I placed a tiny rectangular tupperware in my Brinsea on my last hatch. I put a piece of paper towel in the tupperware and then added water to the container by bendable straw through the vent hole when needed (usually daily). The water helped with the humidity but my serama chicks could not drown because the paper towel absorbed most of the water. Once the chicks started to hatch I did not need to add water anymore since the humidity went up on it's own. The tupperware is above the chick in the photo.
I incubate for 18 days with the vent open. The eggs need oxygen. Then upon lockdown all vents are closed. Do experiment to see what works best for you in your area. Truthfully my eggs hatch just about anywhere, at least my own do. I hatch alot of chicks and occasionally miss one in the turner. When it's head pops out of the shell and it starts it birth song then I know I did it again. To me that says alot as I always dry incubate so the chicks are hatching with no water in there at all. They come out dry and strong everytime. LOL I do try to get them all in the incubator though. I have 3 Ameraucanas and a Mottled Java hatching as I type and several Black Copper Marans a few days ago. Just about everyday for the next month or so I will be hatching.
Quote:That's exactly how I do it. I also tried the dry hatching with both bators (Marans in one and Ameraucanas in the other). Someone here gave me the idea.