Dry INcubation???

[thunderwagn]

Quote:
Here is some info on dry incubation. https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-DryIncubation.html
There is tons of info on it and it differs a little here and there. Search and use your best judgement. Everyones circumstances are different. I do live in Colorado which is a very, very arid environment and it works for me. My incubator is in the basement. It holds a pretty steady humidity level. I leave my vents on the Dickey wide open. Both of them. There is a water pan, but I have it on a very low level. I guess "dry" is somewhat misleading, but I only add water if the humidity is extremely low. Or air cells start getting to large. As for the last stage, the one most here call "lock down" the hatch stage, I bump up the humidity which is typical of the method.
My hatches have never been better.
thunderwagn

 

[Louise's Country Closet]

Quote:
I have better luck as well, with all sorts of birds. In fact, I found this out because I was trying to hatch some turkey eggs and I wanted to try the dry hatch - but ended up with duck eggs all THREE times! (Got them from another person, not my fault! lol) and I had a very very good hatch rate! I'm hoping it holds true this year, I have some in lockdown right now.

About the 'dry' incubating though, like someone was asking, it's not actually DRY. You do have to add some water to have a little bit of humidity. Like thunderwagn said, the name is misleading because it's not dry at all, it's just a lower humidity.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
Sorry, but I completely disagree. I have great luck, (better than with high humidity), with dry incubation method. I keep my humidity low, about 35% and bump it up to around 65-70% the last 3 days. Honestly, this is the best way I have gotten my calls to hatch as well.

I agree with you.


I don't add any water to my incubator except when I mist and cool the duck eggs several times a week. Humidity stays around 18-20%. Day 23(call eggs), I bump up humidity to around 70-75%.

 

[Duckchick2011]

So whats the big deal, what is dry incubation exactly, what is the science behind it, what is the purpose, what makes it work better, how is it different from normal incubation?

(Not trying to highjack, just trying to understand)

 

[thunderwagn]

Sundown, you give great hatching advice.

I for one love the write up on your site for incubating.

 

[destinduck]

I read the whole article thunderwagn. Most all of what was said I already knew. Basically Duckchick its what I knew all along. This all boils down to where you live and what kind of incubator you use. What humidity you want to run.(HIGH or LOW) Whether you call it wet or dry hatching .ITS THE HUMIDITY AROUND THE EGGS DURING INCUBATION Some of us use wet and some of us use dry. You have to find what works best for you in your area with your incubator and what YOU want to use. To the OP Cui 18 I DEFINITELY cant and will never reccomend it! BUT you heard the others that DEFINITELY reccomend it. So.... there you have it. DEFINITELY two sides of this coin to be sure! Also edited to say not near as hard to hatch chicken eggs or other bird eggs as waterfowl eggs are.