Dry incubation ??? Help

[standardbanty]

I trying to set my bator up. I am going by the dry incubation metod.. The one part I dont get is to leave the plugs open and do i add water to the bator or just maintain the room humidity?


Thanks

 

[92caddy]

If you are going the dry way, then you dont put water in it and you leave the holes open. ...................good luck.........

 

[standardbanty]

So I dont put any water in it at all?...even the last 3 days.... Do i need to put hygrometer in bator then?

 

[onthespot]

I would say it depends on the humidity in your climate. I would DEFINITELY buy a hygrometer and use it. Dry incubation does not mean not paying attention and monitoring and managing your humidity, it means shooting for a different number, but that number will not maintain itself. You will need to add water, plug and unplug holes, twist the control, check seveal times a day, keep an eye on the weather channel same as people who run higher humidity. If you TOTALLY lucked out, the weather in your area would be completely conducive to dry hatching with minimal interference, but I would not trust Mother Nature to do me any favors, especially this time of year when heaters and fireplaces dry out the air in many homes, and temps fluctuate from day to night while we sleep (if we are thrifty and energy conscious) You will still need to monitor temps, watch the water, do all that stuff. Good luck with your hatch. The more you do it, the better you get at it as you find out how your particular home environment affects the humidity and temps inside your incubator during the daily cycle in your home.

 

[standardbanty]

So i will still need to add water to the bator before the last 3 days?

 

[farmergal]

Yes, and possibly before. I am on the last few days of the dry incubation method (first time!!), and I had to add water fairly frequently -- no water left me with an 18% humidity (TOO low). This was in a room that hovered around 50% humidity, but apparently had a high evaporation rate. Don't know how some rooms with 50% humidity are different from others, but that's life for you

I eventually put the plug back in, just because I found that the humidity stayed more consistent that way. I know most dry hatchers take the plug out, but that's what worked for me. It all depends on your climate... your room... your house... your bator. SO many different variables for incubating!

 

[wegotchickens]

I found that the dry incubation method isn't good for banty eggs, IMO. They needed a higher humidity to be successful. Once I gave up dry hatching I had MUCH better results with the banties!