Switching to dry hatch?

[lsp1991]

I am on my second batch of Coturnix Quail in the incubator. My first batch was successful with 10 out of 13 hatching two weeks ago tomorrow. I started this batch of 14 eggs 2 days ago and have had no issues with keeping the temp and humidity at the appropriate levels (as long as I’m around to monitor it). I planned this batch during a time I had no plans on any overnight travel. Of course, something came up and I am going to have to leave for the weekend. I’ve been doing research on dry hatching and had planned on giving it a try on my next batch. I planned on starting my third batch within 2 weeks of this batch hatching. My question is would it hurt them if I just let it go into a dry hatch if I already started them on a wet one? I was thinking of closing the vent in my bathroom and filling up the tub while I’m gone to help keep some humidity in the air. I candled today (what can I say, I’m an excited and impatient quail mama) and all are fertile and developing blood vessels beautifully and would hate to lose any on my unexpected trip.

 

[Huntmaster]

I am on my second batch of Coturnix Quail in the incubator. My first batch was successful with 10 out of 13 hatching two weeks ago tomorrow. I started this batch of 14 eggs 2 days ago and have had no issues with keeping the temp and humidity at the appropriate levels (as long as I’m around to monitor it). I planned this batch during a time I had no plans on any overnight travel. Of course, something came up and I am going to have to leave for the weekend. I’ve been doing research on dry hatching and had planned on giving it a try on my next batch. I planned on starting my third batch within 2 weeks of this batch hatching. My question is would it hurt them if I just let it go into a dry hatch if I already started them on a wet one? I was thinking of closing the vent in my bathroom and filling up the tub while I’m gone to help keep some humidity in the air. I candled today (what can I say, I’m an excited and impatient quail mama) and all are fertile and developing blood vessels beautifully and would hate to lose any on my unexpected trip.

What humidity% do you run now?

 

[Huntmaster]

Coturnix do best with humidity at 30-35% for incubating and 50-55% for hatching. What does your incubator run without water? What is your ambient humidity where your incubator is?

 

[lsp1991]

If I just leave it alone, it’ll get around 15%. Did a test run prior to this batch just for the heck of it. I currently have it in my bathroom with the AC vent shut and the tub filled around 1/3 of the way. It has stayed between 30%-35% with me hardly adding any water to the chamber. Today is day 7, and out of the 14, 13 are showing movement with candling. One egg is questionable as an early quieter. I’m gonna leave it a few more days and see if there are any changes. But so far so good!

 

[lsp1991]

Last batch all hatched in day 16, so if this batch follows, we’re almost halfway there!

 

[BuergsChickens]

Did you ever get an answer on switching from a wet hatch to a dry hatch? I am doing my first batch of Coturnix quail eggs, and it's the second time using my incubator, it's not the greatest of incubators, but its the only one I have on hand at the moment, I would love to try a dry hatch, but humidity would be around 16% without any water, i currently try to keep humidity under 60%, as the humidity is so finicky on this machine, I heard dry hatches work best, but just curious what would be the eggs survival if one did switch from a wet to dry hatch