Read a post on dry hatch, tryed it, what kind of luck have you had?

[PQ]

I have been trying the dry hatch and have had the best hatches ever!
I was shocked but anything is worth a try. Tryed shipped and eggs from home.
5 out of 6 pheasant eggs (one was cracked and had wax, delveloped)ship
3 out of 3 runner ducks (shipped)
3 out of 4 guineas (one never developed) Shipped
4 out of 4 cochin mixes Shipped
2 out of 2 polish (one was shipped)
10 out of 10 OEs
1 out of 2 Bourban Red (one never delveloped) shipped
I'm amazed to say the least.
I kept it at 20% I did mist the duck eggs 2 times a day. The chicks have all hatched with out the regular problems.
I even did one of these hatches with out turning the eggs at all just left them in the egg container with a piece of wood to prop them up.
This was done in the Hova bator with fan.
What has been your luck? I think I'm gonna change my over protective hatching ways!

These where the least stressful hatches I've ever had!
Tell me why is this working so much better?

 

[Mahonri]

Did you up the percentage of humidity for the last 3 days? And to what?

Are you in a humid place in CA? I can't think of a humid place in CA except for the bay area or along the coasts.

Mine are too dry keeping my humidity up!

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Quote:
Because, for most locations, the old advice on humidity is just plain wrong and is not allowing the eggs to lose enough moisture for proper air sac size by Day 18.

 

[PQ]

Sorry up-ed the humity to 30-40% last 3 days tryed both ways they both worked fine.
I kept the bator at 20% till the last 3 days.
But the duck did hatch at 25%, hatched a few days early.
napa valley chickens
I find this to just be amazing how much better the hatches are I know you must be right because other hatches I have had where in the 20-60% rates. The change is great. I'm testing it 6 Serama eggs and 1 La Fleche egg right now. Seramas are do to hatch May 18th. The La Fleche May 20th.

 

[PQ]

Quote:
No hot and dry... but we have rain today maybe the 5th time this year LOL!
Right now humitity is 14%

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

My first 4 hatches varied from 8 to 14%. I just wanted to give up on the whole notion of hatching eggs. Then I started fanatically reading everything I could and stumbled upon that one Hoss of a thread, among many other things, and my last two hatch rates have been 90%.

Lots of old-timers have been using the "dry hatch" method with tremendous success for a long time. But, for whatever reason, the literature that dominates the scene to this day remains the archaic nonsense of "you need X humidity for the first 18 and then Y humidity for the last 3." I believe this is causing a lot of drowned peeps because people are keeping the humidity too high for the first 18 days. My initial problem was actually the opposite...I was shrink-wrapping my peeps with low humidity during the hatch because I was following the Hova-Bator instructions which mention nothing about humidity, instead telling you to fill the various troughs and roll with it. That may work fine for them in Georgia, but here in Collie-forneeya, we don't have condensation dripping down our walls.

So I fully realize that I'm still quite a n00b at hatching, but I'm confident that I've gotten my system down by understanding the anatomy and physiology of the whole thing and the way the various environmental factors affect the hatch.

Since that one thread is apparently too large for many people to bother with, and the message is probably a bit hard to find anyways, and that thread is now closed due to e-drama, I tried to pay it forward here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=167544

I'm a little reluctant to keep linking that for fear that it makes me look arrogant, but if it helps somebody hatch more peeps, then so be it.

Mahonri, I don't believe the humidity requirements are related to the ambient humidity in the climate. I think it has more to do with elevation. Or more specifically, atmospheric pressure.

eta:

 

[mwdh1]

I'm trying the Dry hatch method starting tomorrow

 

[ChickBond 007]

After a dismal first hatch, I attempted a dryer hatch for the second time around. Came home to 8 chicks in the hatcher and a couple more pips, so it must have worked. I read the same thread that napa valley chickens refers to and followed the advice of "Wheaties"-- he's one smart dude.
I chose these guidelines this time:
1. Day 1-18 humidity 38% max, and did not add water until it reached 21% low.
2. Day 19-21 65% humidity but as the eggs hatched, it seemed to climb. At one point, I saw 77% and lifted the lid a bit to let some humidity out without losing temp.

I'm using a Hovabator 1588.

I've burned up about 40 eggs now in a 1602 N. In my first hatch, I used 46% humidity on day 1-18. Iowa is famous for weather changing ever other moment, and it makes humidity difficult to control here- even in a climate controlled home.

I'm listening to 6 Wheaton Marans chicks and 2 buff orpinton chicks peeping right now. (Finally, I'm as smart as a hen.)

 

[PQ]

Quote:
Super, have a wonderful hatch! Keep us posted let us know how it works for you!

 

[PQ]

Thanks for the thread napa! It was great loved all the pictures!
2009New Chick Mom congrats on the peeps!