Air cell problems...HELP PLEASE!

[Saltysunshine79]

So I'm pretty new to hatching, the past year or so I'd say. I have a "cheaper" incubator where I,only for fun and the kids sake, hatch a couple eggs a few times a year that end up being our spoiled pets.
Sooo even though I keep my humidity at exactly what it should be at till lock down, my air cells are always on the smaller side, as if the humidity is to high. I went about putting a hydrometer in there but still it happened to me again. Maybe because it's a small incubator but who knows. My question is, if its day 18 & the aircell still looks small can I drop my humidity way down (empty my well completely) until the external pip and then jack it way up during hatching in Hope's that it will pull enough moisture from the egg to grow the air cell so baby doesn't drowned.
And if the baby pips at the wrong and/or is to wet, what is my next step and helping him out? I am not a stand by and watch a baby die kind of person even though I know that many people are of the "completely hands off approach", that's is not me! I rather a baby die knowing that I tried to help instead of doing nothing. I know many of you out there have been through this. I'd be ever so grateful for some advice. Thankyou and God bless

 

[JaeG]

Humidity shouldn't fall below 25% when incubating. I still have to add some water to my incubator even though I live in a very humid climate, but it completely depends on the incubator. Some people can not add any water and their humidity doesn't fall below 25%.

Weighing eggs using a gram scale is a very easy way of monitoring humidity. Eggs need to lose between 11-15% in weight in those first 18 days. I weigh all of the eggs together then divide the total by the number of eggs I have to work out what the average is. I make a simple line graph with the weight range I need up the side and the days 1-18 along the bottom. On day 0 I mark the average weight I have just worked out. I then work out what 11% of that weight is (there are helpful calculators online) and take it away from the start weight - that is the average weight they should be on day 18. Mark that number on day 18, draw a line between those two points and on any day you can weigh them and see if they are on track, or if you need to adjust the humidity up or down.

The problem with small air cells isn't so much that the chicks will drown - it's that the air cell is too small to sustain the chick between internally pipping and externally pipping. The falling oxygen levels in the air cell cause the chick to externally pip but it usually takes 24 hours for that to happen. With small air cells the chick isn't ready to externally pip before running out of air and ends up suffocating. You could make safety holes in the eggs. The best place to do this is right in the middle of the fat end of the egg so that there is no danger of hitting the chick. A screw or fine, sharp drill bit that has been disinfected/cleaned well is best as you are just wanting to make a tiny hole that just cuts through the inner membrane to let in oxygen. Do not do this until you know the chick has internally pipped and you could even wait 8-12 hours after they have internally pipped before doing this. The shell is surprisingly hard and it is quite difficult to break through which is why you need something sharp. Even the sharp tip of some fine scissors and whatever you use you do have to drill it into the shell.

This is an excellent thread and although it is in the Goose forum it applies to any incubated egg. It covers everything including making safety holes.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/goose-incubation-hatching-guide-completed.491013/

Pipping at the wrong end usually doesn't require assistance. If they do that then just keep an eye on them and see how they go. I had one do this and it was right at the end that they got stuck and needed a bit of help to break out of the shell.

 

[JaeG]

Just wanted to add I wouldn't drastically change the humidity at this stage. Eggs need a consistent humidity so close to hatching and changing it could cause issues such as malpositions.

I also do everything I can to assist babies to hatch. We aren't a mother hen (who are in tune completely with the needs of her eggs) and things often go wrong with incubators.

With my incubator I find the water wells are too large. Last time I incubated I used 2 shot glasses of water for the first part of incubation which kept the humidity between 30-35%. Even then my eggs didn't quite lose enough but they hatched out ok.

Do let me know how you get on.

 

[Saltysunshine79]

YOU-ARE-AMAZING!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, as you answered every question and then some. I think I may be in the goose forum as those and ducks eggs are all I have experience with. Sorry about that. So my first ever pekin duck egg pipped at the wrong end. I panicked tried to help to quick and you can imagine the tragedy that befell myself and the babies as we watched him pass away in my hands & I cried and felt like a murderer. I know, a little over the top right haha but you live and learn and I don't want to lose another baby. I believe because this damn bator is so wonky it does cause more malpositioning then normal which is irritating.
This incubator is getting the boot and we are going to get a new one after this batch cooks. The only other question I guess I could ask since you seem to be so knowledgeable is, when does the dip down happen? Day 20-21?
Once again thank you so so much for taking time out to answer all my questions. I am so very appreciative. I'll let you know how we get on. We are on day 19...

 

[JaeG]

I haven't hatched many chicken eggs so not entirely sure about when exactly the air cells draw down. It must be happening soon if you are on day 19. And if the temperature has been a little low it can delay them.

I seem to have had more success hatching Muscovy ducklings (boy, do they test your patience) and lots and lots of quail.

The first time I tried with shipped chicken eggs they got to me the next day through the post, but they looked like they'd had a really rough ride. Only 1 made it to lockdown but he was malpositioned with his head between his legs with no hope of being able to pip. So I tried again from the same person. This time my eggs were stuck in the post for 10 days! Miraculously 2 developed and hatched, though both needed help as both were malpositioned, one pipping at the small end and the other pipping internally at the high end of the air cell, not the low side. I'm very pleased those 2 have ended up being a boy and a girl and that we are at last able to keep a boy to add to our flock (we moved to the country 6 months or so ago). Now we'll be able to hatch our own eggs.

My duck eggs were shipped and I had no problem with them, hatching 5 out of 9 eggs with no malpositions, so it made me wonder what is going on with the chicken eggs and was it the sellers flock in some way as I read deficiencies in the parent stock can cause malpositions. It's so hard to know though.

The hardest thing is judging when to step in and help when it's needed. But each hatch teaches you something.

I'm looking forward to hearing how your hatch goes.