Minor emergency with humidity...help!

It's my first time hatching chicken eggs, and I'm using a small, 2-egg basic incubator. I've been candling them every few days and they're developing as they should be. I measure the temperature frequently, but I have no way to measure the humidity except the air cell. Unfortunately, it's day 19 and I JUST thought to go online and see how large the air cells should be this late. I found out they were fairly small compared to how they should be, so I (CAREFULLY, because I know I shouldn't even be moving them at all this late) took them out of the incubator and poured most of the water out as an attempt to lower the humidity and increase the air cell size. At day 19, is it too late? Will the air cells not grow fast enough? How else can I help them?

You need a hygrometer to measure humidity. I'll attach a picture of the one I use. I bought it online for a few dollars and then I calibrated it for accuracy. I can give you directions on how to calibrate if you decide to buy one. Unfortunately, it is too late if its day 19. I don't even use any water in my incubators this time of year. I run dry. If the air cells don't grow big enough then the chicks can grow too large and not be able to get in position to pip the egg. Or they can pip and drown on excess fluid. You can run dry until you see a pip. But you're really close. Did you lockdown on day 18? Also you can hatch them upright in cartons so they don't drown on fluid.

Day 19 is probably too late to significantly affect the air cell size.
I'd probably let them be till hatch. The humidity will rise as they hatch.

ellam123 said:

(CAREFULLY, because I know I shouldn't even be moving them at all this late) took them out of the incubator and poured most of the water out as an attempt to lower the humidity and increase the air cell size. At day 19, is it too late?

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First off you can move eggs as often as you want all the way until they hatch, broody birds don't magically stop moving the eggs near the end, it's just another day for them... Also consider that after the first chick hatches they will bulldoze all the other eggs in the nest, it's like a ball pit to them so by design they can handle the movement... As long as you don't jar them around or handle them rough they will be fine being handled even after they initially pip... I move mine around all the time, reorganizing them as I remove the hatched chicks into the brooder and clean up egg shells so the others have more room to hatch... I also don't do a lock down at all as I always have mixed hatches in my incubator, so I'm always monitoring the other eggs... I pretty much candle every day to check progress, even on day 21 to check progress if one is late to pip...

As for humidity, IMO day 19 is too late to change anything so don't bother trying, it's not a deal breaker... Instead I would keep the humidity high at this point to avoid shrink wrap as they hatch, that is more of a concern at this point and something that you can avoid...

As others above said, it might pay for you to put the eggs in an egg carton (or cardboard ring) airsack side up to avoid drowning if it's really that small of an airsack...

@RubyNala97 Thank you, Ill make sure to purchase one before my next round of hatching! locked down as best as I could, but I still have to lift the lid (for less than 10 seconds) to check the temperature every hour or so because the temperature in the room fluctuates significantly

ellam123 said:

@RubyNala97 Thank you, Ill make sure to purchase one before my next round of hatching! locked down as best as I could, but I still have to lift the lid (for less than 10 seconds) to check the temperature every hour or so because the temperature in the room fluctuates significantly

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No problem! Let me know when you hatch again. Update when you get some pips. Also I wanted to ask how many eggs? Only 2? What breed?

@MeepBeep thank you very much, Ill try the cardboard ring idea and will try to keep the humidity the same!

@RubyNala97 I'm not sure of the breed yet, but my friend has chickens (of varying breeds) and gave me the 2 eggs to incubate

@RubyNala97 this is the incubator I use

ellam123 said:

@RubyNala97 this is the incubator I use

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Cool! I've never seen that before. I really hope they both hatch! That way you won't have a lonely chick on your hands. You could probably fit that hygrometer in there. I didn't even know they made incubators to hold two.