Trying to dry incubate....

[harleyjo]

I am trying to do dry incubation like I did for a couple times last year but my house is dry. I am all electric heat and my incubator will not get above 16% humidity without me adding a little wet paper towel. I don't want to drown the chicks but I just can't believe 16% is good either.

I had started one a few weeks ago and after a week I realized my eggs weren't developing. So I started another batch on Friday. So I am very early into this but just trying to figure out what to do with this humidity situation.

 

[BackSwampGirl]

Do you have any hatching eggs for sale.And any pics. to show of your flock......As far as dry in incubating,I have never had any luck with that.But it is according how the humidity is there where you live.We have all electric heat,and our humidityhere is very high outside.Sometimes it is hard to keep the humidity down,we live on thew coast of NC.Sandra Good Luck and hope they do really good !!!!!! You might want to try to put a very hot cup of water in the bator w/sponge in it.I have heard that that will work.They don`t need as much water for the 1st 18 days,but more water when you stop turning,Just ask onn here and someone in your area can tell you probably help you.

 

[comptonsgonecountry]

I'm dry incubating as well. Dry incubation is not really running your incubator dry, but rather running your humidity at I believe 25-35. My humidity has dipped around 15% and has gone up to 40%. I've had a hard time keeping it at 25-30% which was my main goal. I've had to add a table spoon a day. But than, I have my vents on top of the bator open and with my house being dry I'm sure this is why I have to add this water on a daily basis.

I shall see what happens with the eggs at day 21 or so. I ran my bator dry ( no water at all) my last hatch and out of the 4 eggs that when to lock down only 1 hatched. My humidity was horribly low around 10-15% the whole 18 days until lockdown when I ran it 65% or more. I'm working on the right amount of humidity for my incubation period. It would help if I could keep it a consistant number.

Good luck and happy hatching!

 

[Arielle]

x2

It is ok to add water to stay in the goal RH. ANd it will fluctuate. Mine followed the weather! Use the air cell as your guide to success. It needs to develop to the right size and the egg lose about 13% of it's weight.

THe RH will fluctuate, add water as needed and check the air cell.

Do you have a guide for the air cells? If not, try this one:
Diagrams of air cells, duck and chicken:
http://www.poultryconnection.com/quackers/aircell.html

 

[harleyjo]

Do you have any hatching eggs for sale.And any pics. to show of your flock......As far as dry in incubating,I have never had any luck with that.But it is according how the humidity is there where you live.We have all electric heat,and our humidityhere is very high outside.Sometimes it is hard to keep the humidity down,we live on thew coast of NC.Sandra Good Luck and hope they do really good !!!!!! You might want to try to put a very hot cup of water in the bator w/sponge in it.I have heard that that will work.They don`t need as much water for the 1st 18 days,but more water when you stop turning,Just ask onn here and someone in your area can tell you probably help you.

Sorry, no hatching eggs for sale. I have added a fan to my hovabator because I found out last year my hatch went better with the fan circulating the air for the first 18 days. Then since it is just sitting in there and the chicks can get to it, I turn if off at lockdown. So with the fan going my humidity dries up fast when I add a little water. I have no turner and I turn them myself 3 times a day. I tried propping up the sides and switching sides but my temps really flucutated when I did that so I now turn each egg each time.