Ameraucana Forum
The Official Ameraucana Forum => Housing, Health & Hatching => Topic started by: Russ Blair on January 06, 2016, 10:08:32 PM
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I have my first hatch coming off as I type. As of now I have 2 Wheaten Bantams and 2 more pipped. I was hoping for more but a lot of the eggs were 10 days or older. Not to mention it was in a little Hovabator. With our wood burner it seems to be hard to keep humidity up. So anybody else hatching already? Last weekend I treated all my breeders for internal and external parasites. Set up breeding pens and mating's, also turned lights on. I am hoping to disinfect the Dickey and get it up and running this weekend. Hopefully I will get some Large Fowl eggs to set in 2 weeks. I am excited to hopefully get some Large Fowl on the ground in time for Nationals.
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I'm a little behind you...I just set my pens this past week end and will turn on the lights tomorrow or Saturday...hoping for large fowl silver and buff with some Lavenders to set in a couple weeks...most will be pullet eggs..those silver for the most part have been slow to get started...anyone have any advice for special treatment for hatching from pullet eggs???...seems like I read a post from John where he said he hatches from pullets every year????
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...anyone have any advice for special treatment for hatching from pullet eggs???...seems like I read a post from John where he said he hatches from pullets every year????
Nothing special. I keep very few hens, so most of the eggs I set each year are from pullets.
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I have my second hatch chirping behind me, with round 3 in the incubator. W/bw & silver bantam & LF lavender, small in numbers, but I've learned the hard way to set all hatch-worthy eggs as soon as I get them, since they will quit laying without warning - and sure enough, they have. Hopefully I can get LF buff & blue pens set up this weekend. I was also able to obtain a couple of buff bantam cockerels, I'm told they were chicks ordered from John last year, no females so I have them over some wheaten & white pullets but no eggs yet. I've been pleased with my LF buff x black cross but Jerry swears white is the way to go, and these are his breeding, so anxious to see where this little project leads!
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Beth, it really depends what the recessive white is hiding. It might work well with white and might not, but what I don't like about using recessive white is that is another gene you have to get rid of in future generations. If you don't, you will end up getting whites out of your buff or wheaten matings, and you really don't want whites with the sex linked gold gene. It would contribute to brassiness. Whites need to be based on sex linked silver, and if they also carry the Bl (gene for blue) so much the better. In other breeds the sex linked barring gene is desirable too to create a "whiter white." But the barring gene does not work for Ameraucanas because it normally prevents dermal melanin. So you end up with light or white shanks and toes.
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Beth, it really depends what the recessive white is hiding. It might work well with white and might not, but what I don't like about using recessive white is that is another gene you have to get rid of in future generations. If you don't, you will end up getting whites out of your buff or wheaten matings, and you really don't want whites with the sex linked gold gene. It would contribute to brassiness. Whites need to be based on sex linked silver, and if they also carry the Bl (gene for blue) so much the better. In other breeds the sex linked barring gene is desirable too to create a "whiter white." But the barring gene does not work for Ameraucanas because it normally prevents dermal melanin. So you end up with light or white shanks and toes.
If she is only crossing bantam buff cockerels over white females the sex linked gold is passed to all the pullets. So, if she only uses those pullets to produce buffs she should be safe in that area.
All the possible hidden genes that may be hidden under the white can haunt you for years.
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Beth, it really depends what the recessive white is hiding. It might work well with white and might not, but what I don't like about using recessive white is that is another gene you have to get rid of in future generations. If you don't, you will end up getting whites out of your buff or wheaten matings, and you really don't want whites with the sex linked gold gene. It would contribute to brassiness. Whites need to be based on sex linked silver, and if they also carry the Bl (gene for blue) so much the better. In other breeds the sex linked barring gene is desirable too to create a "whiter white." But the barring gene does not work for Ameraucanas because it normally prevents dermal melanin. So you end up with light or white shanks and toes.
If she is only crossing bantam buff cockerels over white females the sex linked gold is passed to all the pullets. So, if she only uses those pullets to produce buffs she should be safe in that area.
All the possible hidden genes that may be hidden under the white can haunt you for years.
I probably read the post wrong. I somehow had the impression she wanted to make more whites.
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If she is only crossing bantam buff cockerels over white females the sex linked gold is passed to all the pullets. So, if she only uses those pullets to produce buffs she should be safe in that area.
All the possible hidden genes that may be hidden under the white can haunt you for years.
I probably read the post wrong. I somehow had the impression she wanted to make more whites.
She may. I don't know. I just wanted to go over the silver/gold thing again, since it could save a year or more of mistakes. I wish I knew about it back in 85 when I started working on bantam buffs.
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I'm known for starting a statement halfway through a thought. ;) Yes, I'm trying to produce buffs. I traded some LF buffs for a couple of buff bantam cockerels, but they didn't have any females so I am using white & wheaten pullets. Since the cross isn't to improve the buff, and there really isn't anything I'm trying to retain from the white or wheaten birds, I was planning to breed F1 females of each mating back to the other buff male. Not planning to keep any males from the cross.
If she is only crossing bantam buff cockerels over white females the sex linked gold is passed to all the pullets. So, if she only uses those pullets to produce buffs she should be safe in that area.
That's good to know. While we're on the subject, my buff x black project is entering it's 3rd year. Two years ago I bred a buff hen to a black cock (because I didn't keep enough buff males and lost every one of them that winter) and got a single F1 pullet (an odd calico color). However, she was prolific and I hatched quite a few F2s last year from her and a buff cock. Of the pullets, one was colored like the mother and one black & gold mixed, all of the others had nice buff color and are hard to distinguish from pure buffs, except for some dark streaks in their beaks. But ALL of the males were a very pale cream color, not pure white, but you had to look twice. Because of this, I only kept the females and will be breeding back to buff again this season. Just curious to hear your thoughts on how I got what I got, whether the F3s will produce normal colored males, and what surprises might be lurking down the road after I think they're breeding true.
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...Yes, I'm trying to produce buffs. I traded some LF buffs for a couple of buff bantam cockerels, but they didn't have any females.......
....I bred a buff hen to a black cock...But ALL of the males were a very pale cream color, not pure white, but you had to look twice. Because of this, I only kept the females and will be breeding back to buff again this season. Just curious to hear your thoughts on how I got what I got, whether the F3s will produce normal colored males, and what surprises might be lurking down the road after I think they're breeding true.
Yes I had heard the ratio of cockerels to pullets in that order of bantam buffs was high.
With your LF project I believe the black cock was carrying silver (S) and that caused the "calico" color in the pullets and "pale cream" in the cockerels. Using a pure buff male over the F2 pullets should get you back on track with pure gold (s+) as it should be with buffs.
A buff male over a black female should produce F1 pullets that look pretty much like the one below. I grew three of them and sold this one and one that was just about identical. I kept one that shows more buff on the head and hackle.
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Interesting. She resembles on of my F2s - or should I say, Walker's. He claimed the 2 other-than-buff F2 pullets and made pets of them - Maratoni and Tickles. Maratoni hatched solid black and developed the gold as she matured. Tickles has the calico pattern. I'll see if I can find some pictures of the F2s.
It wasn't just your bantams buffs - 2015 seemed to be the year of the (bantam) cockerel. I have 3 silver females and 9 males, whites were only slightly better. Fingers crossed for a pullet year!
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John that pulley looks almost like a black gold doesn't she. Oh my first hatch was pretty much a flop. I have 1 Wheaten chick I will keep. I had to cull 2 for feet issues, and 2 chicks pipped but got stuck. Which I blame humidity and eggs being older than a week. Today I am starting to give vitamin supplements in water and have gathered some more bantam eggs to set on Sunday.
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Well I have about 20 chicks in the brooder. The anticipation of a hatch never dulls. It is still exciting and amazing to me. I plan on setting more eggs in about a week. All I use is a Hovabator and, with a few tricks up my sleeve, generally have pretty good results. When winter seems long and dull and boring, the chicks peeping and chirping are a welcome ray of sunshine. Here's hoping we all have good hatches and healthy chicks!!
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Over the weekend I hatched 10 LF blacks, out of 11 eggs from one mating pair. However, I had to help out 3 of them which had zipped, but couldn't make it out on their own. I've never had much luck with those that needed help and I am pretty sure at least 1 is spraddle legged. Filled a larger incubator with LF wheaten eggs from 2 cockerels over 9 hens/pullets. The older of the 2 K's has been very enthusiastic about his duties but I am apprehensive about fertility. I'll know after I candle in a few more days. Thinking spring!
Duane
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I have hatched some LF EEs but none of my Bantam Ameraucana eggs have made it to pip. :(
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I use is a Hovabator ...
Me 2. I have one for incubating, the new all-electronic -- and the other for hatching -- my original one. With my all electronic GFQ turner, I no longer hand turn -- that was definitely beat -- we're good.
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I'm starting to some more blue eggs now. Couple each day. One is over 2oz already. Another is 1.9. Collecting them for EEs. Hope to be able to set up one Am and one Welsummer pen this weekend and give 'em 3wks to clean out. Won't know for sure until I can look the birds over but I think I'm only gonna breed 2 Am lines this year.
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I use is a Hovabator ...
Me 2. I have one for incubating, the new all-electronic -- and the other for hatching -- my original one. With my all electronic turner, I no longer hand turn, that was definitely beat, we're good.
I use a Havobator as well. Every year I'm tempted to buy a cabinet model, and this past summer I passed up a deal I'll probably regret, but the truth is, there is not a lot of demand locally for breeding/show stock, and shipping from this part of the state is risky, birds will be in transit much too long, so I end up with more birds than I can move as it is, why tempt myself to hatch more? ::)
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I understand all of those reasons Beth. Also for me, I really enjoy the smaller groups of chicks. Noticing details and contrasts in groups of 10-20 just seems easier for me than keeping track of individuals in large groups. I will hatch at least a small group every few weeks for a few months so I get to constantly look forward to Hatch Day. Production has not really picked up much here yet (thank you 'Arctic Blast') but once it does I'm ready!! ;)
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Also for me, I really enjoy the smaller groups of chicks. Noticing details and contrasts in groups of 10-20 just seems easier for me than keeping track of individuals in large groups.
We only do small groups too. We use silkies and bantam Cochins and a couple of bantam Ameraucanas. We bought a hovabator last year and set it up but could never get it to hold consistent temperature or humidity so we took it back. Our climate is so dry (11-20% humidity) it seems people here have the best luck with cabinet type incubators. We are not ready for that volume of chicks yet. If you give a broody hen a fertile egg it hatches. Our hatch rate is around 94% over the last 3years. And we don't need a separate brooder. It takes longer and the hatches are smaller but in the end it is less work.
We already have 2 broody hens ready so we hope to start setting in a week or 2.🐔🐔🐔
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A good broody is worth her weight in gold, that's for sure. Unfortunately I haven't had a decent one in a while. Walker keeps asking for silkies and I haven't warmed up to the idea, but their reputation for brooding does help his case.
When I first got into chickens I had a white EE I called Henzilla. I made all the newbie mistakes including but not limited to letting her set in a community coop (young, old, male, female), and letting them free range. She hatched 11 or 12 chicks and didn't loose a single one in spite of running loose in a barnyard with horses and goats. Lucky? Absolutely. But she also put quite a bit of effort into keeping them safe - I remember her grabbing one poor cockerel by the neck and repeatedly slamming him into the wall when he got too close. I swear even the hawks were afraid of that thing! I sold her before I realized the value of what I had, wish I had a bird like that now!
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A good broody is worth her weight in gold, that's for sure. Unfortunately I haven't had a decent one in a while...
Bantam buff Ameraucanas are an extra brood variety. I'm always hoping to breed it out of them.
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I am always fighting my Blue and Black LF. They seem to go broody in a blink of an eye. It always happens at the wrong time as well. John I am curious how you go about breeding it out of them? Just by selective breeding? My problem would be keeping track of chicks from hens that tend to go broody. I guess they would naturally breed themselves out by not producing eggs while they are broody. Funny how simple it sounds now lol.
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I am always fighting my Blue and Black LF. They seem to go broody in a blink of an eye. It always happens at the wrong time as well. John I am curious how you go about breeding it out of them? Just by selective breeding? My problem would be keeping track of chicks from hens that tend to go broody. I guess they would naturally breed themselves out by not producing eggs while they are broody. Funny how simple it sounds now lol.
Selection would be one way, but I haven't gotten around to that yet for broodiness. I did an outcross with silvers a while ago and am hoping that helps along with some other areas. I have two pullets from that project that are about 95% buff color.
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I do have some that go broody, but the kicker is, they're lousy at it. I've tried letting them hatch eggs, and they either abandon the nest halfway through or ignore the chicks when they hatch. Now the first time they fluff up at me they go on wire, which seems to discourage the broodiness, but sometimes they lay on the wire. And of course it's always the birds that have traits you really want to pass on, maybe the average ones know better than to press their luck? ;)
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I do have some that go broody, but the kicker is, they're lousy at it. I've tried letting them hatch eggs, and they either abandon the nest halfway through or ignore the chicks when they hatch. Now the first time they fluff up at me they go on wire, which seems to discourage the broodiness, but sometimes they lay on the wire. And of course it's always the birds that have traits you really want to pass on, maybe the average ones know better than to press their luck? ;)
I often let a couple buff bantams hatch a nest when I'm finished collecting eggs to incubate and they're always done fine. Sometimes the share a nest.
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I have a little cochin that I hope will be broody this spring. Love to watch them sit and do all the work for me! She could have all the eggs I can give her. that way my guest bedroom can be a guest bedroom - not a nursery full of chickie fluff all over the furniture
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My 1st setting of the year went into the setters this evening. I collected eggs for a couple weeks. I tossed about 70 of the most greenish eggs, since I only had room for 528 in the top row of my setters. I'll keep the best for myself from the 1st two hatches and sell the culls locally to help pay for feed and electricity.
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Well since I cant keep chickens like I use to have, where I currently live. So Im hatching for local people. But I couldnt resist, I obtain two eggs. One egg was from a Black pullet that got BB at the Tucson AZ Show and RB at the Safford AZ show. And one egg from a nice black hen and a Splash Cock that I use to own, that I got back (rescue) and now trying to find a forever home.
Im really hoping that they hatch, due to sentimental reasons lol.. So everyone cross your fingers on my two lonely eggs
Hatch date is 1-31-16 and 2-7-16 everyone wish me luck. If they hatch Im sending out to get them sexed via DNA testing haha. Landlord and my neighbors said I could keep young pullets until I move out this summer :)
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We set our first eggs last Wednesday. We gave a silkie hen 7 of our bantam brown red eggs. We were mostly checking fertility hoping at least half were good. We checked today and all 7 are fertile and developing well. Fingers crossed we will have 7 bantam brown reds in a couple weeks.🐔🐔🐔
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We set our first eggs last Wednesday. We gave a silkie hen 7 of our bantam brown red eggs. We were mostly checking fertility hoping at least half were good. We checked today and all 7 are fertile and developing well. Fingers crossed we will have 7 bantam brown reds in a couple weeks.🐔🐔🐔
That's great! My brown red bantam hen has not laid yet - but will.
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Second batch went into lockdown today. All bantam wheaten, I had some black and blue bantam eggs but none were fertile. 9 out of 11 of the wheaten made it to lockdown. I am glad they did I lost 1 pullet out of the trio. Not sure if she was egg bound or what? She was fine one day and down the next? Hasn't been real cold and they were kept in the garage. So I am looking forward to a great hatch in 3 days 😃😃
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First batch hatched last Sunday. 10 wheaten/blue wheaten, 12 blue, black, splash, and 11 F2 Ameraucana/Andalusian. I was disappointed that I only got two F2's that were blue. The rest were black and splash.
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First batch hatched last Sunday. 10 wheaten/blue wheaten, 12 blue, black, splash, and 11 F2 Ameraucana/Andalusian. I was disappointed that I only got two F2's that were blue. The rest were black and splash.
What did you use to get F2? Any single comb?
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F1's bred back to pure Ameraucana with a nice, tight 3 row pea comb. F1 combs are a little rough. They aren't straight comb or pea comb. Somewhere in between. I showed a few of them last year in a local poultry show and none were disqualified. One even won RV... lol!
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Another hatch on the way. 2 eggs are pure Ameraucanas the rest are EE. mini-cages are pedigree cages since the 2 brown egg chicks will look just like the Ameraucana but are mixed EE. Don't want to get them mixed up.
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I have about 50 chicks out, and set another 144 eggs earlier his week.
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I have about 50 chicks out, and set another 144 eggs earlier his week.
Mike, do you help out to hatch any chicks after most of them have hatched?
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I have about 50 chicks out, and set another 144 eggs earlier his week.
Mike, do you help out to hatch any chicks after most of them have hatched?
Do you mean help them out of the shell? Only if I know there has been an incubation problem, and even then they seldom live or do very well.
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Ended up with 8 more Bantam Wheaten 😃. Good news is Love is in the Air at the Blair Ranch. LF Blue puller pen produced 2 eggs, both bantam Blue pullet pens started last week, along with lavenders and blacks. Only pens not laying yet are LF Silver hen and pullet pens and the Blue Silver pen. Regardless I finally was able to set 42 more eggs yesterday. Hopefully some Bantam Blue, Lavender, Black and Silver and around 8 F1 LF Blue Silver out of my only Silver Cock from last year and 3 Best laced Blue Hens I kept from last year as well😃. Way everyone is finally starting to lay I may be firing the Dickey up whew who 😍😍😍 lol. Oh and Cesar I used to help chicks out when my flock was small. Like Mike mentioned most if not all ended up culled shortly after hatch. I don't help any out anymore, if they don't have the vigor to make it out they don't have the vigor I want in my line 😃
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I have about 50 chicks out, and set another 144 eggs earlier his week.
Mike, do you help out to hatch any chicks after most of them have hatched?
Do you mean help them out of the shell? Only if I know there has been an incubation problem, and even then they seldom live or do very well.
I meant after most hatched out and there are still eggs with no external pip. Do you candle and crack open to help them out?
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I only give them 1 day after the initial hatch. After 24 hrs they get discarded. I always have a couple early birds but the majority usually hatch around the same time. After the majority hatch that's when the 24hr count down starts. Now if they are pipped I may give them a little more time but any that are not are gone.
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While I agree with Russ about the 24 hour countdown, I start with the first chick. I give them 24 hours after him. I have helped out plenty and have never seen adverse effects, and after about week 2 when they are all about the same relative size.
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Today was the day...
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Ameraucana chicks take cuteness to a whole new level, hehe.
You guys are all so ahead of me. I'm just getting my breeding pens sorted out now, (well the ones I can shovel out anyway, heh) and won't be collecting eggs for at least another month. Sniff. :( lol
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won't be collecting eggs for at least another month. Sniff. :( lol
Same here, Lee. :'(