Operation Dry Hatch

[azhenhouse]

I have no advice to give because I haven't had a successful hatch yet. And I don't understand because I did the dry hatch method and my chicks were shrink wrapped and couldn't pip and others do it lower than I had my humidity and they have great hatch rates. Then some people say keep it high and others say they do and their chicks drowned. Very confusing. This time I am shooting for humidity in the upper 40s, but I also bought a scale and weighed them before putting them in and will weigh once a week to check progress. I am thinking this time I will have a perfect hatch, not because I am upping my humidity, but because I can't get the temperature to stabilize very well, even though the last two times I used the incubator it was fine, I can't get my humiidity quite right. Then I set the eggs on Monday and on Tuesday decided to put more in there and on Wednesday got scared that I wouldn't be able to find a home for them and took a bunch back out and today I thought putting the eggs in the styrofoam egg carton wasn't working as well as I thought so I took that out and laid them flat and will just hand turn 3X a day and then my temps were wonky again......so since it's so bad right now and I could never replicate all this action going on, I think I will have a perfect hatch. And I hear you on the whole broody hen thing....I brought my last broody in the house since it was so cold outside and she was happy as anything to be the center of attention in the bathroom while she sat on the eggs. When they started to hatch I moved her downstairs to a bedroom and I would go in and sit for hours with her and watch her take care of her eggs/chicks. She got up several times to show the little ones how to eat, she turned her eggs still at the end and one night she moved the whole nest from one end of the crate I had her in to the opposite end, I assume to get the little ones away from the broken shells after they hatched. It's been five weeks since then and she is still with her babies in my basement having a wonderful time with them. She did everything we're not supposed to do and still had little chicks so I'm with you

Maybe we try too hard! Maybe I should turn the incubator off for a while, open it up, take a walk outside, take a potty break, get something to eat, peck around a little bit, and then go back and lock the eggs up again in the incubator. Do this a few times a day. At night keep them secure in the incubator until morning, and then go through the routine again. The last three days would be a frantic food, water, and potty break. IDK! It seems to work for my hens.

 

[mohillbilly]

I have nearly three dozen Buff Orpington Bantam eggs in my new Hova-Bator 1588, and I can't keep the humidity up to the recommended 45% to 55%. It is staying at a steady 38% with temps at 99 to 100 degrees. I removed the red vent plug per GQF's directions for higher altitudes, I am at 7400 above sea level, and that is when the humidity levels dropped from 46% to the 38%. The room temperature stays at 71 degrees, and I have humidifiers throughout the house because of our dry southwest climate, but I don't know what the humidity level is in the house. My skins is not dry so there has to be some moisture in the air.

Should I just let it be, and keep the humidity level at 38% until day eighteen? Then, do I put the plug back in and increase humidity to the recommended 55% to 65%? By the way, this is our first attempt at hatching eggs, and it would be nice to have some success. We had a broody hen hatch chicks last year and she was up and down from her eggs all the time. It was during the spring, and daytime temperatures are around 65-70 degrees, with occasional snow storms dropping the temps lower. I really didn't think they would hatch because she was gone so much. She even got locked out of the coop by accident one day, and yet they all hatched.

yes it should be ok until lockdown at that percentage ...then on day 18 put your plug back in and bring the humidity back up

 

[wholewheatchicken]

Maybe we try too hard! Maybe I should turn the incubator off for a while, open it up, take a walk outside, take a potty break, get something to eat, peck around a little bit, and then go back and lock the eggs up again in the incubator. Do this a few times a day. At night keep them secure in the incubator until morning, and then go through the routine again. The last three days would be a frantic food, water, and potty break. IDK! It seems to work for my hens.

I think that is really my problem. I have researched and read and plotted until I feel like I should be at a research lab and I only got one chick! I talk to sooooo many people who are like, I don't know what my humidity is. I don't even check that and I have almost 100% hatch rate, but from what I understand on probing their methods they are somewhat higher on the humidity just by their methods of putting moisture in the incubator

I wish it were easy like the temperature of 99.5 and 21 days to incubate.

 

[azhenhouse]

Well, I think I am just going to leave it at 38% until day 18. I am not going to put so much effort into it, just make it simple and easy like others have. I hope it works, and I guess I will find out in about twenty days.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

Well, I think I am just going to leave it at 38% until day 18. I am not going to put so much effort into it, just make it simple and easy like others have. I hope it works, and I guess I will find out in about twenty days.

Much chickie dust to you! I hope mine hatch too because I already have a HUGE list of eggs I would like to bid on.

 

[azhenhouse]

Much chickie dust to you! I hope mine hatch too because I already have a HUGE list of eggs I would like to bid on.

I can't even look at the buy~sell~trade thread. Too many hatching eggs available there.

 

[vanalpaca]

Well, Saturday was day 7 for me and I tried to candle in a dark closet with strong funneled light and cannot see into those dark painted welsummer eggs. So back in they went.

I forgot to weigh them, so I will do that today.

Yesterday, I also added 16 more eggs, but that is going to be a problem come hatching and I will have to move the eggs up or down so the little chicks stay seperated.

Humidity has been running around 40-45%.

I GUESS temps are doing in an ok, safe range, since I did not calibrate any of the thermometers.

Cabinet, fans, light bulbs seem to stay on only briefly it is holding the temps so well. Turners going. Vent at the back is allowing some fresh air in where the electrical cord goes out. The chicks WILL need some oxygen.

I did open the door today and lightly sprayed the eggs and let the temps go down to 84 degrees or so and closed it back up. Humidity went up to 50, opened door again to let it go down and closed it all up for the day.

I stay out of there most of the time. I figure if I open the door once each day it is only freshening the oxygen and it quickly goes back up to right temps and down to right humidity.

I washed the eggs in my city water (light chlorine from the water supply) so I'm hoping that didn't mess up the 'bloom' any. Just wiped them off under tepid running water. I have noticed that the red 'paint' the welsummers ink jet onto their egg shells is turning darker over time in the incubator.

I'm highly skeptical of a hatch, last year, 3 shelfs 120 eggs got me 10 chicks or so! It was outside in the garage and now it is in the house. Might make a difference, but I feel I AM the biggest factor, mucking about.........

The cats and I watch bator tv all the time at night......

 

[vanalpaca]

BTW, I'm getting 5 gallon buckets from the hardware store with lids and setting them up on a couple of 2x4 braces so they stay in place and don't roll around. Will cut a hole in the lid for the hen to go in and out and get some pine shavings. I'm hoping they will take to it. If they really like this as a new nest box, I may have to fork out for 4 of the 'lid w/roost' units from www.fowlstuff.com, which is John Blehm's nest box idea his site is www.chickhatchery.com and there is a link there for the pail style nestbox and he does sell 4 of the lid units....

Upshot is with the cleaner eggs I shouldn't have to wash any of them and I hope to improve the hatchrate.

I would rather buy chicks, BUT that may bring in disease to my flock. I'm a true chicken addict. Pretty sure it is safe to go to TSC today because the chicks will be well picked over by now and not nearly as tempting!

wholewheatchicken, where are you in Ohio, I am in the NW, Sandusky County.......

 

[DDNONIN2016]

BTW, I'm getting 5 gallon buckets from the hardware store with lids and setting them up on a couple of 2x4 braces so they stay in place and don't roll around. Will cut a hole in the lid for the hen to go in and out and get some pine shavings. I'm hoping they will take to it. If they really like this as a new nest box, I may have to fork out for 4 of the 'lid w/roost' units from www.fowlstuff.com, which is John Blehm's nest box idea his site is www.chickhatchery.com and there is a link there for the pail style nestbox and he does sell 4 of the lid units....

Upshot is with the cleaner eggs I shouldn't have to wash any of them and I hope to improve the hatchrate.

I would rather buy chicks, BUT that may bring in disease to my flock. I'm a true chicken addict. Pretty sure it is safe to go to TSC today because the chicks will be well picked over by now and not nearly as tempting!

wholewheatchicken, where are you in Ohio, I am in the NW, Sandusky County.......

I have been avoiding Tractor Supply too....I know what will happen if I hear those peeps peeping

 

[DDNONIN2016]

Hope you all don't mind me lurking and reading this thread. I will have questions whenever I finally get my incubator. Can't wait to see how your hatches turn out.