FunClucks
Crowing
I'm sorry that didn't work for you. What humidity were you running during your dry hatch (what was the ambient humidity that your unit was reading)? Since dry hatching just means you're not adding any moisture, you're using what the environment naturally has, I'm wondering what your environment was. Might try hatching again during winter when it's super dry, or run a dehumidifier in that room when hatching to get the humidity of the room lower during incubation.
Did you weigh the eggs to see what weight loss they were getting every week or so?
If you have a turner, are you sure the eggs are turning well? Umbilical issues can be due to insufficient egg turning leading to abnormal development. I was researching this in particular because that's what happened to mine, and only in the large eggs. I concluded they were slipping instead of turning in my Nurture Right 360 because they were heavy and the tray was slick. The shelf liner I plan to use next time will make them turn instead of slipping.
I ask because it really does sound like they're just not losing enough moisture during incubation, and that's fixable.
I built an entire still air incubator from reptile keeping equipment and a spare pressure canner I had on hand because I wanted to save my favorite hen's eggs during an unintentional staggered hatch. I totally get wanting to hatch your favorite hen's eggs. They make otherwise healthy chicks, so I think this is doable.
