Dry Incubation/Hatch Notes....

[CrazyWestTexasFarmGirl]

This hatch I did a dry incubation.... and I mean dry.. I kept getting busy and forgetting to check the incubator.... Humidity ran about 20% max the whole time. sometimes as low as 16%. I only pulled 4 that quit early. 33 to start... had about 10 clears (nonfertile) pulled 4 quiters. Lockdown Hatching humidity is 40 - 45% right now...18 eggs on lockdown. So far I have 10 babies out I think clean hatching. noisy active healthy babies. Hatch date was yesterday... first zipper was today. Now I have been opening the incubator long enough to spritz the eggs with water about twice a day since locking down..... eggs are in a carton tray from the turner and babies are unzipping nicely. 3 EEs and 7ish silkieX frizzles and still hatching.
When I realized it was going so dry I ran with it. I had talked to a friend that incubates and she said she doesnt bump up the humidity. She just fills her water tray and turns each day and lets it run.... and has a pretty good hatch rate. I was tired and getting a little burnt out on this batch.... so figured what the heck... and voila....
After this Im not going to stress so much about humidity.... I did fill the water up for lockdown.... didnt add sponges etc to bump it up higher.....

I have a batch of duck and turkey eggs from the same batch still in the turners that will go on lockdown on 6/2 I will bump humidity up a little higher for them I think...