Dry Incubating???

[77horses]

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i don't think it matters if you are a newbie or not.

 

[klf73]

My first hatch should have failed if you read everything there is. I had eggs given to me. I didn't know that some were already incubated(broody). I turned them up until they hatched(some a week earlier than expected, so not on purpose) I opened the bator a LOT. I had a great hatch overall. The only problems out of 12 eggs were 1 infertile, 1 died of rough naval, and 1 I killed because I tried helping it out because it pipped more than 24 hours ago, it wasn't ready

. I obsessed over my first shipped eggs and got 2 to hatch first time and only 1 the second. I was crushed. I tried one more time *by the books* and ended up with a LOT of dead, very wet chicks. I then read the thread here on dry incubating and tweaked it a little. It is so much less stress. I turn 3x a day in cartons so it's easy. I don't even use a hygrometer anymore. The darker eggs seem to lose water weight a LOT slower than lighter eggs. My marans have small air cells even though I dry incubated, chicks are still doing well. I only have 1 out of 9 that hasn't hatched yet(it's pipped), that are due today. So I will use the hygrometer for light and white eggs but still don't add water unless it goes under 28-30% depending on my mood. I then only put a juice container bottom (ocean spray) cut down to about 2.5-3 inches with 2 sponges in it filled with water into my styro hatcher. If I have to open the hatcher I add HOT water when I am done with whatever I had to open it for and the steam brings the humidity back up. I only do my humidity in the high 50's, low 60's% for hatching as the eggs hatching make the humidity go WAY up naturally. This is what I do and I have had good success, even had a 100% hatch with shipped eggs. Good luck and happy hatching!

Krista

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I doubled my hatch rate with the "dry hatch" method.

This is kind of long, but it's worth reading.

http://brensbirdsofparadise.com/Dry Incubation.htm

 

[77horses]

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Yes, i have read that. And at first I didn't understand it LOL

Thanks for the link any way.

 

[77horses]

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That's good to hear! So I will definitely try dry hatching next Spring!

Thanks for the info!