Almost lockdown down day on dry hatching

[BVan1]

It is my first time hatching eggs. I only have 4 eggs in the incubator. I did the dry hatch method. The humidity has ran at 19-20% pretty much the entire time.Tomorrow's is day 18 so we will be going into lockdown. I candled 3 of 4 eggs and all have movement and look good. The 4th is a dark egg so we are just hoping for the best. I have read that I should slowly increase the humidity to get it up to around 60% and I have heard to just leave it and the chicks hatching will automatically raise the humidity. Any suggestions? Or maybe just raise it to around 40%?

 

[Debbie292d]

Chicks need the higher humidity to help them break out of the eggshell. If you waited until they started hatching, you're making it tough on the first ones. Vents are supposed to be wide open so the higher humidity created by the chicks hatching is temporary.

I've hatched 100s and never dry hatched but my understanding of it is they still raise the humidity to 60-70% like the rest of us during lockdown.

Good luck and hope you get four happy and healthy chicks!

 

[CluckEmUp]

From what I read you are supposed to raise the humidity to 60%, if you don't do that it'll be too dry for them and something like shrink wrapping occurs (this is where because of the lack of humidity the membrane becomes stuck to the chick). When that occurs an assisted hatch is the only way those chicks will survive, or so I read (still a newbie here too dont know if theyre still able to hatch even if that occurs).

I would just play it safe and raise humidity to 60-70%

 

[wrathsfarm]

Same here, going into lockdown tomorrow (Friday) with 22 Marans eggs. A lot of suggestions point to lower humidity during 1st 18 days. (Dry hatch) and then bump it up for lockdown. The reasoning is, the darker, harder shells retain more humidity than normal eggs.

I'm hovering between 25-30% and shooting for 60% during lockdown. This is my first official incubation so we'll see how the hatch rate goes.... And adjust accordingly for the next.

Good luck with your hatch.