It looks like you are candling from the small end in the picture. Try candling from the other end. It looks like you have a normal air cell for day 11, but it is hard to tell with the angle of the light.
I do not get wrapped up about when to move the chicks to the brooder. An hour or a day, years ago I left them in the incubator for the duration of the hatch. You can move chicks to a brooder right after they hatch and they will be fine as long as there is a heat source (I use a Brinsea...
25 eggs in lockdown, all developing and active. The average weight loss is right on target at 11%. Humidity is just under 60%.
I expect the Easter weekend socer tryouts to be a huge success! :D
I have no idea how you define snarky, but I was not. I certainly did not disrespect your opinions, I simply disagree with them. Disagreement is not disrespect.
I even stated
"I have raised chicks with broody hens as well as without and my opinions are just that, my opinions. I'm not trying...
So you absolutely accept the word of a person with no expertise other than personal experience. Cath Andrew's is far from the absolute on raising chickens. Like the internet, not everything in books is what it may seem.
My comments have been from personal experience. I have been raising...
Honestly, it is more likely a natural response as opposed to a thought process, especially if the stuffed animal does not produce heat.
I also disagree that chicks being with a mama and having reduced pasty butt has anything to do with stress. Baby chicks all have high stress. They are after...
I don't normally leave it up to the chicks to decide. I use what works best for me. Both methods work about the same and I have not received any grievances from the union reps.
I can see where these brooders would be good for those that have many different breeds, but I only raise one breed and they would not be better than what I use now for my purposes, especially with the cost.
I go for efficiency & ease of use/maintenance. They would definitely be a space saver.