Dry hatching??

[feedman77]

Ok I do the low humidity incubation.

Keep it between 20 to 35 percent during incubation. Then I have been raising to 70 plus for hatch. Have done this way for a couple years.

The first couple hatches this year had a lot of sticky chicks that needed assistance. I am using a cabinet hatching in styros.

But I had a tray I set and put the wrong date on. When I went to lockdown the eggs.my cabinet bottom was full of hatched poults. 20 were in set in the tray 15 were hatched out. None sticky all dry no leg problems.

Had some eggs I pulled out from under a broody. Not sure when she set them but marked them and set in cabinet. All 4 hatched within a day of each other. No raise in the humidity or stopping the Turner.

Does anyone use the dry hatch method not raising humidity for hatching??

Or did I just get extremely lucky with what has hatched.

Beginning to second guess myself on hatching and advice I have given on my past methods.

 

[dreamwallaby]

I'd be interested in seeing what others say also. I switched to low humidity after my first few hatches a couple years ago did horrible at the recommended higher humidity. Have had great success with the low humidity for chick survival but have the same issue with maybe 10% off the hatch ending up stuck and needing help. I would think that humidity at 75% the last 3 days would prevent shrink wrap and yet there seem to be some. Broody hens.... never a shrink wrapped chick and I know they aren't upping the humidity just before hatch.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I've hatched at lower, not as low as incubating, humidity and prefer it. The problem is if you can't keep the humidity below 70% all the chicks are stuck like glue. So you see? It's actually easier to up the humidity to ensure your above 70% and don't get any drier.

At high humidity the album changes to goo, if this is allowed to dry the birds are stuck in shell. Calibrate your hygrometer with a salt test to ensure your above 70%. With hatching drier, I used 60-65% the chicks popped out of the shell with no issues, album is not sticky. BUT, and this is the problem so a BIG BUT, if your not there to open top and let humidity out and take wet new hatched chicks out then the humidity spikes. My last hatch that dry over half wanted to pip and zip overnight so I awoke to few chicks out of shell and everything else stuck tight. Was a mess! Easier and safer to deal with the few last of hatch stuck and keep 75% RH or higher.

Some say they hatch at 55%. No idea if they calibrate hygrometer and have yet dare to try it. I know, 60-65% is awesome but you get the spikes when chicks hatch so can turn ugly.