Anyone ever try the dry hatch method before?

[quintinp]

Quote:
I live in Oklahoma, and I do fine, but i guess if you lived alone the ocean in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama it would be much more humid. I don't add water at ALL until lock down.

 

[hmlongino]

I'm SOLD. My hatch rate last time was 10%! BLAH!!! Time to try something different....

 

[quintinp]

Quote:
YOU have came to our side. You won't regret it!

 

[dconf]

 

[Arielle]

No one has mentioned the need to monitor the size of the egg's air cell to see if it is developing properly--this is the real indicator of correct humidity. I searched back posts and univeristy sites for months before arriving at this conclusion. Dry incubation doesn't mean no humidity and it doesn't mean no monitoring. The egg must loose 12-14 % of its weight in moisture to hatch easily. Diagrams of air cells, duck and chicken:

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

Dry incubation may be what fits the humidity levels of your area. Some people may actually need a dehumidifier to reduce the ambient humidity. Someone else may need to add some water (desert). In the end its all about the egg loosing enough water.

Eggs also need an increase in ventilation about mid hatch (d11 chickens), and a decrease in temp during lockdown. Try this link where I started building a list of links. GL and try again, and keep a notebook.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=6932794

 

[hmlongino]

Do they lose that consistently throughout the hatch? Is there a chart that says, by this day they should have lost x and by this day they should have lost y?

I know they need to lose a total of 12-14% of their weight, but as someone who has never in my life weighed an egg, I need the "Egg weighing/monitoring for dummies" version!

I HAVE to get this right!!!

(I get the diagram of the air cells on certain days, just help me understand how that translates into weight... please!)

 

[loopy119]

About the quail: I have them hatching right now! Just watched my first one in this batch come out! And I have TONS of pips all around. I will let yall know how many I end up with out of 34 eggs. Also, these eggs are from my own quail, not shipped. And this is the biggest quail batch I have done so far so I am still experimenting with them. The next batch will be the full 120 that my quail racks will hold.

About monitoring the air cell: I candle a few random eggs a couple of times during the incubation to look at the air cell and veins, but I have found that if I open the bator too much during the incubation it seems to decrease my hatch rate. Also, I did mention that this method works well for me personally, but it may not be for everyone. I haven't ever weighed my eggs because I really don't like to disturb them.

 

[MommaB]

Quote:
I live in Oklahoma, and I do fine, but i guess if you lived alone the ocean in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama it would be much more humid. I don't add water at ALL until lock down.

I'm in Oklahoma also. It is great to hear of someone in my area having luck with dry incubation! I started my eggs in incubation last night!

 

[alaina]

@ loopy; I think thats a good idea, less opening, less messing with, and add NO water until day 18 or 19! And, you have your own eggs too, that makes a HUGE difference. I am stuck with shipped eggs until I get some healthy adults to keep eggs from next year. I look forward to that day!!

 

[quintinp]

Quote:
So, You are saying that you are having lots of luck dry-incubating your QUAIL eggs?