Air cell questions

[asher]

I should know these by now. *sigh*

What is worse, an air cell that is too small or too big in the final three days?

What would cause variations in air cell sizes in eggs that are the exact same age, in the exact same incubator with the same temp and humidity?

I have 10 ducklings due tomorrow, two have larger air cells and as of last night, had internally pipped. The other 8 have quite a bit smaller air cells, only at the top of the egg and had not pipped as of last night.

My incubator always says only a bit over 40% humidity, no matter how much water or how many containers of water that I put in there. It's an older sportsman. I had plenty of chicks hatch out just fine with no humidity issues so I don't know if that's the issue or what. I cannot pull the humidity up no matter what I do. I've tried.

So, air cells...talk to me please?

 

[Leah-yes I know I'm crazy]

*Variations would be caused by porocity of the individual egg or the location in the bator (one being in the way of the fan one not...
*To increase humidity you will have to increase surface area. Try thinking vertical rather than horizontle if you can. A big car wash sponge set up like a tower climbing out of a pan of water will have more surface area than a flat pan of water.
*I don't know what is worse....
Good luck.

 

[walkswithdog]

Some eggs will be more porous and have bigger cells, some eggs can be 12 hours ahead in development at the time of setting and you won't know that and they'd have a slightly bigger air cell.

Every animal is an individual, even in an egg. So differences should be the rule. Eggs LOOK uniform from our perspective so we are often surprised at those differences. Nope. Like us, even now some are ahead, some behind, some strong, some weak and some tryers and some quiters.

We treat them uniformly because it gives them the best chance over all but the differences that will make each special and succeed or fail are already there.