take a few years to sort things out.

 

[Pyxis]

I will be darned if I can remember where I got the first two - somewhere in NC or SC? (not greefire) - second from Country Haven Farm in OH. I told them of the hatching issues, so they are aware, at least of that. I would recommend people buy live chicks, if they REALLY want to save themselves some money. I'd be far ahead, if I had done that (financially).. Hatching is fun - when it works!

If the issue is in breed genetics I imagine it will take a few years to sort things out.

GFF just imported the Gold version too. If you can get ahold of those, they might be better. But being a new import, they are of course pricey at the moment.

 

[bobhoke]

I have a brinsea incubator which has functioned perfectly for several 'hatches'. I have had chukar, duck, and chicken eggs mailed to me - all took about 5-6 days in transit.

First was 75 chukar, which I got 60% hatch rate, then 12 duck eggs, also 60% hatch rate... Then 3 different 'batches' of deathlayer eggs, totalling 39 from 2 different breeders over 3 different shipments (NPIP certified) with only 25% hatch rate. Most of the deathlayer eggs simply did not develop at all. The first batch was 15 eggs, 5 hatched. Second batch was 10 eggs, 3 hatched (these were given to me as free because the first group had such a low hatch rate). The last shipment (just hatched) 14 eggs and 2 hatched.

Is this a breed thing? I don't understand why the percentage could be so low as compared to the chukar and the ducks.... I always heard ducks were the most difficult and yet they did equally as well as the chukar.

All I want is a rooster, so really hoping one of the two that just hatched is a cockerel.

The problem is BS breeders. All incubators suck too. There’s nothing better than a hen.

 

[friednotscrambled]

GFF just imported the Gold version too. If you can get ahold of those, they might be better. But being a new import, they are of course pricey at the moment.

Thanks! I have seen them and they are certainly beautiful birds.

 

[friednotscrambled]

The problem is BS breeders. All incubators suck too. There’s nothing better than a hen.

Hi Bob,

I am sure there are bad breeders and good breeders and that there is nothing better than a hen - don't have a broody hen at the moment, although it is pretty tempting to get one!