"DRY INCUBATION"

For those of you that have not tried the "Dry Incubation" method you might want to consider. I have hatched hundreds of eggs and I must say I am really impressed with this method. For those of you who have not read the article its located in the "Learning Center" on Backyard Chickens. I followed the instructions to the "T" and currently my hatch rate is 99%!!!!!!!!!!! The last chick is hatching as we speak which will move me up to 100%!!! This method really kicks eggshells!! All 30 chicks hatched with no problems.....less mess and goo which is a sign of a stressful hatch. These little boogers hatched like popping corn!!! The first chick started hatching at 1330hrs on 01/25......the last is almost finished. My hatch rate normally runs between 65-70%. All the chicks seem to late hatch on the 21st day until I tried this method. Mostly had chicks to not even hatch completely or be 100% developed, with no pipping of the egg. This time its currently 99% with chicks hatching on day19 and 20 and healthy as can be. some may say I just had a good hatch...but if you actually read the article you will be able to pick out each mistake that you have ever made incubating eggs. I also had a spare incubator that i used entirely for hatching.......at day 18 they came off the turner from one incubator to the hatching incubator where the humidity and temp were exact and ready for them.

WOW Congrats I read the info & I have been toying with the idea of building a bator or buying one to try this. Thanks for sharing!

All chicks are doing quite well eating and drinking here and there. The 14 remaining Mille Fleurs Duccles are due to hatch March 2. This Dry Incubation method really has me fired up about hatching more eggs.

I`m doing this to and its my first time,I have 40 eggs in and I did start out with a little water but have not added any since,they have been in for 4 days.The humidy says 19%.How low is to low and should I ever add water.I do know that at day 18 I add water to both wells is that right?I have a hova-bator 1602n with turner and fan.Any advice would be helpful.

ANYBODY!! Would like some info from other peaple that have done this.Thanks

I did it with seramas that were shipped and had a 50% hatch!

I made 2 homemade bators, one for day 1 - 18 and one for hatching. I have added eggs so, I will have 3 different hatch days. The first eggs just got put in hatching bator this evening. The humidity was kept 25 - 42% in the incubator and stayed 99.5 - 99.7 F and now in hatcher I have it at 71% and 99.5 F. I hope I did and am doing this right?

That is great! Congratulations on such a great hatch! Thank you for sharing your outcome with us.

I read an article on dry hatch, and so I decided to try it! Not sure if I'm doing it exactly the same way. It said to keep humidity between 30-40%, only add water if it gets to 25% and at that point only add a tsp. I've been doing this, I am now on day 15. Started with 34 eggs from my own flock, and I'm now down to 21 viable eggs. I'm going to bump up the humidity to 65 at lockdown.

I ***THINK*** its not suppose to get below 25% day 10-18... then gets bumped to 65% for the last days.

henney penny said:

I`m doing this to and its my first time,I have 40 eggs in and I did start out with a little water but have not added any since,they have been in for 4 days.The humidy says 19%.How low is to low and should I ever add water.I do know that at day 18 I add water to both wells is that right?I have a hova-bator 1602n with turner and fan.Any advice would be helpful.

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