How bad is it to accidently let your bator go dry?

[hmlongino]

Twice this setting I have accidentally forgotten to add water to my Hovabotor Genesis. I was a day or two off and the well was dry when I added more. Is this really bad?? I was SO good last time because I had it on as a phone alarm!! I don't know why I didn't do that again this time!

 

[Rhode Island Red Breeder]

It will be fine. You usaully dont have to have that much water early in the hatching season.

 

[minihorse927]

You are fine, I run all my incubators dry till day 18 and never had problems.

 

[Pasha1]

Quote:
Same here. Don't add water till day 18 and even though this is my first experience, I've had 4 really great hatches. out of the first 3 only lost one chick. Hatching a batch now and they are doing fine.

Good luck.

 

[hmlongino]

Ahhh... thank you! I was so careful last time to put water in every 3 days. I just about panicked when I saw it was dry again today.

and I always wondered... How do those hens keep such great humidity control under their rumps? Do they really increase humidity under there in the last 3 days?

 

[magoochie]

If you run your incubators dry for the first 18 days, what does the humidity read in the bator?

I will be setting my first batch this weekend. But I am concerned with our dry air, since its still winter up here in WI.

I am running a 2362n hovabator. i have read up on dry incubation as well, and it just says never let the humidity fall below 25%. Is this correct?

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I no longer measure humidity in my incubator anymore....and I'm only hatching silkies which are a bit more difficult to hatch IMO. I add water a couple of times during the first 18 days but it runs dry within a couple of days. My aircells are perfect at 18 days and I'm having good hatches.