Utah!

No..I also thought I did better without the turner, but if I had things going on, and it wasn't a real expensive shipment of eggs, I would use the turner.  I like hand turning. 
Good thought on the humidity at this time of year.  I forgot you did the dry hatch. 

Let us know when you get those eggs!  Pictures too! 


Yes I think I started dry hatching mostly because of those Marans eggs I kept trying at. They had to be drier to evaporate through that glossy dark shell. I kept getting goop, and dead chicks, it improved greatly with the dry hatch. These eggs are littler and lighter so I am sure they will need something in this dry weather so they do not do the opposite and dry up too fast, don't ya think? I meant to ask the seller that, and forgot. So I am going with your humidity levels, sounds like a good plan. I know I printed off a chart of the air cell stages and where they should be at...anybody have a link to that? I can't find it.

I am glad I asked about the turner then...good to know you had similar results. I remember another thing, when it would tip, sometime the eggs would go 'thunk' and they would kind of fall to the side at once, I always worried they would damage the components inside the eggs.
 
UGH!!! So I was trying to put up some pics of the pen expansion at my mom's place, which is where all the birds are for breeding, and the page froze and crashed... grrrr... maybe I'll try again tomorrow, too tired now
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Grrr, one of my Icelandic cockerels is bullying my BO. I'm kind of surprised, because usually the BO is near the top of the pecking order. She's got a patch of feathers on her saddle area that have been pulled out or broken, and I know it's him because I've seen him biting her. I'm considering moving the BO back out to Tooele to get her away from him. My EE roo can be a jerk, but he takes better care of the ladies. I don't know why my cockerel has a problem with the BO. He's pretty close to earning himself near-permanent penned status
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I would take all of you for neighbors
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we would have the best, most fun neighborhood in town.
Phoenix, good luck on your hatch! Which ones are you doing?
I think I will do what Cynthia said with humidity this time with it being cold out/low humidity...I usually do the dry hatch/no humidity til lockdown...but the air is different this time of year, so I am going to use a little water this time. Sure hope it works...I can't decide if I should put a few under my broody or not! I am scared to let her try...due to the cold. The ones I incubate I think I will use my still air, the one with the fan and turner just did not have as much success as my still air. I have to wonder if the turner is not as good as hand turning on their sides, like they do in nature? What do you think Cynthia, did your bator with the turner work as well? I have not done lots of batches like you, maybe it was just bad luck.


Not sure what eggs the boss is going to do. My job is to get the incubator ready for her.
 
What kind of bator? Forced air needs to be around mid 30's or low 40's..watch the water when keeping it at that lower temp. Used to be considered a dry hatch, but most are keeping it at that now, and then there are those that go with no water at all until lock down. I keep water in at the mid 30's or low 40's, and don't even worry if it drops just below or goes up a bit. Until lock down, forced air, 60- 62%. That's me on the forced air.

On the still air, same goes for the humidity. During lock down, have found that the still air holds humidity like no other! I only keep it at 55 to 60% Had a 100% hatch this last time.

My broody girl keeps laying on one egg better than the other. She will have the one egg under her, but it isn't as warm. Tonight I decided to candle again, the one that was just barely under her chest, was getting quite cool. I had my flashlight, could see a lot of movement in the other egg, but not this one, so brought it in to candle..it moved. So, I kept it in. She just wants one I guess. I candled the two I had in..and had a quitter! So, now still have two eggs inside, still.. only one out with her.
Just a homemade Coolerbator forced air. Had a so so hatch rate last year with it. Thinking about buying one could use a recommendation on them
 
Red, sounds like that cockerel needs to get in trouble for being a bully.

My stupid cream legbar hen will not go roost with the other birds. Everyone has slowly migrated over to the large henhouse at night. Except her. So, she's sitting a dark henhouse with other chickens for warmth, and no light. I'm taking her over there every night. I'm wondering if I should block off the door after everyone's done laying for the day to force her.
 
We will be doing the Ameraucana and maybe a few FBCM eggs...

Casa our Wheaten Hens have paired up and are buddies now. Mine is lots happier.....Thank you again.
 
Sphinx, I would definitely start blocking off the old roost to force her to go elsewhere. She'll probably roost outside the coop somewhere for the first couple of nights. I had that happen with some of my birds. Every so often, I still need to put one or two of them away because they're in the bushes.

Madchicken, oh my gosh, that baby is so cute! Congrats on having one out already! Man, that went fast.

So after discussing my lack-of-egg woes with my BF, he suggested that maybe my girls need more light to help them to lay right now. I don't want to rig up light out in the coop, but what I'll do is put a large cage in the garage where I can have artificial light, then pen two girls at a time to see who's laying (and what they lay) I'm kind of excited for this experiment! I know exactly who I'm sticking in the layer suite first, too: my Exchequer Leghorn and my EE/Leghorn mix. After those two, I'll try putting my RIR in with someone, since I know she should be laying.
 

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