Having a discussion on the Poultry Connection General Waterfowl Forum and many of us have noticed an decrease in fertility and poor hatches in both brooding hens and those brooded artifically. Just wondered if anyone out there is having problems this year also. This seems to be happening in domestic chickens and ducks, but no so much(that we can tell)in game hens and wild species, that are being raised in captivity. Any thoughts? Thanks, Little Quacker

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), June 23, 2001

Answers

little quacker, I had a duck hatch out 6 ducklings, then leave the nest. I put 4 more eggs that had pipped into the incubator and got 3 ducklings. All 9 lived-but she had another dozen eggs under her!!! My little show hens (white rock bantams) sat on 9 and hatched 1 that died. I put 12 in the incubator and 2 hatched, both died-1 lived a week and looked good until about an hour before I found it dead. None of the other birds have even gone broody this year. My little rocks are setting again and I hope I get some healthy chicks from this clutch. Not a good year for me. Betty

-- betty modin (betty_m9@yahoo.com), June 24, 2001.

I had a really good turn out with my ducklings, at least compared to previous years, with 5 out of nine eggs hatching. Can't say the same for the chickens though. Out of three brooding hens with a total of 20 eggs altogether, only ONE chick hatched. I was pretty dissapointed with it but maybe next year will be better.=)

-- C.D. (his4ever@mac.com), June 24, 2001.

Little Quacker - I, too, have had a bad year for hatching chicks. I have had 3 incubators going. One hatched about 10 out of 48 eggs. The last one hatched about 12 out of 48, but all but 5 of them have died. They were acting perfectly normal, then the next time I checked on them one or two would be dead. Even my setting hens have had trouble. With three hens, they hatched 10 chicks, with many eggs not even hatching. I don't know what is going on, but if my last incubator doesn't do better, I am done for this year. Winona

-- Winona in MO (thompsonwin45@hotmail.com), June 26, 2001.