Operation Dry Hatch

[chiknaddiction]

My understanding of the dry hatch method listed in the learning center seems to be different from what people here are doing. I'm trying this method for my first attempt at incubating. But my understanding wasn't to leave the humidity low, but rather let the humidity drop to around 25% for a couple hours to allow moisture transfer from egg, then raise the humidity again to the recommended 35-40%, doing this repeatedly every 2-3 days. Day 18 you should lock down, same as always, plugging vents and raising humidity to around 60%. It all sounds good in theory, but this is my first attempt and I'm persuaded by MOHILLBILLY's posts, as he has so much experience.

The trouble I'm having is regulating temps and humidity. I've used 3 different thermometers at the same time and have had temp reading from all three that varied as much as 5 degrees, so I'm not sure which to trust. One is a digital thermometer/hygrometer which I'm putting my trust in, but it still varies as much as 3 degrees in a given day. The Humidity level when I add 2 tbsps of water won't go above 17% even with a humidifier going in the room constantly, which is weird because I live in MO where it's relatively humid year round, plus my set up is in a basement. I've been having to fill my water channels in my Little Giant and add sponges just to reach 40% humidity (recommended for silkie eggs that I'm hatching), even at that I need to re-wet sponges twice a day or the humidity starts to dip below 25%.

I think this method very much depends on the humidity of the area you live. August in Missouri or Louisiana year round, I could see this working very well. But if you have to work to keep the humidity above 25%, you may want to consider adding more than 2 tbsps of water every 3 days.

Thanks all for interesting reading, best of luck to all hatching!
Jacob

 

[mohillbilly]

My understanding of the dry hatch method listed in the learning center seems to be different from what people here are doing. I'm trying this method for my first attempt at incubating. But my understanding wasn't to leave the humidity low, but rather let the humidity drop to around 25% for a couple hours to allow moisture transfer from egg, then raise the humidity again to the recommended 35-40%, doing this repeatedly every 2-3 days. Day 18 you should lock down, same as always, plugging vents and raising humidity to around 60%. It all sounds good in theory, but this is my first attempt and I'm persuaded by MOHILLBILLY's posts, as he has so much experience.

The trouble I'm having is regulating temps and humidity. I've used 3 different thermometers at the same time and have had temp reading from all three that varied as much as 5 degrees, so I'm not sure which to trust. One is a digital thermometer/hygrometer which I'm putting my trust in, but it still varies as much as 3 degrees in a given day. The Humidity level when I add 2 tbsps of water won't go above 17% even with a humidifier going in the room constantly, which is weird because I live in MO where it's relatively humid year round, plus my set up is in a basement. I've been having to fill my water channels in my Little Giant and add sponges just to reach 40% humidity (recommended for silkie eggs that I'm hatching), even at that I need to re-wet sponges twice a day or the humidity starts to dip below 25%.

I think this method very much depends on the humidity of the area you live. August in Missouri or Louisiana year round, I could see this working very well. But if you have to work to keep the humidity above 25%, you may want to consider adding more than 2 tbsps of water every 3 days.

Thanks all for interesting reading, best of luck to all hatching!
Jacob

sounds to me like your hygrometer is off...you may need to calibrate it.

 

[chiknaddiction]

how do I calibrate a hygrometer? Instructions don't say...

 

[wholewheatchicken]

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 live in Lebanon, Ohio, between Cincinnati and Dayton. Are you going to any poultry shows in Ohio this year?
I hear you on leaving the bator alone. I am on my third time hatching and although I am excited, I have decided messing with it less will hopefully produce more results!
I was at TSC this morning changing out chicken feed and went over to look at the chicks and there were several that had pasty butt. One had it so bad poop was super glued to his entire bottom area. I told the guy working there and he barely got a rag damp and put it on the chick's rear and then put it in a brooder by itself and said it woud have to soak in and he would try to get it off. This was after he tried to yank the whole entire plug of poop off the chick's bottom. I asked him if I could take it to the bathroom and wash its bottom. It took a little work, but I got it cleaned up. It's entire bottom was so swelled out, it was sad. Then the chicks didn't have very much food left and their water was all filled up with pine shavings and my husband told the same guy and he was like yeah, I haven't had time to feed them yet. So I put the chick back in the brooder with the others and got them some more food and swiped the shavings out of the water. As I was leaving there was four of those kids standing around near the chicks just talking. Amazing that they don't watch their workers better when they have committed to bringing a life into their store. I wouldn't buy a chick from there just based on my experience today and as I was standing there and a few people came over to buy chicks and they saw how they treated them I let their customers know they can call the hatchery in Cincinnati and order from a list of chickens and get them vaccinated and pick them up at the store and bring them home and take good care of them themselves. Okay....I'm done.

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.

Hi, you

Still no bator? Are you sure your husband didn't return it? Just kidding. My little guys are not laying very well right now. The spring weather hit and most of my mommas hit the stalls and starting laying on eggs! When you get the bator, let me know and I'll find you something to stick in it and try out. I get one every day or two and save everything I have. I can't bear to scramble the babies for breakfast! If I can't find you a bantam egg, I always have some Rhode Island Reds to play with. My husband calls me Dr. Frankenstein

What's up with that? I am going to hatch some (hopefully) and then sell them for a buck or two. I don't care so much about the money as trying to figure out how to get that chicken out of the shell and those big guys can't stay here......they eat too much! But if you want some hens for eggs, they are great. I have 23 hens and I get about 20-ish eggs a day. We sold our first eggs to customers last Friday!!!!!!! We made a whole $10, which paid for a little more than half a bag of food.

Of the 12 Reds I put in, as of tonight all 12 are developing, as they should because my boys are always after them girls! I have five silkies in the bator that are coming along and about ten or so under broodies. I brought home 5 bantam buff Brahma eggs and 5 lavendar bantam Ameracauna eggs today.
Would anyone here have any advice on the best way to put the new eggs in the bator without messing up what's going on with what I already have going?
I have my fingers crossed on these new ones and there is one silkie egg in the bator that I HAVE to hatch out to see what it will look like.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

Sorry, guys! I'm tired and thought I was over in hatching thread. OOOOps. Okay, I'm off to the right section to talk about babies. I have no idea on this dry hatch method. I tried it and shrinktified all those chicks. This time I've upped the humidity to upper 40s to about 50%. Tomorrow is weigh day and I'm hoping I am on target, but they lose such a small amount I'm a little worried as my scale weighs to the nearest hundreth. I have my fingers crossed.

 

[vanalpaca]

Workers ethics vary at all businesses. Our local TSC is pretty good and they do a fair job with the chicks. Now they are all fenced off so we can't go pick them up and chase them. I am thinking some customers were putting chicks in their pockets and walking off with them last year.

Mt Healthy Hatchery DID have a salmonella outbreak last year and that is where the TSC chicks come from. I did notice they did not say what shipment dates were included or what stores which would have been helpful. Since I don't 'kiss my chicks' and wash my hands, I didn't notice any problems and by the end of chick days had started on my own incubation projects with Welsummers. So all the TSC chicks were quickly sold on Craigslist to very happy families and I now have Welsummer eggs in the bator this year.

I'm happy my local TSC store is there for all the farmer stuff I need.

I really don't 'get' all the variables in incubation. Life would be easier if we knew HOW to calibrate our thermometers and humidity gauges!! I have one outside the bator as well so I know what the room temp/humidity is right outside the bator.

I will weigh eggs for weight loss, but I'm thinking that keeping humidity below 45% for the first 18 days will help them to lose the appropriate weight. Make sure temps don't spike up to 104 as that kills everything, and bump humidity to 70% come hatch. From cracking my eggs, some of the girls make thicker eggshells than others, so we will know more

AFTER THE HATCH........

 

[chiknaddiction]

You were right about the hygrometer. I have the IncubatorWarehouse.com digital hygrometer/thermometer. Last night I read up on how to test it, sealed bag with mug of salt water, after 12 hours the reading should have been 75% and mine is reading 59%. Piece of junk. No calibration feature either! I'm trying to return it...hope it didn't already negatively effect my hatch.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

Workers ethics vary at all businesses. Our local TSC is pretty good and they do a fair job with the chicks. Now they are all fenced off so we can't go pick them up and chase them. I am thinking some customers were putting chicks in their pockets and walking off with them last year.

Mt Healthy Hatchery DID have a salmonella outbreak last year and that is where the TSC chicks come from. I did notice they did not say what shipment dates were included or what stores which would have been helpful. Since I don't 'kiss my chicks' and wash my hands, I didn't notice any problems and by the end of chick days had started on my own incubation projects with Welsummers. So all the TSC chicks were quickly sold on Craigslist to very happy families and I now have Welsummer eggs in the bator this year.

I'm happy my local TSC store is there for all the farmer stuff I need.

I really don't 'get' all the variables in incubation. Life would be easier if we knew HOW to calibrate our thermometers and humidity gauges!! I have one outside the bator as well so I know what the room temp/humidity is right outside the bator.

I will weigh eggs for weight loss, but I'm thinking that keeping humidity below 45% for the first 18 days will help them to lose the appropriate weight. Make sure temps don't spike up to 104 as that kills everything, and bump humidity to 70% come hatch. From cracking my eggs, some of the girls make thicker eggshells than others, so we will know more

AFTER THE HATCH........

I wasn't trying to throw down on TSC, I just felt so bad for those little chicks. I'm glad they are around for my chicken needs too!
I have been keeping my humidity around 50%. I don't mind if it stays anywhere between 45 - 50. I weighed this morning and all the eggs were on target for where they should be weight-wise for week one. I feel great that at least I'm on target. I tried the dry hatch method the first time and for some reason my humidity stayed around 30% and then the second one I tried the boost it up to 45 - 45% and let it dry down to 25% and that was the worst batch I had. For some reason those just didn't work in my incubator. So since I have tried the low methods, my reasoning is doing the opposite should work. I absolutely cannot wait until March 26th gets here so I can see if this is working! So as you say "we will know more.....AFTER THE HATCH"

 

[ChickensInMyYard]

sounds to me like your hygrometer is off...you may need to calibrate it.

 

[ChickensInMyYard]

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.

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.

sounds to me like your hygrometer is off...you may need to calibrate it.