Dry incubation problems

[CarolinaHen]

I have had great success with dry incubating, but am now having a large amount of chicks make it to lockdown but never pip. This has happened for my last three hatches. Humidity during days 1-17 stays around 25% and is increased to 65% for lockdown. Could it be because of the changes in the weather? I'm very disappointed with only 5 out of 11 Silkies hatching... Even of they were from shipped eggs since all of the others had fully developed chicks inside Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[HEChicken]

That sounds like an issue with not enough ventilation to me. Chicks need a free flow of fresh air to get enough oxygen for the hard work of hatching. I would open up every vent hole and/or make new holes, depending on the style of incubator, and see if that makes a difference.

 

[gimmie birdies]

yes my eggs are dry hatch I am on day 16 by day 14 they even started to get warmer, extra air holes are great.

 

[CarolinaHen]

I will try that next time and see if it helps. I have both vent plugs out, but I can always add more! Thanks!

 

[gimmie birdies]

ON inner pip I add water to my dry hatch.

 

[CarolinaHen]

Congrats on the babies!

Are you saying that you wait until the first pip before adding any water? I have been adding at lockdown and maintaining from then on.

 

[gimmie birdies]

INNER pip.

 

[gimmie birdies]

most chicks that dont hatch are an egg filled with fluid. when the chick enters the air cell the have absorbed most of the fluid now moisture comes in handy so they can turn and not dry out during pip.

In candling on lock down you don't even see the deep slope of an absorbed egg. but by day 19 it is more absorbed then you see the slope.

I would not add extra water to a fluid filled egg.


this is a good example of how they look after not dry damp.
but that is how my incubator works.

 

[CarolinaHen]

I usually candle early on day 18 and bump the humidity up then. I think I will try waiting a bit and see if that helps.

How are you candling on day 19 if you are already in lockdown?

 

[HEChicken]

I usually candle early on day 18 and bump the humidity up then. I think I will try waiting a bit and see if that helps.

How are you candling on day 19 if you are already in lockdown?

I really don't like the expression "lockdown". The hen doesn't "lockdown". I believe that was just a phrase coined to encourage new incubators to take a hands off approach during hatch, instead of intervening when it isn't necessary.

My incubator recovers very quickly, so I open it to candle throughout the 21 days. On day 18, 19, 20 when there are no pips, there is no harm in opening the incubator for short periods to candle, and during this time it is easy to see if a chick has pipped internally. Once there are external pips I don't overdo opening the incubator but there are times it is unavoidable, and I've never had an issue with chicks having difficulty hatching.