My first 100% hatch! Dry incubation success story!

[OCchickens]

Chick #12 just hatched out of 12 eggs!

I ran the bator completely dry til day 18, then added water to the central trough only. With the first pip I filled up the middle trough (this is a hova-bator 1602 w/ fan & turners). That's it -- no fussing with humidity gauge, etc. This is in relatively arid Southern California. Chicks all hatched spread out over about 20 hours -- no stragglers.

Both plugs in til day 18 then I pulled one plug. I like them to have plenty of air at the end.

One caveat is my eggs were very fresh (1-2 days) with very small air cells starting out. Also mainly crosses (hybrid vigor) altho 3 were pure-bred (and the last to hatch).

I'm so proud of my backyard hens (and rooster)!!

 

[Cherlyn]

That first pic is the cutest!

~Cherlyn

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

That's awesome!! Congrats!!

Did you have anything in there at all to measure the humidity? I'm curious what it ran dry.

 

[OCchickens]

In the past when I had a humidity gauge in there with a dry bator, it usually measured in the single digits or wouldn't even register. I don't know whether the single-digit humidity thing was an accurate reading or maybe outside the reliable range of the instrument (it was a Fluker).

Scary with the gauge in there. No gauge this time.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Well, with all the humidity issues I've had in the past, your hatch is awesome and inspiring

 

[OCchickens]

Here they are in the brooder.

 

[SunshineSilkies]

All of the pictures are just adorable!! Congrats!

 

[wannabe_goatmom]

Your rooster is gorgeous and all the new babies are so cute!

 

[GardeNerd]

Wow! Congratulations! The babies are perfectly beautiful!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Thank you for posting! What were you hatching out?