Chickens for bug control and food recycling.

Candled tonight ...

...it's not good news. 10 of the eggs were not fertilized...why is a mystery, as this is not an old flock, nor an old rooster. 8 of the eggs showed some development, some more than others, but only about 4 of them showed correct development...that's out of 19 eggs set. There was yolk on the shells, so one of the eggs had been broken and consumed.

That's about standard out of the hatches I've had this year....many eggs set, only about 4-5 chicks hatched successfully. Mostly the BA/WR cross chicks, one WR chick each out of two separate hatches, none of the EE eggs have hatched successfully.

Most of the infertile eggs have been the largest eggs I get, which are those I desire most to be hatched. What in the world is going on with my WR flock this year??? Definitely not the rooster, as he's fertilizing the BAs just fine...but why aren't some of my WR hens getting bred? Too fluffy of butts? I know that's been a problem for other standard WR breeders and they always pluck around the vents, but I somehow feel that's not a good thing...if they have that trait that keeps them from reproducing, why reproduce that trait?

Beekissed said:

Candled tonight ...

...it's not good news. 10 of the eggs were not fertilized...why is a mystery, as this is not an old flock, nor an old rooster. 8 of the eggs showed some development, some more than others, but only about 4 of them showed correct development...that's out of 19 eggs set. There was yolk on the shells, so one of the eggs had been broken and consumed.

That's about standard out of the hatches I've had this year....many eggs set, only about 4-5 chicks hatched successfully. Mostly the BA/WR cross chicks, one WR chick each out of two separate hatches, none of the EE eggs have hatched successfully.

Most of the infertile eggs have been the largest eggs I get, which are those I desire most to be hatched. What in the world is going on with my WR flock this year???

Definitely not the rooster, as he's fertilizing the BAs just fine...but why aren't some of my WR hens getting bred? Too fluffy of butts? I know that's been a problem for other standard WR breeders and they always pluck around the vents, but I somehow feel that's not a good thing...if they have that trait that keeps them from reproducing, why reproduce that trait?

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If your birds are heavily feathered, I have read to trim back the feathers near the vents of males and females. It will help with mating. I have never don't this. I have had heavily feathered birds a bit less fertile in candleing. How many hens/versus roosters?

catjac1975 said:

If your birds are heavily feathered, I have read to trim back the feathers near the vents of males and females. It will help with mating. I have never don't this. I have had heavily feathered birds a bit less fertile in candleing. How many hens/versus roosters?

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Twelve hens, one rooster. I don't want to have to trim back feathers in order for my birds to mate, as that defeats the purpose of having a self sustaining flock. These same WR hens and rooster, with the same feathering as last year, had great hatch rates last season.

I think I might have hit on what the problem is....I have more BA hens than I did last year~only had one last year, nearly half my whole flock is BA birds. Almost all of them are barebacked from overbreeding, while my WRs show minimal breeding damage to their backs~this has a two fold reason, of course, as the hatchery stock BAs have inferior feathering compared to the WR birds, but also it shows they are getting more breeding. They tend to stick closer to the rooster while ranging, while the WR ladies range out further and are thus less available for breeding when he wants it.

After the current broody is done with her hatch, I'm thinking about penning up the BA birds to give them a little break from mating and also to give my WR hens a chance to get some of the lovin'.

Clears are not always about fertility. When a fertile egg is laid the embryo inside is alive. If it is killed between being laid and start of incubation it will be a clear. How can you kill it? The embryo is so tough you almost have to try. Storing the eggs too warm, too cold, alternating between warm and cool, storing too too long or shaking them up are a few possible ways. I seriously doubt you did any of these things but just to give you a bit to think about.

When I was a kid and a hen went broody, I'd grab a dozen eggs out of a bucket Mom kept under the kitchen sink where she stored the eggs, mark them, and put them under the broody. We usually had one rooster with around 25 or so hens. Those eggs were probably no more than a couple of days old but practically all of them hatched. They were not stored pointy side down or turned, but they were pretty fresh.

How many different broody hens did you have setting on those 19 eggs? If they were all under one could she really cover them all? If that were the problem the eggs wouldn't be clear though, the eggs would develop before they died.

I had a zero hatch one time when an egg broke in the nest and got the other eggs dirty. That did not cause clears though, the eggs got bacteria inside and spoiled. That one kind of upset me. I'd timed that hatch for when my granddaughter was going to visit. That's another reason I now usually put some eggs in the incubator. if I'd done that then the granddaughter would have gotten to see a broody with chicks.

Bee, I have no explanation why your clear results are so consistent this year. I can see that for an individual hatch but not as many as you've had in a row. Isolating the hens you want with the rooster is worth trying.

Ridgerunner said:

How many different broody hens did you have setting on those 19 eggs? If they were all under one could she really cover them all? If that were the problem the eggs wouldn't be clear though, the eggs would develop before they died.

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Just one. These WR hens can easily cover 25-30 eggs, as they will often have that many in their own clutches when they lay out in the woods to sit. 19 is a medium sized clutch for them.

I think she's preparing to wean them...what do you think?



I was wondering when she would start bringing them mice and such, but she brought a whole buffet!

Gross but what a good Momma. Wish I lived close to get that one remaining white. My husband loved it too and said why don't you take them?

Sounds like a scenic road trip to me Cat.

Richard my BF said he took one from the barn half left this morning but I imagine I Fear the gsd took it
from the cats last night

Beekissed said:

Just one. These WR hens can easily cover 25-30 eggs, as they will often have that many in their own clutches when they lay out in the woods to sit. 19 is a medium sized clutch for them.

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If they are that big. are these the show quality chickens you got a while back? I remember someone sending you some when on one of your BYC threads a few years back. If so, the thick feathers could be a part of the problem. Show quality chickens are bred to have thick fluffy feathers, it's possible that could interfere with breeding. They are beautiful but just another reason I prefer my backyard mutts.