Dry Incubation

[onthespot]

I have seen no difference between white, off white, beige and tan eggs. They all seem to incubate the same, if they are in the same size class. It is just eggs that are very large need to be lower humidity, in addition to very dark eggs. If you somehow developed some very dark laying bantams that laid a small egg, I bet it would just cancel out and you could incubate them normally, (while you laughed all the way to the bank)

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Quote:
Exactly!

This is why....

1. I love it when newbies make authoritative statements about how easy it is to incubate and/or what humidity levels everybody else needs to use.

2. I use the weight loss method (weigh eggs regularly and manipulate humidity to achieve a 12-14% weight loss). It's labor-intensive, but it'll work for any climate.

When I moved from the Napa Valley to Chico, I was quite shocked at just how differently I need to roll with the incubator. Need more humidity here.

 

[DANNY]

Quote:
I agree because actually dry incubation is not adding moisture if you don't. Here in the southeast our humidity is high so dry incubation could work. Though I have always put water in my incubators and will continue to. I know for a fact the commercial hatcheries use water so I would think they know what they are doing. Most of the time peoples incubator problems are more temperature related. All that said always go for what works for you..

 

[fivestring]

As for the D.E. I have been using it the entire time I have had chickens. I just dust their yard, laying boxes, chickens, everything. I let the dust settle on their food containers so they eat some of it. No probs with mites, fleas, worms, etc.

 

[Jess N Jeff]

Quote:
Exactly!

This is why....

1. I love it when newbies make authoritative statements about how easy it is to incubate and/or what humidity levels everybody else needs to use.

2. I use the weight loss method (weigh eggs regularly and manipulate humidity to achieve a 12-14% weight loss). It's labor-intensive, but it'll work for any climate.

When I moved from the Napa Valley to Chico, I was quite shocked at just how differently I need to roll with the incubator. Need more humidity here.

EXACTLY!!!!!!

certin times of the year I never have to add water...like right now because the air is so moist(stormy). Other times I have to add water. Every situation is different and everyone needs to find out what works for them. Sadly I have ruined a few hatches, but have learned VALUBLE lessons.

 

[Penturner]

You would think that people could do it better than the chicken. but that would assume we are smarter than a bird. Find someone that can build a nest and give them one as an example of what a bird can do. I have a suspicion that that is a great example of what it really takes to hatch an egg. maybe, just maybe it is harder, much harder to do than most people would tend to think. and maybe just maybe there is a lot more to be watching than just temperature and humidity. I have a hypothetical question that is meant to open up thinking about just what might need to be watched when it comes to hatching eggs. if it was your child or grandchild in that incubator. would you be satisfied if the doctor told you the temperature and Humidity where being monitored and so far everything is going fine? And then when you asked him if that was all they needed to keep an eye on he said. well that is all we watch and we have at best on 85% success rate with that method. of course some hospitals we have little to no success rate at all.
some of the first things I think about is what about nutrition. is the yolk in that egg adequate?
How about Oxygen. I would be concerned about that long before I was worried about Humidity. But never once heard of anyone putting an oxygen sensor in a bator. temp would probably be next for me. sanitation would be huge on my list as well. warm wet places are impossible to keep sanitary by the way unless they are sterilized and sealed. even at that I can only wish you luck at best. how much bacterial infection does it take to kill a chick in it's egg? anyone ever put a quitter under a microscope and see if it has been attacked by bacteria. Huge suspect for me. how much Humidity is enough. I live in a bone dry area of the US and watch ducks, swans, and other birds hatch eggs all spring long. If those birds have 10% humidity that is probably pushing it and I have watched some ducks lay as many as 22 eggs. 50% humidity may have gotten the best results for hundreds of years, but is it the best humidity if the right stuff is being watched?

I suspect the art of hatching eggs has only gone as far as getting some to hatch. and very little effort has been focused on what else is needed. most people figure out what works best for them. but this is little more than knowing how to hold your mouth right as far as understanding how to get an egg to hatch. anyone ever tried dipping eggs in Methiolate Blue before setting it in the bator? basically M.Blue will kill any bacteria that gets on the egg. I have seen the survival of eggs improve 1000% precent. yes ten times over. with just attempts to prevent attack from bacteria. although not chicken eggs.

Anyway think about it being a baby in an incubator and then ask yourself what all you want watched. because the truth is it is a baby in an incubator

 

[Keri78]

This whole hatching biz is new to me and like everything else in this world..you think something is just so simplistic until you really start to look at it and attempt to understand it! To someone like me who believes in a Creator I'm always amazed to see God's design and handywork in everything! I had 8 eggs in my bator lockdown is tomorrow...I have 4 babies growing...this is very exciting and stressful and humbling all at the same time!!! Can't wait to meet my little silkie babies!!! Blessings, Keri

 

[JanieMarie]

Just want to add my experiences with dry incubation and some thoughts. First ronben I felt just like you for awhile. A chick killer! Lots of fully formed chicks dieing in the shell. Here's a thread on the first dry incubation I did. Alot of good people chimed in with their experiences too: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=276491 I just finished up a staggered hatch. Dry incubation where the humidity fell as low as 16% at times plus its really dry here this time of year and I heat with wood. Two sets of 9 eggs each and 18 chicks all hatched easily and healthy. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=294705

My first thought is the big indicator for humidity is the air cell no matter where you live or what the humidity is in your climate. Whatever your climate it is the humidity in the incubator that is affecting the egg as this is its climate. The air cell will always tell you if humidity is too high or low by its rate of growth. Being able to 'read' the air cell will come with experience and candling. Personally I have never had a problem candling quite frequently. I wash my hands and am very gentle.

I also think the oxygen and air flow through the bator is important so I always leave the plugs out. Poor little eggs need to breathe. And depending on the outside conditions adjust the water added to try to maintain ~30% humidity during incubation always keeping a close eye on the air cell. During hatch I upped the humidity to 50-55% and none of them stuck so this is all what has worked for me.

edited to add I also think each breed has its own unique set of requirements and part of the problems come from trying to figure out the different breeds specifics.

 

[aveca]

Boy you guys are making me nervous with 17 eggs in the bator right now. I thought I knew what I was doing now Im questioning my every move.

At the hatcheries they have hundreds of eggs in those large incubators, they must have to raise the room temp quite high to candle all of those eggs . I had always wondered how they did that how long it must take to get through that many eggs with the door open unless they take one tray at a time. Im at 40% humid , it extreamly dry in the northeast in winter, and can be as humid room air as any tropical country in summer. the air humid right now is 20% in the summer it can be anywhere from 60 - 100%.

I understand about the chick drowning better now.

Some breeds just have lower hatch rates due to long time inbreeding

the cross breeds are little more robust.

 

[Buck77]

Quote:
I managed a commercial broiler hatchery for several years. We had Chickmaster machines. Each machine held over 87,000 eggs. The only thing we candled were young flocks and only a small sampling at that. Our only reason to candle was to get an idea of the fertility/hatch to estimate what we could expect those to hatch at. No clear eggs were removed on 99.9% of the eggs, they just went into the hatcher with the rest of the eggs. Candling and removing clear eggs is not a common practice in large operations unless they do it with an automated egg remover like one that is used with an Inovoject at transfer from the incubator to the hatcher.