weight loss vs. air cell size

nomadv

Hatching
Jan 8, 2016
7
0
7
PLEASE HELP It's day 16 and I've been weighing as well as marking air cells. Many have large saddle shaped air cells (shipped) and a couple have smallish but normal shaped air cells. The problem is that, surprisingly, even the large air celled eggs are still weighing in at about 8% weight loss on day 16. this is an average with some at 10% and some at 6%. So the question is shall I rely on the size of the air cell and increase humidity, or the weight - and reduce humidity?? Candling shows active chicks. I can't stand the idea that the life I can already see will be lost in the moment just before emerging in the world. I'm not sure I'll make it either. Greatly appreciate any thoughts.
 
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it's a little late in the game to change things up now in my opinion, personally i never weigh eggs and i've got to where i only candle on day 18 and toss out the infertile and quitters, i have mid 90% hatch rates. don't get too caught up in exact numbers, i think you'll have no problems as is.
 
Why would the life be lost when emerging? The air sac is either large enough for a chicks beak to breath in after internal pipping or it's not.

I've drowned chicks, it's actually quite hard to do. It takes reading and believing a ton of misinformation on the internet that states 60% humidity incubation and 80% humidity for hatching. This of course is a gross amount of moisture which even if there is a tiny air sac it's likely filled with water. My first incubation attempt years ago this happened, 15 of 18 were healthy and about to hatch day 18 and only one made it.

There is a surprising range of conditions chicks hatch from. I've read of people who swear by 50% RH in incubation. That's not my findings but who knows? Many people don't calibrate hygrometers so you can't believe much in way of exacting numbers for RH. I do calibrate my hygrometer prior to each hatching season. The best hatch rates and no adjustment of humidity for good air sac growth I get with under 35% RH, it's hard to get much lower than 30% RH with an incubator full of eggs emitting water so 30-35% is the range for me and that's given 100% hatches. For hatching I up humidity to 70% late day 18 or early morning day 19.

If your worried about things you can always run dry for two days. Take all water out then put back enough to get 70% RH late day 18. I doubt you'll have problems the way you are now though. It sounds like your air sacs are of good size.


Happy hatching.


Sure you've seen these diagrams but here's another. The diagrams are meant as an aid not exacting measurement. Weight loss and size of air sac are the same thing. One is more exacting than other yet both are ball park measure with averages used. One can't get every egg to loose exactly 12% mass. Heck, here are two diagrams and one can see they are not equal.



 
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Thank you. I very much appreciate the input. I will post hatch results by Friday.
 
I've hatched 3 times with 100% hatch rate on fertile eggs. I have marked air cells and was really worried a few times. But realized each egg does its own thing- air cells can be different sizes in the same size egg with the same environment. My last batch all had different positioned air cells and some bigger than others- all hatched fine. I don't think you need to worry too much as long as your temp and humidity are good. The diagram is a good reference but it's not going to be exact on each egg
 
IMG
 
First and second pipers are zipped out and peeping.
Thank you for the encouragement!
 
Thank you ......The saddles did do alright although I had one middle pipper who knocked off a big chunk of shell leaving a lot of exposed membrane which became pretty tough. With some very specific direction from an old post I was able to get him hatched. One has a swollen elbow which I treated as a splay, but I would have thought a splay would affect the hip joint so I am not sure it will help....any input is welcome. The numbers so far are as follows- 37 eggs set 24 of which were shipped. 14 clear ( mostly mine ) and so far 18 of the remaining 23 hatched so far. Just into day 23. Oh yeah, one was bleeding but I looked up an old post real quick and just applied gentle pressure and it stopped. Honestly my results would have been far different without the help of the info from BC members.
 
400

Thank you for all the info. Been a rough three days of hatching and still on pip watch!
 

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