Dry incubation

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animalsRawesome

animalsRawesome

Songster
8 Years
Apr 12, 2011
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I read this article on dry incubation, and would like to try it. I went out and bought a digital thermometer today, which also tells you the humidity. The humidity of my room is about 40%-43%. The article says "Bring the humidity level in the room up to between 50%-75% preferably 50%." How do I do this?
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Thanks!!
 
Most of us dry incubate at a lower level. THis 50% is much higher than the generally prefered 30-35% among the hatchers on BYC . Worrell has great info. You will need to see what works for you in the room you have the incubator live in. I had my LG in a cool upstairs room during the fall (rainy season) with the wood stove going(dries the air).

The goal is to have the air cell increase dramatically and the egg looses weight to accomplish this.

You bring up the RH at lockdown, using cups of water with a sponge sticking out.


Diagrams of air cells, duck and chicken:

http://www.poultryconnection.com/quackers/aircell.htm


And try this thread, it leads to a dry incubation method.

ChooksChick's Incubation Cheat-Sheet ROCKS!!!
 
Last edited:
people who use dry incubation worry about the humidity in lockdown..unless you live in an area/where humidity is 2%..then you might need to add a little moisture. there is a very good article in here with chicks that hatched....all of them from a correct dry hatch..you can use search to fing that article..it is in the learning center. it works very well..the air cellneeds to be a certian size upon hatch otherwise you wind up with stickey chicks and drown chicks...so depending on you climate . there is a lot of natural humidity in the incubator as they evaporate. you will also experience a temp spike mid way through hatch as they start to generate their own heat so be prepared to regulate a bit during that time...
 
Thank you Arielle! The Cheat-Sheet is amazing, I am going to use it for sure!!!!
And Thanks Aveca, I will look for the article.
 
Chookschick is available for questions if you need help. THough just posting here brings out all the dry hatch supporter, too. LOL If you need to understand her info, just contact her. I had read so many stories about drown chicks that I was terrified to hatch; then I read her info, followed it and had a 50% hatch the first time and that was including turkeys !!!


Good luck. And keep a note book.
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I have a digital thermometer in my bator. It records daily high and low temps as well as the current temp. My bator is fluctuating between 99 and 102!!! I haven't touched the dial, so why is the temp range so big? Also, the humidity is holding steady at 16%. Is that Ok? IK I'm not supposed to worry about the humidity for the first part of the hatch, but it's just so different from how I've hatched before. I just need someone to tell me that it will be ok. LOL
 
animalsRawsome said:
I have a digital thermometer in my bator. It records daily high and low temps as well as the current temp. My bator is fluctuating between 99 and 102!!! I haven't touched the dial, so why is the temp range so big? Also, the humidity is holding steady at 16%. Is that Ok? IK I'm not supposed to worry about the humidity for the first part of the hatch, but it's just so different from how I've hatched before. I just need someone to tell me that it will be ok. LOL

Your humidity shouldn't be below 20% for long periods. "Dry incubating" is a relative term. For many their ambient humidity is high enough to not need to add water. Others only need to add small amounts of water, get it up to 40-45% then let dry out for a day, back up to 40%-ish and let dry out again. What your really shooting for is 35-40% first 18 days though it doesn't need to stay steady; it's about weight (water) loss and air sac developing to proper size in egg.
Click to expand...
 
I am sorta trying a dry hatch method this time, did not add any water initially to my Brinsea OCT-20, humidty stayed consistently at the 32-36% range,
I have boosted the room humidity up to 65% using a humidifier, but this hasn't affected the incubator humidity much. I have been occasionally putting 5 to 10 ml of distilled water into the incubator which does push the humidity up to the 40% range, but only stays in that range for a few hours, then drops back to the 35% range. Guess I need to stop fretting about the humidity, and see what the aircell looks like when I candle in a week.
 
I also need to vent my worries and have someone tell me not to panic ( I hope)

First time incubator using a still air hovabator with turner. I am also trying dry incubation, although since the eggs went in on Saturday night, it went from 30% ( on my dry run for a few days) to 40-45%. I have a thermometer in the incubator laying on the turner that is reading 101/102 and an indoor/ outdoor thermometer that has the probe on the top of the eggs that is reading 98-99. Hoping this means we are ok with right in the middle. Wish they were closer for being an inch or two apart.

should be hatching between 31 and 1st I hope. THis is my first time and the incubator is packed! Here is to hoping we have chicks for easter
 
zekii said:
I am sorta trying a dry hatch method this time, did not add any water initially to my Brinsea OCT-20, humidty stayed consistently at the 32-36% range,
I have boosted the room humidity up to 65% using a humidifier, but this hasn't affected the incubator humidity much. I have been occasionally putting 5 to 10 ml of distilled water into the incubator which does push the humidity up to the 40% range, but only stays in that range for a few hours, then drops back to the 35% range. Guess I need to stop fretting about the humidity, and see what the aircell looks like when I candle in a week.
Click to expand...

Yes, check the air cells on days 7 and 14 and 18 and match to diagram. Much can change from day 7 to day 18.
 

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