Air cell

[jb1jord]

Hi, this is my 4th hatch and none of them have been succesful, today is my 21st day of hatching, and still no chickens, although my air cell is slightly mis shapen and it was fine this morning, it doesnt look pipped, but is this a good or bad sign?

 

[ki4got]

What temp have you been incubating at? Humidity? the same all along or has it changed? How do you know air cell has changed, do you keep openning the incubator?

there are so many factors that can affect development... did you open any of the eggs from the previous hatch? were they fully developed, only partly developed, how large is the air cell at hatch time?

if the temp has been consistent, no variations, then i'd check the air cell... by hatch time it should be about 1/3 of the egg (ish?) so if it's still fairly small, then you may be keeping your humidity too high all through incubation. (you usually want a max of 40%, mine tend toward 30%) if chicks pipped but didn't hatch and got stuck to the membranes (shrink wrapped) then your humidity at the end is too low... (60% or more for last 3 days)

once you go into lockdown, do NOT open the 'bator again until you are sure that none are going to hatch, or all have already hatched. openning part way thru, to check air cells or whatever, you lose all that precious humidity the chicks rely on to be able to turn while hatching...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=491013 is an excellent guide for incubation and hatching. I recommend reading it all the way through and if you don't understand a part, ask questions. 8) There are other guides/books on the subject but this one is (IMO) one of the better online sources I've found.

 

[jb1jord]

Quote:
I opened the bator today, and 3 had pipped the air sac and one hasnt, and i think i heard a chirp. the temp was 37.5 and humidity is 65% and 45% first 18 days (on previous hatches they have died before this stage