AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM

i was just wondering if this heat would have an effect on the fertility of the chooks?

It can do in a number of ways, the birds dont feel like doing "it" or it can destroy the fertility in the eggs.
Certainly is having an effect here at the momnet.

He's right, also can speed up hatching which can be a bad thing

This time of year all around Australia you have to watch the outside temperature as it plays a major part of any incubator. I have a climate controlled air conditioned room made from refrigerated panels, the idea use of materials for an incubator room.

one word answer =

YES

I second that YES & YES the heat has caused me some grief with eggs

Same as me, I no sooner set some eggs and the temp sky rockets that would be right with my luck



HBG

examples of effects of heat and fertility and deveopment of embryos

Chooks =3 1/2 mnths ago 19 doz eggs set = 98% hatch - I BS you not
15 doz eggs sent across OZ - average hatch 85% - one lot sent a bit late and may have been effected by the heat - 2 doz = ONE chick [more eggs being sent once heat is gone and fertility re-established]

12 doz set just after the heat wave a few weeks ago = ONE yep count it ONE chick hatched


Geese = 14 eggs set a week before the heat wave = one gosling developed to hatch all others died in shell right smack middle of the heat wave - the goose eggs set 2 months earlier = only one didnt develop = 15 goslings running feral in the back yard some are mightily pretty too !!

Turkeys = 22 poults from first hatch of 30 eggs [4mths ago]
eggs sent interstate [42 eggs total ] from this same time - 80% hatch rate

last lot set - 28 eggs all but 2 dead at day 14 - tallys with the heat

sooooooo - it effects the fertility AND if collected BEFORE the heat = the incubation is effected as well

scarily the 2 turkey eggs [set just before the heat wave] under a teeny bantam hatched as did the 8 each under 2 Orps - picture the bantam - weight 752grams & turkey eggs almost as big as her - wings full held out agonisingly to the side for 28 days but now a proud Mamma of babies already bigger than her and she still bosses them around

So the wrap up at my place is - - -

heat effects fertility AND artificial incubation

dam, well we just hatched ten chickslast week and our hamburghs chicks are meant to hatch soon... fingers crossed it's not too bad

"Brownie" hatched out a batch of chickens in the past two days that were due today. She was sitting on 15 eggs (Blue Orp over White Leghorns and Black Australorp). I haven't bugged her to do a chick count, but there were a lot of shells beside her when I looked in on her earlier tonight. I'll take them out tomorrow.