Anybody dry incubating?

[Dirty_South_Chickens]

I just set 28 eggs yesterday and this is my 2 time to dry incubate. First time I ran about 30 to 35% humidity and about 70 for lockdown. This time I am trying around 25 to 30% and 50 to 60% for lockdown. I am trying to nail down a good % for both and just wondering whats working for y'all. Also my temps are staying really steady at 99.3 to 100.6 with a real slow change. My 25W night light keeps my temps steady after my other 2 get it to about 99 or so they never have to kick on unless I open it for some reason.

 

[luvmychixandducks]

I started 42 eggs on 2/8 so may have leap year peeps on 2/29 if all goes well.
I tried the humidity regular aproach before, adding water when less than 35% and at the end got
a bunch of drowned chicks.
So this time I'm trying dry hatching to see if that was the cause.
So far have not added any water - but the humidity shows steady at 16%.
Perhaps when I candle if the air sac appears very large, I'll add a bit of water-
I'm using a styrofoam bator and these have a reputation for staying too humid to hatch live chicks.
Will follow up at the end to share results.

 

[Dirty_South_Chickens]

Cool Thanks! What are you going to run your humidity at lockdown?

 

[luvmychixandducks]

I'm going to switch incubators at lockdown - so I don't have to clean up the hatcher incubator with the egg turner- I've got an old round foam bator with a wafer heater that holds temp so at day 18 the hovabator goes off . This allows me to keep the same setting as that eqiupment is holding at 100 / 99 but if I remove the aurtomatic turner for lockdown the temp drops- the turner motor generates heat, don't forget.
I'll just fill the ring in the bator with water when I add eggs- whatever that gives me for humidity- the eggs are only in that bator 3-4 days. As I recall it shows about 50% humidity when I do this.
That's a little low, but as I've said before, too much humidity = dead chicks, so this time I'm going dryer.

 

[rednana9]

I am doing a dry hatch and went into lockdown sunday. Humidity ran about 30% during incubation but I didnt add any water. At lockdown I filled all reservoirs and added a wet sponge. Humidity between 60 to 65% and as sponge dries out I add water to it with a syringe and a straw. First silkie hatched this morning.

 

[luvmychixandducks]

If I had 30% humidity adding nothing, I'd leave well enough alone also- but here in the Boston area, even though winter has been very mild, I still run my woodstove for heat- and that makes for a very dry house.
Even adding water in the bator with a baster I only got to 28%. I added a teakettle and a cast iron water reservoir to the woodstove to raise the humidity in the house, but it had little impact on the hygrometer reading in the hatchery room.
Congrats on your little silkie. May it be one of many for you.
My eggs were ebay purchases, and the USPS gave them a rough and a cold ride- I requested a call upon arrival at our local PO but th4e first I heard was a knock on trhe door and a cold letter carrier with four dozen cold eggs. (Temp was 23).
I'll be candling tonight, hoping to see something (ANYTHING) other than clear.
Eggs are Austrolops and Buff Orpingtons. If I get a dozen pullets from 42 Eggs I'll be ecstatic.

 

[Dirty_South_Chickens]

I too set 18 Buff eggs and 10 eggs from my BLRW rooster and RIR hens...can't wait to see the mix! Also are you running still air or a fan and if you have a fan are you turning it off for lockdown? I would like to hear both of y'alls updates.

 

[rednana9]

I dont have a fan on mine. Today is day 21 and so far nothing but the silkie that hatched yesterday.

 

[Hennyhandler]

I am starting a hatch for the second time since the first didn't go to well. I am trying to keep the humidity at 30%-35% and the temp at 101 but it has been a challenge. I am in Alabama and I am trying a dry incubation. Do you think this will work?

I have had to add to cups of water to sit in the bottom to get the humidity up even a little bit which kind of defeats the purpose of a dry hatch but I don't have much of a choice.

 

[Dirty_South_Chickens]

As I understand it dry incubation is more of the range of humidity % not so much the lack of water used, like instead of 60 to 65% it's 20 to 35% but depending on your location you may not need any water to get that. Here in central Texas I have to add a water bottle with a hole drilled in the lid to get 25% humidity. I have done a lot of reading on here and everyone does it different and all say it works...here in the south I have to crack a beer open and put a double shot of whiskey in the bator get them to hatch!