quick end of season tally

As I come down to my final couple of hatches for the year did a quick review of my hatches. I was at a 70 percent hatch rate for all eggs set. When I take out the infertiles I get closer to 80 percent. Generally happy with all the chickens performance. My worst performer was my Whams. My best was my dark Cornish. Ducks weren't as successful, in part because I did a set in an old incubator. But even in the brinsea I had one unsuccessful hatch that brought my numbers down. Overall ducks were at about 40 percent. Turkeys were a little better, slightly over 50 percent. I will be curious to see how the turkeys do with my own eggs versus shipped eggs. My geese, were 6 for 9, the easiest of all to count. Anybody else doing a year end review.

I have a few notoriously infertile breeds so I rarely keep track of that. I have a nice incubator so my hatch rate after the infertiles are removed hatch is close to 95%. This year I am particularly pleased with the Houdans. It is amazing what a little selection will do to strengthen a breed. Last year we had dead in shell, splay leg, long bone disease, and Mareks take about 90% of the Houdans. This year I have lost less than 5%! I am so pleased that it took so little time to make the breed healthier. Now to work on the SOP traits!