Hi all, been out of pocket, family funeral (85 yr old uncle w/Alzheimer's -- it was a blessing - he's not suffering anymore) had a good hatch yesterday. Missi, I can have Welsummer's available to you if you want, PM me, I have 4 hens & my roo - Channing Grisham lines, my roo is unrelated to my hens & I just hatched 2 test eggs from them-- first time, they are nice dark eggs, I can email you pics. my roo is a year old now & my hens hatched last July 1st.
I had a great hatch of BBS Plymouth Rocks from Halo (Kathy) in Florida--I highly recommend her stock. Mine obviously won't be laying good until this fall.
I hatch in a 1602N Hovnabator w/an auto-turner & my husband rigged a fan inside of it. Just didn't have the $$ for anything more expensive. The auto-turner is the key in a styrofoam 'bator, as they seem to take more time to re-stabilize when you turn by hand (just my opinion & experience). I also, following advice from Kathy, kept my humidity very low - 30s & didn't raise the hatch humidity higher than 50s this time, & had much better results. You have to take the natural humidity in our atmosphere here into consideration (again, just my thoughts & experience). It's taken me 3 years & several lost hatches to figure it out, but I have the hang of it now!
Hey isn't it great to have WARM weather?!!! the snow was pretty,yes, but this is soooo much better & the runs are actually drying out!
