Dry hatch standard chicken eggs

[Erinnlyn]

So I have an NR 360 incubator and tonight (Tues. 9/13) is lockdown time. I am doing a dry hatch. I'm also on a NR 360 FB page where many people do not even add water at lockdown. They never add any water at all and get good hatch rates. I'm conflicted on raising humidity. If I don't, then I have the fear of shrink wrap for the chicks. If I do, then I may see the drowning people talk about on fully developed viable babies. I obviously don't want either!!! Is it more a matter of looking at the air cell size at lockdown time to determine humidity needs?
I set 6 eggs, 3 quit early -around day 7 or 8. The remaining 3 looked to be quite good size at day 16 candleing, air cells had grown and looked good in my limited experience. So having 3 left I want all of them to make it!!! Any advice?
Dry hatch - do you raise humidity? Some experienced hatchers do not, and they say humidity rises as soon as chicks pip and they only add water if humidity goes below 20%! -My first time hatching anything! Thank you.

 

[Tonyroo]

Dry hatch implies from day 1-17. And it's based on your indoor household humidity. But lockdown should be at 65 to 70%. Despite what people are posting on FB.

 

[Erinnlyn]

Dry hatch implies from day 1-17. And it's based on your indoor household humidity. But lockdown should be at 65 to 70%. Despite what people are posting on FB.

Ok, thank you for your reply!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I dry incubate and have been doing so for years. I purposely call this process dry incubate and not what most people call “dry hatch”. You do need to add water at lock down. Agree with 65 to 70% humidity.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Oh, and good luck with your hatch!

 

[Erinnlyn]

Oh, and good luck with your hatch!

Thank you! And thank you for your reply. I'm so stinkin' nervous!!! I will be back, hopefully with pictures of 3 cute lil fluff balls!

 

[Tonyroo]

When they do hatch let them rest in the incubator. When there standing and walking around is when you move them to the brooder. They won't need food and water for 2 days. During that time they will be sleeping or resting. But have the food and water ready.

 

[Erinnlyn]

Yep, I will! I know that's the most tempting time for people to remove them but I will leave them in until they are walking well. I will have the brooder ready. It's basically ready now, just will make sure the brooder plate is warm & food & water before I add them. I hope they'll be ok. I had the lid off my incubator last night while removing the turner and candling them. Since then, my temp wouldn't get back above 98.9-99.0. They spent about 10 hours like that. I decided to bump it up to 100. Now it's back to 99.6 and I'm having someone monitor temp today while I'm at work.

 

[konachicks]

So I have an NR 360 incubator and tonight (Tues. 9/13) is lockdown time. I am doing a dry hatch. I'm also on a NR 360 FB page where many people do not even add water at lockdown. They never add any water at all and get good hatch rates. I'm conflicted on raising humidity. If I don't, then I have the fear of shrink wrap for the chicks. If I do, then I may see the drowning people talk about on fully developed viable babies. I obviously don't want either!!! Is it more a matter of looking at the air cell size at lockdown time to determine humidity needs?
I set 6 eggs, 3 quit early -around day 7 or 8. The remaining 3 looked to be quite good size at day 16 candleing, air cells had grown and looked good in my limited experience. So having 3 left I want all of them to make it!!! Any advice?
Dry hatch - do you raise humidity? Some experienced hatchers do not, and they say humidity rises as soon as chicks pip and they only add water if humidity goes below 20%! -My first time hatching anything! Thank you.

How did it go? Didn’t see update

 

[Erinnlyn]

How did it go? Didn’t see update

I raised to the humidity to 65%. Two out of my 3 hatched. I waited a day for the last one, then candled it. It looked dead. There was no movement, and it just swished around inside the egg. It's aircell was very large. The only thing I can think of is, it was sitting directly under the vent in the incubator.
I do have 2 adorable babies though. They are almost 3 weeks old now