Harris Farms Nurture Right 360 Incubator is AMAZING!

[Brooks_]

No muggy outside, lol

My question stands.

 

[wrathsfarm]

My question stands.

Sorry I missed this... The incubator was reading 34% humidity with no water in it.

ETA... This is my base target range for dry incubating my Marans eggs hence the question of ''can I run it with no water?"

 

[jlwquilter]

I’m doing dry hatches recently. It was too hard to maintain any consistency when I tried ‘wet’ hatches. My first dry hatch did really well. Best hatch rate ever and again, so easy. Most recent hatch rate was lower at 12 out of 16 eggs that made it to lockdown. I’ve got a new hatch just started. Humidity started higher due to eggs still being a little damp going in but it’s settled into the high 20% range with modest fluctuations.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I’m doing dry hatches recently. It was too hard to maintain any consistency when I tried ‘wet’ hatches. My first dry hatch did really well. Best hatch rate ever and again, so easy. Most recent hatch rate was lower at 12 out of 16 eggs that made it to lockdown. I’ve got a new hatch just started. Humidity started higher due to eggs still being a little damp going in but it’s settled into the high 20% range with modest fluctuations.

And you are having a successful incubation with humidity in the 20's? What are you hatching?

 

[jlwquilter]

The first 18 days, up to lockdown are dry hatched in that I don’t add any water to the incubator at all. Humidity is whatever it is due to my overall house humidity. Right now that’s in the upper 20s.
Once lockdown is reached I candle the eggs (I used to candle a few times but found I was too slow, too unsure of what eggs were progressing vs which weren’t, etc), and remove the now obvious even to me quitters. I also remove the egg turner.
Then I add water to both the A and B sides of the water well. I use a small tipped squeeze bottle of room temperature distilled water. I squeeze a bunch in and then wait a few hours to see where the humidity settles. I’m shooting for between 55-65%. The prior hatch maintained that by itself once I had added the water. This last hatch dropped overnight to the high 30% the first night. So I added water in the morning. I also added water in the middle of the night (I’m old, I often wake to pee) the 2nd night. The drop in humidity may have had a negative effect on the overall hatch rate . But it is what it is. I can only do so much as I’m not sitting there watching the humidity 24/7.
Of course once the chicks start hatching the humidity spikes and that’s normal. If I have a long time between chicks (happened 2 hatches ago) I’ve learned to be ready to add in a little water to keep the humidity at a minimum of 65% so other eggs mid hatch don’t shrink wrap.
So in summary:
- No water at egg set or during first 18 days.
- Humidity between 23-35% normally.
- At lockdown candle and removed quitters and egg turner.
- Add water to get humidity to 55-65%
- only add water again if humidity drops below 65% to avoid shrink wrap

I’m not saying this is the best method but it is the one working best for me. I’m open to making changes as I learn or find better ways.

 

[jlwquilter]

I forgot: I’m hatching eggs from my own flock. I have a RIR roo and both barred rock hens and RIR hens. I also have a Wyandotte, Easter egger and a black star hen but I try to not hatch those eggs. Both the Wyandotte and the Easter egger don’t breed often with the roo (they all don’t like each other) and the black star won’t give me sex linked chicks.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

The first 18 days, up to lockdown are dry hatched in that I don’t add any water to the incubator at all. Humidity is whatever it is due to my overall house humidity. Right now that’s in the upper 20s.
Once lockdown is reached I candle the eggs (I used to candle a few times but found I was too slow, too unsure of what eggs were progressing vs which weren’t, etc), and remove the now obvious even to me quitters. I also remove the egg turner.
Then I add water to both the A and B sides of the water well. I use a small tipped squeeze bottle of room temperature distilled water. I squeeze a bunch in and then wait a few hours to see where the humidity settles. I’m shooting for between 55-65%. The prior hatch maintained that by itself once I had added the water. This last hatch dropped overnight to the high 30% the first night. So I added water in the morning. I also added water in the middle of the night (I’m old, I often wake to pee) the 2nd night. The drop in humidity may have had a negative effect on the overall hatch rate . But it is what it is. I can only do so much as I’m not sitting there watching the humidity 24/7.
Of course once the chicks start hatching the humidity spikes and that’s normal. If I have a long time between chicks (happened 2 hatches ago) I’ve learned to be ready to add in a little water to keep the humidity at a minimum of 65% so other eggs mid hatch don’t shrink wrap.
So in summary:
- No water at egg set or during first 18 days.
- Humidity between 23-35% normally.
- At lockdown candle and removed quitters and egg turner.
- Add water to get humidity to 55-65%
- only add water again if humidity drops below 65% to avoid shrink wrap

I’m not saying this is the best method but it is the one working best for me. I’m open to making changes as I learn or find better ways.

Ok, thank you! This is very interesting and I may try it.