# Hatch 7



## twentynine

Set them in the incubator this morning.

21 black sexlinks
20 Rhode Island reds 

Change in tactics for this hatch. 

The oldest egg set this morning is only 5 days old. In the past I segregated my saved eggs into Rhode Island reds or black sexlink hatches. These hatches sometimes had eggs as old as 10 days, even though I am very carefull with my saved eggs, the older eggs had a higher % of failure. So strategy is now to combine the saved eggs until I have 41 then set. If it works out as I hope, my hatch rate will increase. The number of eggs I set will remain about the same, only with an increased ratio Rhode Island reds.

My initial plan for the black sexlinks does not appear to be working out. This is because of my inability to generate any return with the cockeral portion of the hatch. Roughly speaking- I set 41 BSL eggs, 35 make it to lockdown, and 30 live hatch. But at best only 50% of the live hatch can be used to generate income.

Doing the math a BSL pullet is sold for $3. 3x15= $45

When compared to RIR hatches.
30 RIR straight run are sold for $2 each. 30x2= $60

I may put the BSL program on hold and concentrate on breeding pure breed lines of RIRs and BRs (barred rocks).


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## Pathfindersfarm

So, you're making your own black sex links? What are you using to create them with? What's your local market like? Here in rural KY people expect to buy a pullet at the point of lay for something ridiculous like $4, which to me is nowhere near enough, because by the time they're that old I have at least $7 worth of feed into them. So I figured it wasn't worth the money to raise them.

How do you figure the economics of it? Are those chick prices?


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## twentynine

Pathfindersfarm said:


> So, you're making your own black sex links? What are you using to create them with? What's your local market like? Here in rural KY people expect to buy a pullet at the point of lay for something ridiculous like $4, which to me is nowhere near enough, because by the time they're that old I have at least $7 worth of feed into them. So I figured it wasn't worth the money to raise them.
> 
> How do you figure the economics of it? Are those chick prices?


Yes, those are day old prices.

I try not to figure the economics of it, no way does it pay off, I do it strictly as a hobby.

Creating my black sexlinks using Rhode Island Red roosters over barred rock hens.

I have brooded the sexlinks up to 8 weeks and then sell them for $7-$8.


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## Pathfindersfarm

twentynine said:


> Yes, those are day old prices.
> 
> I try not to figure the economics of it, no way does it pay off, I do it strictly as a hobby.
> 
> Creating my black sexlinks using Rhode Island Red roosters over barred rock hens.
> 
> I have brooded the sexlinks up to 8 weeks and then sell them for $7-$8.


Wow, I wish people here were willing to pay that, I'd definitely do it. They grumble if I try to ask more than five.


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## BuckeyeChickens

Pathfindersfarm said:


> Wow, I wish people here were willing to pay that, I'd definitely do it. They grumble if I try to ask more than five.


Laura, you are correct the market isn't the same here in SW Ohio either!

I've been doing a "Black Sex-Link" using Buckeyes and Barred Plymouth Rocks but the offspring doesn't bring $3 a chick in my area....I'm lucky if I can sell them for $2 each and they are excellent layers!!! The $$$ are better for my straight run Buckeyes than my crosses....I also breed a Buckeye/Dark Cornish "meat bird" cross that produces good meat at 12-16 weeks (depending on feed protein) but they are not big sellers (yet) either.


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## Pathfindersfarm

Oh, but you have so many more chickens than I do Jeff! I'm just down here in the hollers of KY with my flock of Buckeyes. That's all I have now that my chore helpers are off to college. I had to sell everything else and just keep my most beloved birds. But I'll never give my Buckeyes up, they mean too much to me, they remind me of my grandfather back in OH and his big ol' Buckeye tree. When he died and I was helping my mom and grandmother go through his clothing, we found a Buckeye nut in the pocket of almost every pair of pants and jacket he owned. I still have a couple, they are among my most prized possessions.


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## Energyvet

Red stars go for $10 each as poulets in my neck of the woods.


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## twentynine

Hatch 8 is in incubator #2.

23 Rhode Island reds
16 black sexlinks
1 mutt pet chicken from Stewie the Rooster

Interesting thought about the mutt. I believe it will actually be a flavor of sexlink. Stewie the Rooster is a Sicilian buttercup, I think the hen is a 4 years old barred rock. 

You guys keep talking about them buckeyes I am going to find myself in the dog house again. You guys got to promise me- no matter how much I beg, your answers will be "no hatching eggs for you"!


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## Pathfindersfarm

twentynine said:


> You guys keep talking about them buckeyes I am going to find myself in the dog house again. You guys got to promise me- no matter how much I beg, your answers will be "no hatching eggs for you"!


LOL. Okey dokie.

Actually, I don't sell hatching eggs anyway. I've had such very bad luck doing so I just don't do it any more. Darned USPS must drop the boxes on purpose and kill the air cells. I get spectacular hatches here at home, but folks get really dismal ones with shipped eggs (or have in the past), so I stopped doing it. Just not worth having to refund people all the time.


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## twentynine

Hatch 7 candling

pulled 
2 Rhode Island reds
2 black sexlinks


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## Jim

twentynine said:


> Hatch 8 is in incubator #2.
> 
> 23 Rhode Island reds
> 16 black sexlinks
> 1 mutt pet chicken from Stewie the Rooster
> 
> Interesting thought about the mutt. I believe it will actually be a flavor of sexlink. Stewie the Rooster is a Sicilian buttercup, I think the hen is a 4 years old barred rock.
> 
> You guys keep talking about them buckeyes I am going to find myself in the dog house again. You guys got to promise me- no matter how much I beg, your answers will be "no hatching eggs for you"!


It has me thinking the same way, I am like, hmmmm, I need to find some of those chicks or eggs close to home.


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## Pathfindersfarm

Well, if you're looking for Buckeye breeders, there's a good list of them here: http://www.americanbuckeyepoultryclub.com/Breeders.html


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## Circle_U_Farm

You can also check out the buckeye chickens thread here on the chicken forum. And also check out WWW.americanbuckeyeclub.blogspot.com. there are also links to breeders and an active Facebook group links for our club from there as well.


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## twentynine

Hatch 8 candling

Pulled 
4 Rhode Island red


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## Jim

twentynine said:


> Hatch 8 candling
> 
> Pulled
> 4 Rhode Island red


Most my eggs are so dark, I can't candle.


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## twentynine

I will be locking down hatch 7 later this morning.


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## Jim

twentynine said:


> I will be locking down hatch 7 later this morning.


Good luck!


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## twentynine

Hatch 7 in lockdown. Pulled 6 RIR, quitters.
Total going into lock down.
12 RIR
19 bsl


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## twentynine

Hatch 7 update:
Fan failure yet again!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to have to find me a source for a small 100% duty cycle fans.


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## Jim

twentynine said:


> Hatch 7 update:
> Fan failure yet again!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> I'm going to have to find me a source for a small 100% duty cycle fans.


I just use a computer fan that I wired into a powesupply.


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## twentynine

Jim said:


> I just use a computer fan that I wired into a powesupply.


Yes! Tried that, the fan lasted about 5 or 6 hatches then locked up.

I was thinking about a 110v fan out of a UPS, they have a 100% duty cycle.


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## Jim

twentynine said:


> Yes! Tried that, the fan lasted about 5 or 6 hatches then locked up.
> 
> I was thinking about a 110v fan out of a UPS, they have a 100% duty cycle.


Good luck. I bought pc fan that was in a 3 pack. Sounds like I might need to have a second one wired and ready.


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## twentynine

Hatch 7 

Got 1 BSL out. Bunch of pips

I'll have to wait and see, with all the control issues I've had 50% would be an excellent hatch.


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## Jim

twentynine said:


> Hatch 7
> 
> Got 1 BSL out. Bunch of pips
> 
> I'll have to wait and see, with all the control issues I've had 50% would be an excellent hatch.


They are so hardy.


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## twentynine

3 out 
2 BSL
1 RIR


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## twentynine

Quick peak (or is it peek) this morning 17 or 18 out.


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## twentynine

Hatch 7 final count in the brooder.

7 RIR
9 BSL pullets
9 BSL cockerals 
25 total for a 60.9% hatch rate.

This go around the Rhode Island reds fell flat with only 7 out of 20 hatching. The sexlinks hatched 18 out of 21.


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## twentynine

Well!!!

Hatch 8 busting out now! Two days early!

Hatch 8 is:
19 RIR
16 BSL
2 mutt pets


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## Jim

twentynine said:


> Well!!!
> 
> Hatch 8 busting out now! Two days early!
> 
> Hatch 8 is:
> 19 RIR
> 16 BSL
> 2 mutt pets


Two hatches at once, wow, you are braver than I


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## twentynine

Jim said:


> Two hatches at once, wow, you are braver than I


Two incubators - two hatches. Divided in time only by the time it takes to collect the eggs. I have recently experimented with placing the hatches in the same brooder. Up to six days seperating the hatches, they brood together. It works.

Trouble right now is my chick sales are lagging. I took out a newspaper ad, in the past I could sell out of 50-75 chicks in a couple days. I still have 50% of hatch 5 and 6. Also cockerals everywhere.


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## twentynine

Hatch 8 seems to be fairing much better than hatch 7. Quick count and a little math reveals that I am at 70% and still have a few pipping.
1 of the mutt eggs hatched but the chick was not viable. Hatched out of the little end of the egg and had a huge amount of unabsorbed yolk.


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## Jim

twentynine said:


> Two incubators - two hatches. Divided in time only by the time it takes to collect the eggs. I have recently experimented with placing the hatches in the same brooder. Up to six days seperating the hatches, they brood together. It works.
> 
> Trouble right now is my chick sales are lagging. I took out a newspaper ad, in the past I could sell out of 50-75 chicks in a couple days. I still have 50% of hatch 5 and 6. Also cockerals everywhere.


We are having the same lag. So is another chicken friend nearby. I am getting lots of quarry's from folks building coops. I am thinking it will pick up, and when it does, the chicks are just more expensive. I know our next batch will probably only be 1/2(42 eggs) of what we can do.


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## twentynine

Jim said:


> We are having the same lag. So is another chicken friend nearby. I am getting lots of quarry's from folks building coops. I am thinking it will pick up, and when it does, the chicks are just more expensive. I know our next batch will probably only be 1/2(42 eggs) of what we can do.


I am actually shutting down for the time being. The big brooder still has 15 of hatch 5 and 6 in it. Hatch 7 has been scratched at all, it's in the #2 brooder, along with hatch 8, which makes a total of 52 in the small brooder. If something doesn't move I'll have to split'em up and fill the #3 brooder. I'll be all out of brooder space then.
Egg sale have also evaporated, I brought 10 dozen to the local homeless shelter this morning.
With feed cost being what it is, unless sales turn around I'm already thinking about thinning the flock.
Hatch 8 report is the next post.


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## twentynine

Hatch 8 went into the brooder Thursday morning.

Final count---
11 RIRs
11 BSL pullets
4 BSL cockerals
1 mutt
For a total of 27 out of 41.
Makes for a 65.8% hatch rate. Still not anything to brag about. I am continuing to have late incubation quitters, 7 this time.

On a cheery note however, the little mutt hatched. Baby daddy is a 4 year old Sicilian buttercup, mom is either a barred rock, light Brahman or a black sexlink. He/she is a most unusual color. What say you guys on who the baby momma is?


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## Jim

And as soon as you shut down, you will all of a sudden be sold out of chicks. I have about 50 on the brooder now. Planning to set my next hatch this weekend, doing more sex links to be able to sell pullets. But, am only putting in 1/2 capacity, after that, may be ready for a break too!


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## twentynine

Jim said:


> And as soon as you shut down, you will all of a sudden be sold out of chicks. I have about 50 on the brooder now. Planning to set my next hatch this weekend, doing more sex links to be able to sell pullets. But, am only putting in 1/2 capacity, after that, may be ready for a break too!


Got to ask, how is your sexlink operation panning out?

Mine is not working out financially. Basically I hatch out 60 to 80% of the eggs set (for example 50 eggs). So say 35 hatch, of those 35, 50% on average are cockerals. So I'm down to 15-20 sexlink pullets that I sell for maybe $3 day old, maybe $4 at a month.

So basic math is $3 X 15 = $45. For all practice purposes I have been unable to get any financial return off the cockerals. The best I have been able to do is supply my family with chicken and a tax write off when donated to the local food bank.

Now take the same 35 chicks as straight run and I can sell the whole kitten kaboodle for $2 each. $2 X 35 = $75.

Currently I am in the process of either increasing my sexlink operation and doing away with the cockerals at hatch or go to a straight run operation with barred rocks and Rhode Island reds. These two breeds are probably the most common in our area. I believe I could compete with the over the counter suppliers @ $2 ea.

My ultimate hope is that I can grow to supply chicks to some of the over the counter suppliers.


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## Jim

twentynine said:


> Got to ask, how is your sexlink operation panning out?
> 
> Mine is not working out financially. Basically I hatch out 60 to 80% of the eggs set (for example 50 eggs). So say 35 hatch, of those 35, 50% on average are cockerals. So I'm down to 15-20 sexlink pullets that I sell for maybe $3 day old, maybe $4 at a month.
> 
> So basic math is $3 X 15 = $45. For all practice purposes I have been unable to get any financial return off the cockerals. The best I have been able to do is supply my family with chicken and a tax write off when donated to the local food bank.
> 
> Now take the same 35 chicks as straight run and I can sell the whole kitten kaboodle for $2 each. $2 X 35 = $75.
> 
> Currently I am in the process of either increasing my sexlink operation and doing away with the cockerals at hatch or go to a straight run operation with barred rocks and Rhode Island reds. These two breeds are probably the most common in our area. I believe I could compete with the over the counter suppliers @ $2 ea.
> 
> My ultimate hope is that I can grow to supply chicks to some of the over the counter suppliers.


So far, we have only sold straight run. We are going to try the sex link route, because I get so many request for only pullets. I will get back to you in a month or so..


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## twentynine

Jim said:


> So far, we have only sold straight run. We are going to try the sex link route, because I get so many request for only pullets. I will get back to you in a month or so..


Nearest I can figure to make it work, you need double the number of hens and be prepared to "deal" with the cockerals.


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## Jim

twentynine said:


> Nearest I can figure to make it work, you need double the number of hens and be prepared to "deal" with the cockerals.


Yep, that was our thought too.


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