Dry hatch compromise?

[LuvMyBLR]

So my incubator finally came!

We are putting the first eggs in on thursday night or friday morning. But I'm not sure whether to do the full dry hatch that I've read about having great results or keep the humidity up. It seems to be one extreme or the other. What if we just put a little water in, but not do a complete dry hatch? And if we do that, what do you think the humidity should be?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

It depends on where you live and your humidity too. I do dry hatches and have great results, but I live in FL. Before I switched to dry hatches I had drowning chicks.

 

[LuvMyBLR]

Quote:
We live in NH and the humidity is actually quite uncomfortable this time of year

So I guess a dry would be okay, and if it's a dry day sometimes it'll either be okay or we can put just a little water in once in a while.
Oh and I got the Hova-Bator 1602N if that makes a difference.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

All I can say is, text book hatching doesn't always work for everyone, and every egg type. I do add water to my duck eggs near the end. Ducks and geese get misted and weighed and candled constantly during incubation. Chicken and quail go dry until lock down for me then 1 trough of water. I use all Brinsea bators.

 

[LuvMyBLR]

Thanks! So you've only ever had successful hatches with the dry method?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Quail started hatching yesterday- dry hatch. 3 doz+ chickens going into lock down tonight-dry hatch.

Last chicken eggs hatch were 100% hatch on shipped eggs and dry hatch.

 

[Love my Critters!]

Where I live we are lucky to get humidity about 10% so I have to use water. Wish I could help.

 

[Tiff A.]

FLChickens

Do you dry hatch during the whole 21 days or just the first 18? I live in GA so it's pretty humid here...just wondering looking for a more successful hatch. Just set more eggs today.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

My quail I dry hatched right through, ducks get water at lock down as do geese. Ducks and geese get cooled and misted daily as well, and candled about every 3 days. Chickens depends on current weather. If it is raining no water, if it is not then I add some water.

 

[Denninmi]

I live in SE Michigan. Generally we have humidities in the 40-50 % range during the daytime, but of course, that's the average, it can be as low as the 20's, but this is rare, or foggy and wet all the time.

I have lowered the humidity when I did quail, and got a lot better hatches. Brinsea recommends about 45% then 65% at lockdown, I went with around 37% and 52 to 57%, and didn't have problems with late dead in shell. OTOH, this last hatch was ALSO my first of my own eggs, not shipped in eggs, and that makes a difference. Can't really draw a valid conclusion since I changed more than one variable.

BUT, I tried running my goose eggs drier, also, at 40% then 60 to 65% to hatch, and that was NOT good -- they had problems with getting shrink wrapped and had a lot of "goo" stuck to them. It was too dry, am upping it for the current 3 goose eggs back to 48% incubation, and will start out at about 67% to hatch.