DICKEY'S vs. SPORTSMAN ... Any reviews?

[gumbii]

yep...

i don't have one, but i'm looking to build one by the end of this year... or, might just get a used dickey or sportsman if i find a deal...

 

[SED]

I keep my humidity around 60-65% throughout the entire period. Hatching Barred Rock, Domineque, Buff Orpington, White Rock, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, Silkies, abd Bourbon Red Turkeys. I have Coturnix Quail and Ring Neck Pheasant eggs in the incubator now.

 

[Debbi]

Interesting, however, these are thick shelled, dark brown eggs. The brown color comes from an outside coating of the color. The shells are very thick and seem to need more of an evaporation period or else the chicks get too big to turn and pip in the shell, hence the lower humidity. Anyone here with Marans experience with these bators?

 

[onthespot]

Yes, and I do get quitters. If I was just hatching marans, I'd put the humidity around 40%. (35-45%) give or take, and hatch at around 55%. If you run your bator too dry, your other eggs get their air cells too big and don't hatch. You sorta have to decide which eggs you are going to cater to if you mix, and if you cater to small, whitish eggs, a lot of your marans will drown. If you cater to the marans, your whiter eggs and bantam eggs will dry out and need some help.

 

[Debbi]

Thanks onthespot. I have now found my hatching niche for the Marans eggs, so would be hatching them seperately. I would've had an exceptional hatch this weekend if the LG that I use as a hatcher hadn't spiked to 107* for no apparent reason overnight (like 4 hours). I just egg-topsied some of the eggs from that hatch, and all that had been rocking, should've hatched, sans the spike!

 

[BawGock]

Quote:
I was going to suggest that maybe you could use your old bator as the hatcher and use the new cabinet you pick out for the first 18 days.
But after reading this, I take it all back.

Carolyn