I know we've been having some strange weather this year and many parts of the country are still buried in snow, but I'm in SC and I can't explain what is happening.
Usually, by this time, I am getting 80% fertility and 80-100% hatch rates of those fertile eggs. Right now, I am getting, with the exception of one blue x blue pen, around 50% fertility and only 50% of those are hatching.
Anyone else have hatching/fertility issues in the south? Or anyone have any ideas of what might be going wrong?
One of the really strange things is in pen #2. That is Solomon's pen (my first Gr CH). He has 4 black hens and one splash hen (I wanted to improve type in my blue lines - Solomon was a good choice for that). The eggs from the black hens are about 50% fertile, but not a one are hatching. But I'm getting about 4-5 blue chicks every week - so near, if not exactly, 100% fertility from the splash hen.
I just can't figure it out - running the same temps (right at 100.) and humidity (40% in incubator, 55-60% in the hatcher)
Any ideas?