Oriental Cross
Perfection Grey
Blue Face Hatch
Oakgrove Green Legged Hatch
Friday, December 18, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Breeding Systems
by Ed "Fulldrop" Piper (1956)
Members of the cocking fraternity have used all types and variations of types, of breeding systems. Most of them will give a strong argument as to which is the best system. Each system was designed for a particular purpose and is best for that purpose. No single system is BEST OF ALL.
The most commonly used systems are: (1) Inbreeding, (2) Linebreeding, (3) Outbreeding and (4) Crossbreeding.
INBREEDING - The simplest and most understandable definition of inbreeding is the mating of closely related individuals. Just how close this relationship should be before it is called inbreeding is debatable. The very closest inbreeding which can be practiced is continued brother and sister matings for successive generations. A lesser dgree of inbreeding results from the mating of sire to daughter, dam to son, or half-brother and half-sister.
In order to develop uniform characteristics in game fowl, some degree of inbreeding is essential. Close inbreeding makes the strain more uniform. However, in doing so, there is a concentration of the undesirable genes as well as the desirable genes in the inbreeding line; therefore, the effect on the fowl is frequently disappointing. Less close inbreeding is more desirable as there is a better opportunity to select individuals that do not have so many of the undesirable genes.
LINEBREEDING - Linebreeding is distinguised from inbreeding by the fact that a given individual appears more than once in the pedigree. It is practical in an attempt to gain some of the benefits of inbreeding, while avoiding some of the disadvantages. An example of this system is the mating of an ace cock to his daughter and again to his granddaughters. The strain is then said to be linebred to that particular cock. In later generations, the cocks and hens chosen are closely related to the original cock. Successful linebreeding depends on how carefully the original stock was selected for gameness, cutting, ability, and the other characteristics that go to make up a good game cock.
OUTBREEDING - Outbreeding is simply the mating of fowl that are very distantly related. This system is generally spoken of as adding ne blood. With gamefowl in which several desirable characteristics are well established, the adding of the new blood should be done with caution, if at all.
Many good gamefowl have been ruined because of this practice. The breeder should introduce new blood in such a manner as not to involve the entire flock. Single mate the new blood, then test the offspring before undertaking to add new blood on a large scale.
The addition of new blood has a tendency, as a rule, to increase the average performances of the individuals in the next generation. Thus, the breeder thinks he has made a big improvement. However, if the truth was known, he has lessened their chances of being able to carry their good characteristics to the next generation.
If the outbreeding is done to produce pit cocks only, this type of breeding is alright. If this is practiced, none of the cocks or hens should be bred. In other words, eat the pullets and hens and fight the stags and cocks.
CROSSBREEDING - Crossbreeding usually improves the average performance of the first generation as in outbreeding, and many aces are thus produced. However, generally, the breeding value of the offspring is greatly reduced. A simple definition for crossbreeding is the crossing of two unrelated closely inbred lines. Hatch fowl crossed on the Derby fowl of England, or Redquill crossed on Aseel would be good examples.
Members of the cocking fraternity have used all types and variations of types, of breeding systems. Most of them will give a strong argument as to which is the best system. Each system was designed for a particular purpose and is best for that purpose. No single system is BEST OF ALL.
The most commonly used systems are: (1) Inbreeding, (2) Linebreeding, (3) Outbreeding and (4) Crossbreeding.
INBREEDING - The simplest and most understandable definition of inbreeding is the mating of closely related individuals. Just how close this relationship should be before it is called inbreeding is debatable. The very closest inbreeding which can be practiced is continued brother and sister matings for successive generations. A lesser dgree of inbreeding results from the mating of sire to daughter, dam to son, or half-brother and half-sister.
In order to develop uniform characteristics in game fowl, some degree of inbreeding is essential. Close inbreeding makes the strain more uniform. However, in doing so, there is a concentration of the undesirable genes as well as the desirable genes in the inbreeding line; therefore, the effect on the fowl is frequently disappointing. Less close inbreeding is more desirable as there is a better opportunity to select individuals that do not have so many of the undesirable genes.
LINEBREEDING - Linebreeding is distinguised from inbreeding by the fact that a given individual appears more than once in the pedigree. It is practical in an attempt to gain some of the benefits of inbreeding, while avoiding some of the disadvantages. An example of this system is the mating of an ace cock to his daughter and again to his granddaughters. The strain is then said to be linebred to that particular cock. In later generations, the cocks and hens chosen are closely related to the original cock. Successful linebreeding depends on how carefully the original stock was selected for gameness, cutting, ability, and the other characteristics that go to make up a good game cock.
OUTBREEDING - Outbreeding is simply the mating of fowl that are very distantly related. This system is generally spoken of as adding ne blood. With gamefowl in which several desirable characteristics are well established, the adding of the new blood should be done with caution, if at all.
Many good gamefowl have been ruined because of this practice. The breeder should introduce new blood in such a manner as not to involve the entire flock. Single mate the new blood, then test the offspring before undertaking to add new blood on a large scale.
The addition of new blood has a tendency, as a rule, to increase the average performances of the individuals in the next generation. Thus, the breeder thinks he has made a big improvement. However, if the truth was known, he has lessened their chances of being able to carry their good characteristics to the next generation.
If the outbreeding is done to produce pit cocks only, this type of breeding is alright. If this is practiced, none of the cocks or hens should be bred. In other words, eat the pullets and hens and fight the stags and cocks.
CROSSBREEDING - Crossbreeding usually improves the average performance of the first generation as in outbreeding, and many aces are thus produced. However, generally, the breeding value of the offspring is greatly reduced. A simple definition for crossbreeding is the crossing of two unrelated closely inbred lines. Hatch fowl crossed on the Derby fowl of England, or Redquill crossed on Aseel would be good examples.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Black Jap Cross
The Patriarch - 1/2 Black Jap X 1/2 Lacy Roundhead
The Sons
What is great about this line is that they win and come back to the farm unscathed. They are "angat" and cut very well. They only need 1 good strike to the opponent's body to kill it. Thank you Masao Nakahara and Hiro for this line.
The Sons
What is great about this line is that they win and come back to the farm unscathed. They are "angat" and cut very well. They only need 1 good strike to the opponent's body to kill it. Thank you Masao Nakahara and Hiro for this line.
Incubating Eggs
By Phillip J. Clauer, Poultry Extension Specialist, Animal & Poultry Sciences Department, Virginia State University - Many domestic bird owners incubate eggs to help sustain their flock over time. This fact sheet is designed to assist those who wish to incubate small numbers of domestic poultry eggs.
Introduction
The words "fertility" and "hatchability" are often used incorrectly by small producers. These terms are important and have very important meaning.
Percent Fertility is the percentage of fertile eggs of all eggs produced.
Percent Hatchability is the percentage of fertile eggs which actually hatch out as live young.
Care of Hatching Eggs
Before setting eggs in an incubator, you must obtain or produce quality fertile eggs from a well-managed, healthy flock which are fed properly balanced diets.
1. Keep the nest full of clean, dry litter. Collect the eggs early in the morning and frequently during the day to prevent excessive chilling or heating of the eggs.
2. DO NOT wash eggs unless necessary. If it is necessary to wash eggs always use a damp cloth with water warmer than the egg. This causes the egg to sweat the dirt out of the pores. Never use water cooler than the egg. Also, do not soak the eggs in water. If the egg is allowed to soak in water for a period of time, the temperature difference can equalize and bacteria has a greater chance of entering through the pores. Be sure eggs are dry before storing. Never place damp or wet eggs in a styrofoam carton for storage.
3. Store the clean fertile eggs in an area which is kept at 55°- 60°F and 70-75% humidity. Never store eggs at temperatures about 75°F and at humidities lower than 40%. These conditions can decrease hatchability dramatically in a very short period of time. Slant or turn the fertile eggs daily while they are being stored. Store the eggs small end down and slanted at 30-45 degrees. Putting a piece of 2" x 4" under one end of the carton or storage container and changing it to the other end daily works well. Do not store eggs for more than 10-14 days. After 14 days of storage, hatchability begins to decline significantly.
4. Just before setting the eggs, allow them to warm to room temperature (70-80°F) and remove any cracked eggs.
Incubation
Four factors are of major importance in incubating eggs artificially: temperature, humidity, ventilation and turning. Of these factors, temperature is the most critical. However, humidity tends to be overlooked and causes many hatching problems. Extensive research has shown that the optimum incubator temperature is 100°F when relative humidity is 60 percent. Concentrations of oxygen should be above 20 percent, carbon dioxide should be below 0.5 percent, and air movement past the egg should be 12 cubic feet per minute. There are two types of incubators commonly used:
1. Forced-air incubators which have a built in fan to circulate the air.
2. Still-air incubators which have no fans, so the air is allowed to stratify.
The forced-air incubator should be set at 99-99.5°F and 60-65% relative humidity (83-88°F wet bulb). The advantage of the forced-air incubator is that it is easier to maintain humidity at a constant level because of air circulation.
Still air incubators are smaller and air flow is harder to manage. Set still-air incubators at 100 to 101°F at egg height. This is important since the air stratifies in these incubators. There can be as much as a 5° difference in temperature from the top to the bottom of some of the still-air incubators. Humidity should be 60-65% (80-90° wet bulb) during incubation and 70-75% (92-97° wet bulb) at hatching time. It is very easy to overheat the eggs in still-air incubators and difficult to maintain proper humidity.
Temperature
During the warm-up period, the temperature should be adjusted to hold a constant 101°F for still air, 99°- 100°F for forced air. To obtain reliable readings, the bulb of the thermometer should be at the same height as the tops of the eggs and away from the source of heat. Using two thermometers is a good idea to ensure you are getting an accurate reading.
Incubator temperature should be maintained between 99° and 100°F. The acceptable range is 97° to 102°F. Mortality is seen if the temperature drops below 96°F or rises above 103°F for a number of hours. If the temperature stays at either extreme for several days, the eggs may not hatch. Overheating is more critical than underheating. Running the incubator at 105°F for 15 minutes will seriously affect the embryos, while running it at 95° for 3 or 4 hours will only slow the chick's metabolic rate.
An incubator should be operated in a location free from drafts and direct sunlight. An incubator should also be operated for several hours with water placed in a pan to stabilize its internal atmosphere before fertile eggs are set. Do not adjust the heat upward during the first 48 hours after eggs are set. This practice cooks many eggs. The eggs will take time to warm to incubator temperature and many times in small incubators the incubator temperature will drop below 98°F for the first 6-8 hours or until the egg warms to 99°-100°F.
In Case of Power Outage
If you experience a power failure, do not scrap the hatch. Most of the time the hatch can be saved. The key is to keep the eggs as warm as possible until the power returns.
This can be done by placing a large cardboard box or blankets over the top of small incubators for additional insulation. To warm the eggs, place candles in jars, light them and place the jars under the box that covers the incubator. Be careful not to put any flammable material closer than a foot from the top of the candles. The heat from the candles can easily keep the eggs above 90°F until the power returns.
Embryos have survived at temperatures below 90°F for up to 18 hours. You should continue to incubate the eggs after the outage; then candle them 4 to 6 days later to check for further development or signs of life. If, after 6 days, you do not see life or development in any of the eggs, then terminate incubation. Most of the time, a power outage will delay hatching by a few days and decrease the hatchability to 40-50 percent.
Humidity
The relative humidity of the air within an incubator should be about 60 percent. During the last 3 days (the hatching period) the relative humidity should be nearer 65-70 percent. (Too much moisture in the incubator prevents normal evaporation and results in a decreased hatch, but excessive moisture is seldom a problem in small incubators.) Too little moisture results in excessive evaporation, causing chicks to stick to the shell, remain in the pipped shells, and sometimes hatch crippled.
The relative humidity in the incubator can also be varied by changing the size of the water pan or by putting a sponge in the pan to increase the evaporative surface. The pan should be checked regularly while the incubator is in use to be sure that there is always an adequate amount of water. Adding additional water pans to small still-air incubators is also helpful to increase humidity.
During the hatching period, the humidity in the incubator may be increased by using an atomizer to spray a small amount of water into the ventilating holes. (This is especially helpful when duck or goose eggs are hatching.)
Whenever you add water to an incubator, it should be about the same temperature as the incubator so you do not stress the eggs or the incubator. A good test is to add water just warm to the touch.
Using a wet-bulb thermometer is also a good way for determining relative humidity. The wet-bulb thermometer measures the evaporative cooling effect. If the wet and dry bulb read the same temperature, you would have 100 percent humidity. The greater the evaporation taking place, the lower the temperature reading on the wet-bulb thermometer and the larger the spread will be between the wet- and dry-bulb readings.
To make a wet-bulb thermometer, just add a cotton wick to the end of a thermometer. Then place the tail of the wick in water. The cotton then absorbs the water. As the water evaporates from the cotton it causes a cooling effect on the thermometer.
The table below (Relative Humidity) will enable you to calculate relative humidity using readings from a wet- bulb thermometer and the incubator thermometer.
Ventilation
The best hatching results are obtained with normal atmospheric air, which usually contains 20-21 percent oxygen. It is difficult to provide too much oxygen, but a deficiency is possible. Make sure that the ventilation holes are adjusted to allow a normal exchange of air.
This is critical on home-made incubators. It is possible to suffocate the eggs and chicks in an air-tight container. However, excessive ventilation removes humidity and makes it difficult to heat incubators properly.
Turning
Eggs set on their sides must be rotated 1/2 turn at least 3 times daily. Eggs set with the air cell end up should be tilted in the opposite direction 3 times daily. This keeps the embryo centered in the egg and prevents it from sticking to the shell membrane. If hand turning, to insure proper turning, mark each side of the egg with a pencil. Put an "x" on one side and an "o" on the opposite side.
Stop turning the eggs for the last three (3) days of the incubation cycle (at 18 days for chickens, 25 days for waterfowl, etc.) and do not open the incubator until the hatch is completed to insure that a desirable hatching humidity is maintained.
Hatch Time
Do not help the chicks from the shell at hatching time. If it doesn't hatch, there is usually a good reason. Also, prematurely helping the chick hatch could cripple or infect the chick. Humidity is critical at hatching time. Don't allow your curiosity to damage your hatch.
As soon as the chicks are dry and fluffy or 6 to 12 hours after hatching, remove the chicks from the incubator. It is good practice to remove all the chicks at once and destroy any late hatching eggs. Hatching time can be hereditary and you can control the uniformity of hatching by culling late hatchers. If you keep every chick which hatches late, in a few years each hatch could last 4 days or longer.
Sanitation of Incubator and Equipment
No matter what type of incubation you use, it is important that you thoroughly clean and disinfect the incubator before and after you use it. It is just as important that the incubation room and egg storage area are kept equally clean. The lack of sanitation will decrease hatchability.
Immediately after each hatch, thoroughly clean and disinfect all hatching trays, water pans and the floor of the hatcher. Scrape off all egg shells and adhering dirt. Wipe clean surfaces thoroughly with a cloth dampened in quaternary ammonium, chlorox or other disinfectant solution.
Incubation Periods of Other Species
One of the miracles of nature is the transformation of the egg into the chick. In a brief three weeks of incubation, a fully developed chick grows from a single cell and emerges from a seemingly lifeless egg.
Introduction
The words "fertility" and "hatchability" are often used incorrectly by small producers. These terms are important and have very important meaning.
Percent Fertility is the percentage of fertile eggs of all eggs produced.
Percent Hatchability is the percentage of fertile eggs which actually hatch out as live young.
Care of Hatching Eggs
Before setting eggs in an incubator, you must obtain or produce quality fertile eggs from a well-managed, healthy flock which are fed properly balanced diets.
1. Keep the nest full of clean, dry litter. Collect the eggs early in the morning and frequently during the day to prevent excessive chilling or heating of the eggs.
2. DO NOT wash eggs unless necessary. If it is necessary to wash eggs always use a damp cloth with water warmer than the egg. This causes the egg to sweat the dirt out of the pores. Never use water cooler than the egg. Also, do not soak the eggs in water. If the egg is allowed to soak in water for a period of time, the temperature difference can equalize and bacteria has a greater chance of entering through the pores. Be sure eggs are dry before storing. Never place damp or wet eggs in a styrofoam carton for storage.
3. Store the clean fertile eggs in an area which is kept at 55°- 60°F and 70-75% humidity. Never store eggs at temperatures about 75°F and at humidities lower than 40%. These conditions can decrease hatchability dramatically in a very short period of time. Slant or turn the fertile eggs daily while they are being stored. Store the eggs small end down and slanted at 30-45 degrees. Putting a piece of 2" x 4" under one end of the carton or storage container and changing it to the other end daily works well. Do not store eggs for more than 10-14 days. After 14 days of storage, hatchability begins to decline significantly.
4. Just before setting the eggs, allow them to warm to room temperature (70-80°F) and remove any cracked eggs.
Incubation
Four factors are of major importance in incubating eggs artificially: temperature, humidity, ventilation and turning. Of these factors, temperature is the most critical. However, humidity tends to be overlooked and causes many hatching problems. Extensive research has shown that the optimum incubator temperature is 100°F when relative humidity is 60 percent. Concentrations of oxygen should be above 20 percent, carbon dioxide should be below 0.5 percent, and air movement past the egg should be 12 cubic feet per minute. There are two types of incubators commonly used:
1. Forced-air incubators which have a built in fan to circulate the air.
2. Still-air incubators which have no fans, so the air is allowed to stratify.
The forced-air incubator should be set at 99-99.5°F and 60-65% relative humidity (83-88°F wet bulb). The advantage of the forced-air incubator is that it is easier to maintain humidity at a constant level because of air circulation.
Still air incubators are smaller and air flow is harder to manage. Set still-air incubators at 100 to 101°F at egg height. This is important since the air stratifies in these incubators. There can be as much as a 5° difference in temperature from the top to the bottom of some of the still-air incubators. Humidity should be 60-65% (80-90° wet bulb) during incubation and 70-75% (92-97° wet bulb) at hatching time. It is very easy to overheat the eggs in still-air incubators and difficult to maintain proper humidity.
Temperature
During the warm-up period, the temperature should be adjusted to hold a constant 101°F for still air, 99°- 100°F for forced air. To obtain reliable readings, the bulb of the thermometer should be at the same height as the tops of the eggs and away from the source of heat. Using two thermometers is a good idea to ensure you are getting an accurate reading.
Incubator temperature should be maintained between 99° and 100°F. The acceptable range is 97° to 102°F. Mortality is seen if the temperature drops below 96°F or rises above 103°F for a number of hours. If the temperature stays at either extreme for several days, the eggs may not hatch. Overheating is more critical than underheating. Running the incubator at 105°F for 15 minutes will seriously affect the embryos, while running it at 95° for 3 or 4 hours will only slow the chick's metabolic rate.
An incubator should be operated in a location free from drafts and direct sunlight. An incubator should also be operated for several hours with water placed in a pan to stabilize its internal atmosphere before fertile eggs are set. Do not adjust the heat upward during the first 48 hours after eggs are set. This practice cooks many eggs. The eggs will take time to warm to incubator temperature and many times in small incubators the incubator temperature will drop below 98°F for the first 6-8 hours or until the egg warms to 99°-100°F.
In Case of Power Outage
If you experience a power failure, do not scrap the hatch. Most of the time the hatch can be saved. The key is to keep the eggs as warm as possible until the power returns.
This can be done by placing a large cardboard box or blankets over the top of small incubators for additional insulation. To warm the eggs, place candles in jars, light them and place the jars under the box that covers the incubator. Be careful not to put any flammable material closer than a foot from the top of the candles. The heat from the candles can easily keep the eggs above 90°F until the power returns.
Embryos have survived at temperatures below 90°F for up to 18 hours. You should continue to incubate the eggs after the outage; then candle them 4 to 6 days later to check for further development or signs of life. If, after 6 days, you do not see life or development in any of the eggs, then terminate incubation. Most of the time, a power outage will delay hatching by a few days and decrease the hatchability to 40-50 percent.
Humidity
The relative humidity of the air within an incubator should be about 60 percent. During the last 3 days (the hatching period) the relative humidity should be nearer 65-70 percent. (Too much moisture in the incubator prevents normal evaporation and results in a decreased hatch, but excessive moisture is seldom a problem in small incubators.) Too little moisture results in excessive evaporation, causing chicks to stick to the shell, remain in the pipped shells, and sometimes hatch crippled.
The relative humidity in the incubator can also be varied by changing the size of the water pan or by putting a sponge in the pan to increase the evaporative surface. The pan should be checked regularly while the incubator is in use to be sure that there is always an adequate amount of water. Adding additional water pans to small still-air incubators is also helpful to increase humidity.
During the hatching period, the humidity in the incubator may be increased by using an atomizer to spray a small amount of water into the ventilating holes. (This is especially helpful when duck or goose eggs are hatching.)
Whenever you add water to an incubator, it should be about the same temperature as the incubator so you do not stress the eggs or the incubator. A good test is to add water just warm to the touch.
Using a wet-bulb thermometer is also a good way for determining relative humidity. The wet-bulb thermometer measures the evaporative cooling effect. If the wet and dry bulb read the same temperature, you would have 100 percent humidity. The greater the evaporation taking place, the lower the temperature reading on the wet-bulb thermometer and the larger the spread will be between the wet- and dry-bulb readings.
To make a wet-bulb thermometer, just add a cotton wick to the end of a thermometer. Then place the tail of the wick in water. The cotton then absorbs the water. As the water evaporates from the cotton it causes a cooling effect on the thermometer.
The table below (Relative Humidity) will enable you to calculate relative humidity using readings from a wet- bulb thermometer and the incubator thermometer.
Ventilation
The best hatching results are obtained with normal atmospheric air, which usually contains 20-21 percent oxygen. It is difficult to provide too much oxygen, but a deficiency is possible. Make sure that the ventilation holes are adjusted to allow a normal exchange of air.
This is critical on home-made incubators. It is possible to suffocate the eggs and chicks in an air-tight container. However, excessive ventilation removes humidity and makes it difficult to heat incubators properly.
Turning
Eggs set on their sides must be rotated 1/2 turn at least 3 times daily. Eggs set with the air cell end up should be tilted in the opposite direction 3 times daily. This keeps the embryo centered in the egg and prevents it from sticking to the shell membrane. If hand turning, to insure proper turning, mark each side of the egg with a pencil. Put an "x" on one side and an "o" on the opposite side.
Stop turning the eggs for the last three (3) days of the incubation cycle (at 18 days for chickens, 25 days for waterfowl, etc.) and do not open the incubator until the hatch is completed to insure that a desirable hatching humidity is maintained.
Hatch Time
Do not help the chicks from the shell at hatching time. If it doesn't hatch, there is usually a good reason. Also, prematurely helping the chick hatch could cripple or infect the chick. Humidity is critical at hatching time. Don't allow your curiosity to damage your hatch.
As soon as the chicks are dry and fluffy or 6 to 12 hours after hatching, remove the chicks from the incubator. It is good practice to remove all the chicks at once and destroy any late hatching eggs. Hatching time can be hereditary and you can control the uniformity of hatching by culling late hatchers. If you keep every chick which hatches late, in a few years each hatch could last 4 days or longer.
Sanitation of Incubator and Equipment
No matter what type of incubation you use, it is important that you thoroughly clean and disinfect the incubator before and after you use it. It is just as important that the incubation room and egg storage area are kept equally clean. The lack of sanitation will decrease hatchability.
Immediately after each hatch, thoroughly clean and disinfect all hatching trays, water pans and the floor of the hatcher. Scrape off all egg shells and adhering dirt. Wipe clean surfaces thoroughly with a cloth dampened in quaternary ammonium, chlorox or other disinfectant solution.
Incubation Periods of Other Species
One of the miracles of nature is the transformation of the egg into the chick. In a brief three weeks of incubation, a fully developed chick grows from a single cell and emerges from a seemingly lifeless egg.
How to Operate Small Incubators
Got your Eggs?
Your eggs need to settle for at least 24 hours if they came through the mail. This allows the air-cell inside the egg to return to it's normal size. Eggs should always be stored with the pointy end down while they are "in the hold". It's a good practice to follow and it will help your hatch!!! If I receive eggs that are getting old, I may only let them settle overnight.
Incubator ready?
By the time you have gotten your eggs your incubator should have been running at least 24 hours. A week is even better. This gives you time to learn what's going to happen in your incubator and allows you to make any necessary adjustments before setting your eggs. A sure-fire way to ruin hatching eggs is to put them in the incubator without having it properly adjusted. If the eggs reach an internal temperature of 105 degrees you can kiss them good-bye. Take note that I said "internal" temperature. Don't confuse internal egg temperature with internal incubator temperature. The temperature in an incubator changes constantly, rising and lowering. The temperature inside the egg will be an average of this temperature swing in your bator.
This is plain and simple, yet the MOST important part of hatching.
Still-air incubator (no fan):101.5 degrees measured at the TOP of the eggs.
Fan Forced incubator: 99.5 degrees measured anywhere in the incubator.
You can sneak by with humidity numbers that aren't very accurate, but the combination of poor humidity and temperature will definately cause problems at hatch time. If your temperature is not accurate you will DEFINATELY have problems at hatch time. The bigger the deviation from the proper temperature, the bigger your problems will be!
I'm willing to bet that it isn't. Thermometers go bad. Keeping the temperature accurate can be a struggle, even with very good thermometers. I've thrown away many thermometers in past years that I had considered reliable.
A nice part about running a big incubator over an extended period is that you can tweak the temperature regardless of what thermometers tell you. After the first hatch, you can raise or lower the temperature by what the hatch tells you. If they hatched early the temperature needs to be lowered. If they hatch late the temperature needs to be raised.
You can check your Thermometer this way. Keep notes on everything you do during the incubation period. As you learn you'll have these notes to look back on. They will be the most valuable tool that you can have. It won't be long until you can say "I know what happened, all I need to do is change this one little thing". Soon you will be able to make adjustments by knowing what to do, instead of guessing!!!
Humidity is checked by way of a hygrometer (wet-bulb thermometer) in conjunction with a regular "dry-bulb" thermometer. A hygrometer is simply a thermometer with a piece of wick attached to the bulb. The wick hangs in water to keep the bulb wet (hence the name "wet-bulb thermometer"). When you read the temperature on the thermometer and hygrometer, you must then compare the readings to a chart to translate from wet-bulb/dry-bulb reading to "percentage humidity".
From the relative humidity table, you can see.....
60% humidity reads about 87 degrees on a wet-bulb at 99.5 degrees.
60% humidity reads about 89 degrees on a wet-bulb at 101.5 degrees.
80% humidity reads about 93 degrees on a wet-bulb at 99.5 degrees.
80% humidity reads about 95 degrees on a wet-bulb at 101.5 degrees.
Getting your humidity to become as accurate as your temperature is nearly impossible. It is almost completely impossible with a small incubator. Try to get your humidity as close as you can, and you'll be fine. Just being aware that humidity is important, and trying to get the numbers to come in close will be a huge help to your hatch.
If you can hold within 10-15% things should turn out fine.
Temperature on the other hand, is CRITICAL!!!!! I hate to beat this point to death, but a small deviation in temperature (even a couple degrees) can and will ruin a hatch. Or, at least turn a potentially great hatch into a lousy one.
An important point about incubator humidity...
As seasons change, so goes humidity. When you are incubating eggs in January and February it will be very difficult to maintain a humidity that is as high as you like. That's because the outside humidity is so low. By the same token, when you are incubating in June and July the outside humidity is usually much greater and the humidity in your incubator will most likely get much higher than you would like. Hatching problems will change as the season progresses. If you are doing things the same way in July as you were in January, you have to expect different results. All I am trying to say here is that your incubator humidity changes directly according to the outside humidity. Low outside, low in the bator. High outside, high in the bator. To adjust for these problems, you need to change the surface area of water in your bator.
Surface area?
Surface area is "the amount of surface of water exposed to air in your incubator". The depth of water has absolutely no bearing on the humidity in the incubator (unless the depth is zero). If the humidity is too low in your bator, add surface area. Place another pan of water in the incubator, or some small, wet sponges. This will help. To decrease the humidity, remove surface area. Use smaller containers of water, or undo some of the things you've added.
The incubation period for chicken eggs is 21 days. You should turn your eggs at least twice a day for the first 18 days, and stop turning after the 18th day. This allows the peep time to orient itself inside the egg before pipping.
After day 18, KEEP THE INCUBATOR CLOSED except to add water. This will help bring the humidity up to help the peeps hatch. I know it will kill you not to open the incubator 1000 times when it's this close to hatch time, but it's not good for the peeps. If you haven't bought an incubator yet, invest the extra couple bucks in the picture window model. Then you can "see it all" without causing harm to your hatch.
Check out our page on incubation periods of different fowl to determine how long it will take your eggs to hatch. The page is named "How Long Does It Take???"
On Thermometers...
Good thermometers can be found at a few places. Camera stores carry reliable thermometers. Refrigeration parts/supply stores/warehouses and Scientific supply outfits carry reliable thermometers as well. The best investment you will ever make in your hobby is a good, accurate thermometer for incubation.
Tip...When picking out a thermometer from a batch of them, you should look at them all to see if they are reading exactly the same temperature. If not, save your money, or make sure they can be calibrated.
We also offer a the Water Weasel system that helps controlling and understanding the temperature in your incubator. Read up, you'll be happy you did!!!
Introductory Post
Greetings fellow breeders and sabungeros. I'm a small scale breeder from Samar. Breeding gamefowls and fighting them is my passion. I've decided to create this blog to impart and share things that I know about this endeavor and likewise to learn from you.
I'm a practical breeder and i'm not much into the scientific side of it. My brain is slow when it comes to such things :)
I was an off and on breeder in the mid and late 90's but since 2004, I've been at it and if pockets will allow, i'll be at it till my last "carreo". I also intend to sell a few of my stocks especially brood materials in order for those who are just starting out and can't afford the big named breeders prices.
I've been to many breeder farms in Negros (Juancho Aguirre, Victor Yulatic, Freddie Yulo, Bob Cuenca), Cebu (Victor Sierra) and to some Luzon farms (Tonio Romulo, Tiny Meneses, etc...) and acquired their stocks. I also got Black Japs from my japanese breeder friend Masao Nakahara and also good hatches from my breeding partner here in Samar.
This blog won't be featuring derby schedules nor derby results and the likes. Mostly it would feature articles that would be helpful to the novice breeder. Thank you for dropping by and I wish you success in your breeding.
I'm a practical breeder and i'm not much into the scientific side of it. My brain is slow when it comes to such things :)
I was an off and on breeder in the mid and late 90's but since 2004, I've been at it and if pockets will allow, i'll be at it till my last "carreo". I also intend to sell a few of my stocks especially brood materials in order for those who are just starting out and can't afford the big named breeders prices.
I've been to many breeder farms in Negros (Juancho Aguirre, Victor Yulatic, Freddie Yulo, Bob Cuenca), Cebu (Victor Sierra) and to some Luzon farms (Tonio Romulo, Tiny Meneses, etc...) and acquired their stocks. I also got Black Japs from my japanese breeder friend Masao Nakahara and also good hatches from my breeding partner here in Samar.
This blog won't be featuring derby schedules nor derby results and the likes. Mostly it would feature articles that would be helpful to the novice breeder. Thank you for dropping by and I wish you success in your breeding.
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