Incubation set of Feb 15 2015, buff orpington and cochin, large fowl

Yes, so a short (ya sure) post about my intention with incubation, set Sunday last at 3 pm. Been collecting eggs for a bit. Set both cochin, in blue rooster over black and blue hens, and the buff orpingtons. A whole lotta eggs, nigh to a full sportsman incubator, three racks nearly filled. One hundred and sixty of them. Been many a moon since I have actually set the incubator full. Probably about 6 years anyways, always done partial sets, usually only one rack, about 60 eggs, maybe a rack and a half. Anyways. Going to have some interesting stuff happening and this is a very important hatch to me. Because I am following every rule of hatching to what I hope will be perfection. The incubator actually does that all on its own, all I have to do is add water to the bucket that sits on top of the incubator to drain into the humidity pan with float valve to regulate humidity. Hopefully working by all the rules that I know and am aware of. Ties into some stuff I have been doing with my buff orpingtons, in particular too.
So, cochins have been bang on with 100% fertility with the egg checks. Good. No problem with this fellow. Compared to a black fellow I had used last year that just did not cut it. Probably my error. He may have been too fluffy bottomed. The blue rooster I am using this year is a two year old fellow, which was a choice of three males that I had kept on, worthy of breeding, from a 2013 hatch. Good fellow. Ran with 7 barred Plymouth rock gals all last spring and summer, to take the black fellow’s place this fall. He is doing a wonderful job, giving good stuff to his offspring, beauty, temperament, health, all those good things that come with the aged. Smiling that big smile....
Yes. So probably the only hatch of the cochin breed that I will be doing for several months. Human incubation I mean. Surely there will be many a broody mamma, who will take on mothering duties. This is my year for choosing breeders for next year. As my gals are aging. With four of them that are 3 and over, the eldest being 6 (there are three old gals) this past January. Lovely gals. Tried and true, to live out their most useful lives on our property, til age doth they part.

Now the buffs, another story. Last year I had hatched out a good many youngsters, some females I kept on. Males not kept went into our freezer, weighing in about 4.5 to 5 pounds, after processing. Nice rooster weights for meals for surely. I only kept two females from the 2014 season, which I thought would be a wonderful addition to my breeding group this year. I have 10 hens. The fertility rate in the 2014 season was not great, a good many eggs wasted, but some. Understanding of why there was a lack of fertility came down to fluff. Yes. Fluff on the male and females too probably. This year I have no intention of wasting so much time and infertile eggs on things that I could prevent. A young rooster kept on from the 2014 breeding season is the breeder fellow for this year. He is quite nice, of course, always, requiring improvement, but pretty good. His tailset could be a little less high, but he has other good things going for him, smiling. We have battles, and we need to pick the battles. I will work on stuff for next year.

I have a lovely gal that is coming up two years old. She is of a totally different line from my flock, an American gal. She is sweet. Everything about her is sweet. And I am glad that she has lived so happily and in such good health that she will make a wonderful addition to my flock for next year. I am not selling any of her progeny this year. All progeny of this particular gal will go into the breeder choices for year 2016. And hopefully, there should be some good subjects. Many will not make that cut. If there is an outstanding rooster or two, and some hens, even better, I am so hoping. I am being very careful with selection and incubation of her eggs. She lays a slightly different egg from my other line of buffs. Probably because she is a different line. Her eggs are easily differentiated, so I can gather lots of her eggs to use and know which is hers. Good. Some of her eggs have gone into this incubation. The eggs that I gather in the forthcoming 3 weeks will be in a separate incubation from any others. Need lots of chicks to choose from her work.

Yes, so with the buff orpingtons, single matings and ventral feather plucking has been big on my agenda. The feed is good, fed well birds and excellent health is very apparent, very important for those little ones that are formed within the female body. The rooster (yes, he has achieved that status, as he is just over one year old now), was the first for that experience. Careful examination of the ventral area showed me how much feather removal should be in place. The touching of the male and female cloaca, with no feathers being pushed into the way seemed important. Lots of little fluffy feathers that I clearly see could get in the way. Removed. To me, this seemed like a totally painless exercise. Nary a flinch nor even any indication that it was bothersome. Other than sitting on my lap, with me gawking at their private parts, smiling that big smile. Seems that they rather enjoyed the gentle movement of feathers, must have felt like grooming, who knows, but they were very relaxed. One barred Plymouth rock did not like me doing that to one of her fellow friends, and was quite annoyed. She displayed that by coming and looking and I thought she might want to peck me, smiling. But she went away, when she saw no harm was being done. Protective. Interesting. Yes, I have three barred rocks running in that group. They are my tried and true, ugly hens, but lay a most wonderful egg, nigh to every day, each of them, and their eggs are very different than the buff Orpington, so no possibility of mistaken identify with hatching out eggs. Oh as an aside, the rooster really likes them, but that is what it is.

So, off to the chick grow out pen he goes. He was with 11 young buffs and did not mind one little bit. He seemed rather amused by them actually, smiling again. Then began the process of taking each buff female and examining her vental feathers. Yes. For sure. Need some clearing of fluffy feathers around those areas, on all females done so far. Off to visit the rooster, who was very, very pleased to see a hen. Two days with him and then removed, a new, freshly plucked girl brought in. Don’t ask me how, but being without a girlfriend for about an hour really got him going. When he saw me carrying in a new hen in my arms, I could see and feel his excitement. Down to the ground she would go, and in an instant, the rooster dance and the act performed. This has taken place now about 6 times. There are four more gals to go, but clearly, he has been taking care of the needs for mating with them. Visual signs of course, but regardless, each gal is going for a visit. These particular gals will spend only a day with him, as I know they have been already covered, but need that assurance.

The American hen has spent 6 days with him. I needed to get as many eggs from her as I could. Eggs that I know for sure she laid (as there could be a possibility that I may make a mistake on whose egg is whose for that future incubation, not likely, but possible). The rooster will go back into the buff Orpington coop in a few more days. And he will be again, even more happier, with nice selection of girls to play with.

So I guess time will be the teller of that tale. I began the feather plucking on the first of February, those eggs have been marked and in a week I will be candling the eggs in the incubator. It will be interesting to see if all those eggs gathered are fertile. If not, then we are back to square one. The single mating, if things go as planned, should provide 100% fertility. Hoping so.

These are the results of eggs in the incubator, just for fun and interest. Have a most awesome day, CynthiaM.

Cochin eggs 45
American line of the only one buff Orpington hen eggs 5
Eggs collected after ventral plucking of my line of buff Orpington (Ontario origin, Homer and Edgeview Farm line hens and the rooster79
Eggs collected before ventral plucking of my line (Ontario origin, Homer and Edgeview Farm line) buff Orpington hens and rooster 38

Total number of eggs in the incubator, set February 15, 2015 – 167

We know to never count our chickens before they hatch, but certainly hoping for a 50% hatch rate, more would be better, but expectations are not there for higher than that, at this point in time

Today is candling day. I will post results

Should do a little update I suppose to the thread. I typed that thread awhile ago, but never got it finished. I did get all the ventral plucking done on all 10 hens, rooster too, as I said. Each gal was with him for at least 2 days, some 3 days, but all had a nice visit. Yesterday, took the last girl out, and he was sad, smiling that big smile. But...wait mister mister, your turn to leave now. He did not really know what to do when the door to the yard was opened, I had to encourage him to go out. He looked around, crowed a bit, stood there, just not sure, he wanted back in his yard. Until...wait....what do I see? Over yonder, girls, lots of girls out on the driveway, all over the place, oh heaven! Off he goes, strutting all the way, he knows what lies out there. Girls, girls, and girls, oh so many girls. All the hens had completed their laying job for the day, if they were laying that day and so were just hangin' around. Mister found them, and oh the dancing. Which one do I choose, which one do I choose. Clearly, there were a couple that were very happy to see him and they squatted for him. He was one happy fellow. He spent the afternoon guiding the girls around, checking out his old home, dancing, watching, showing tidbits of nothings on the ground, crowing, sounds of sheer bliss. Two young males are running with the gals, they are 20 weeks old now and not interested yet in mating. They thought he was nuts and stayed clear. These two boys will be leaving soon to go and live in the chick grow out pen, as I do not want any of their business happening with any of the girls. And the rooster just does not need to have this worry about chasing other males away. The girls are all covered. The fertility SHOULD be 100%, and I still know that would be in a perfect world. But time will tell that tale. I will make another addition to this thread to report the findings of fertility and embryo liveability soon. Have a most wonderful day, CynthiaM

Cindi were you able to identify Buffy's eggs and how many were you able to collect from her?
Heather

Heather, I was only able to gather 5 eggs from Miss Buffy. She was with the rooster for 6 days. I needed to get the entire flock with those visits, and that took time.....Miss Buffy lays a somewhat different egg than all the other buff orpington hens. I find my line of buffs (and I wonder if this pertains to the Orpington breed period), lay eggs that are quite pointed. Moot. Anyways, I will set up a few dozen eggs of the orpingtons that I have collected since the setting of eggs in the incubator. In those 4 dozen eggs, there will be Miss Buffys' eggs. They look different and I have come to recognize her particular eggs. I think it is because of the different genetics of a 100% different line, unrelated to mine. Her eggs are bordering white, are not smooth, more of a non-smooth, rough texture with very slight amount of calcium buildup on the outside. Not enough buildup to be worried about, but one can feel that texture. I will get some pictures later today to show you what I mean. Now, not to say that her eggs may change, but for now. 100% I know which eggs are hers, and this is corroborated by gathering her eggs, the past few days, as they have been laid when she went back to the flock. Interesting stuff that a hen could lay such a different egg than the others in the breeder group. I consider this a very strong bonus. I am wondering too, if she will always lay that "different" looking and feeling egg. Who knows. Pictures will come of the eggs from the gal....have a beautiful day, CynthiaM

Good morning Cindi
It has been my experience with my flock from some hens I can always tell which eggs are theirs. While others are all very much alike especially full sisters. Don't know the how's or why's, just as long as they are laying eggs.
Actually 5 eggs out of 6 days is excellent for Miss Buffy as Orps can be not great layers at times. Hoping for great fertility overall for your flock.
Heather

Totally agree with you there Heather. I have a 6 year old blue cochin gal that has since the day she started laying, lay a very dark brown egg, bordering almost like a Marans shade. I always know her eggs, and they are kind of shiney, she is a star, smiling. Yes, she is laying her little face off. Hope for some wonderous birds to choose for next year's breeding from her stuff. Have an awesome night, CynthiaM

CynthiaM wrote:Heather, I was only able to gather 5 eggs from Miss Buffy.  She was with the rooster for 6 days.  I needed to get the entire flock with those visits, and that took time.....Miss Buffy lays a somewhat different egg than all the other buff orpington hens.  I find my line of buffs (and I wonder if this pertains to the Orpington breed period), lay eggs that are quite pointed.  Moot.  Anyways, I will set up a few dozen eggs of the orpingtons that I have collected since the setting of eggs in the incubator.  In those 4 dozen eggs, there will be Miss Buffys' eggs.  They look different and I have come to recognize her particular eggs.  I think it is because of the different genetics of a 100% different line, unrelated to mine.  Her eggs are bordering white, are not smooth, more of a non-smooth, rough texture with very slight amount of calcium buildup on the outside. Not enough buildup to be worried about, but one can feel that texture.  I will get some pictures later today to show you what I mean.  Now, not to say that her eggs may change, but for now.  100% I know which eggs are hers, and this is corroborated by gathering her eggs, the past few days, as they have been laid when she went back to the flock.  Interesting stuff that a hen could lay such a different egg than the others in the breeder group.  I consider this a very strong bonus.  I am wondering too, if she will always lay that "different" looking and feeling egg.  Who knows.  Pictures will come of the eggs from the gal....have a beautiful day, CynthiaM

CynthiaM wrote:Totally agree with you there Heather.  I have a 6 year old blue cochin gal that has since the day she started laying, lay a very dark brown egg, bordering almost like a Marans shade.  I always know her eggs, and they are kind of shiney, she is a star, smiling.  Yes, she is laying her little face off.  Hope for some wonderous birds to choose for next year's breeding from her stuff.  Have an awesome night, CynthiaM

2 Weeks in, when do you like to put them into lock down? If you have time I would like to see the difference in the egg color you talk about.

bcboy, I will be setting into lockdown on day 17 and then will not open the incubator until day 22, at which time all the babies will go into the brooder at the same time. This has been another dismal hatch, and there is only 25 eggs going to lockdown. I feel sick about this and when I get the pictures of the American line eggs for you (only 2 of the 5 showed fertile upon first candling), I will have another long post to add to this to what I think has happened. Sigh....never give up, never give up....a whole lotta dog food being cooked up today, after I examine about 140 eggs, smiling that big smile....so much loss, but at least yummy treats for pooches. Have a most wonderful day, CynthiaM

Well, guess all is pretty much moot by now. I went to the incubator on Wednesday to check it out. No power to the unit. There was power to it on Monday. My Son-in-Law told me that he had to dig up an area to get to the septic tank to ready for pumping, oh that mountain of snow melting does play havoc on things. He hit some electrical and it put out parts of the electricity to a couple of areas, which he has not fixed yet. The incubator outlet was one. Blah. Que sera sera, what will be will be. Perhaps this was just not meant to be. So, from Monday around noon to Wednesday morning, about 9:00, no power to the incubator. Blah. Might have some chicks hatch, but wonder if they might have some deformity, as I am sure some crucial development occurs during that time. As said. Never count your chickens before they hatch.

It’s OK, never give up. I have about 70 eggs in the Marsh rollex. I will do smaller batches so I can check more frequently on fertility and embryo development. I am due to candle them in 3 days. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

Cindi
So sorry to hear you lost your eggs but it is wonderful you have a few in back up. No point fretting over it as it will change nothing. Good luck with the remaining eggs
Heather

Oh no. Sorry about your eggs. I hope things work out better next time.

Tomorrow is supposed to be hatch day.  I suspect that the hatch will be delayed for a day or so, but still ready, just in case.  I honestly do suspect though, if any of the chick hatch, that it might be a very difficult day, as I still wonder what crucial development might take place that might be inhibited.  Or no.  Only time will tell the tale.  Everyone knows that I do not have a problem with not keeping any chicks that are not perfect.  Just that tough love, smiling.

As another note though.  Miss Buffy's 5 eggs were in that incubation set. (I have since collected 8 more, which are in the Marsh and I will be keeping ALL of her eggs and setting ALL of her eggs, going to be a very intense procedure, but going there for surely).  Of those 5 eggs of hers that went into the Feb 15 incubation, only 2 were fertile.  Which, to me is another learning curve.  She was with mister for about a week and 5 eggs in 6 days.  I now have a good suspicion that it does take a couple of days for the egg to become fertile, once the rooster is in with the hen, probably read somewhere about it, but to have this information first hand, as I learn best this way, was a boon and a good learning curve for me.  Yes so on day 5 with the rooster, that was when the eggs became fertile....hence only 2 eggs showed the bullseye mark.  Just a little information for those that like to read.  All is well.  Yes, I have backup eggs, which were set on Wednesday, last, evening, and yes, there will be more eggs set.  I need to figure out why such a dismal incubation though.  150 eggs sure was a lot to chuck (only about 25 showed the bullseye).  Well, didn't chuck, I cooked a big bucket of scrambled eggs for the big dogs, smiling....have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

The remaining eggs were a bust. Clearly there was embryo development issues and none of the eggs hatched. Two days without the incubator on did them in. Oh well, never give up. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

Sorry to hear that. That's right, don't give up.