I am very happy to report that 33 of 35 hatched!!! I calmed down after I looked at pictures from my hatch last year and saw that the air cells were even smaller and I got 100% hatch when I didn't know to worry. I am hatching silkies and I see a huge difference between the air calls under the hen v. Incubator. The most amazing part of this hatch was I had 12 shipped eggs that had very bad air cells.... Some saddled and some loose. I followed all the advice I found on BYC and all 12 of those hatched! My second batch of shipped eggs that looked fairly good....of 18....3 didn't make it to lockdown , 1 died around day 19 and one died internally pipped. I think that one might have drowned. The rest of the eggs were mine...and they all hatched.
I think keeping the humidity low for day 18 and 19 helped. One pipped on day 20 so I had to keep humidity up from then on. I am doing the salt test on my hygrometer to see if it is accurate.....for next time!
That is soooo awesome!! And impressive! Congrats! They are beautiful
