Air Cells- Are they the correct size for Day 14?

[Schell1226]

Hi everyone!

This is my first time incubating chicken eggs. I'd love for someone's opinion, or advice on my air cells. Please help me! I tried finding a air cell pictorial but all the pictures I'm seeing is of a slanted air cell. Mine are more straight across or barely slanted at all. These are shipped eggs that I've literally babied from the very beginning. I know the size of the air cell has to do with moisture loss and humidity plays a huge factor. I did alot of research before I decided to do any of this. Can someone please give me their input or any suggestions on what they think about my air cells. I have more pics available if needed. Thanks in advance, any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[katiek77]

Here is a great guide to go by. Good luck on your hatch.

 

[Schell1226]

Thank you katiek77 for replying so quickly. The issue is, because my air cells are straight across and not slanted I'm having a hard time determining if they're in the correct area or not for day 14-15? I can't tell if they need to be smaller or larger at this point. I'm not very good at comparing things like this and the last thing I want to do is drown or shink-wrap the little ones....

 

[katiek77]

The eggs should have somewhat of a slant on the air cells. I have never hatched shipped eggs. Did you let them sit untouched for atleast 24 hours? Did you put them in the incubator and let them incubate sitting straight up for the first 4-5 without turning or elevating sides? What was your humidity days 1-18? And if you were hand turning did you make sure to turn them an odd number of times a day?

 

[Schell1226]

Yes, to all your questions....


I received them and let them sit for at least 24 hrs before setting them in the bator. In the meantime I had my bator up and running between 99.5-99.7 (forced air, styro). When I first checked the air cells, a few (2, maybe 3) would barely move, if any at all, but none were completely detached or rolled to the opposite end of the egg. After sitting and letting them rest, I set them in the bator. After setting I didn't turn/rotate/move them for 4 days. I have them in egg cartons so they've been sitting upright, air cell up. I candled on 7 and 14 so far. ALL babies seem to be doing EXCELLENT so far. They have great veining and are very active. Needless to say, I keep a super close eye on the temp/hum and all that. I've been running the hum on the lower end. In between 25-40 to be exact. I add enough water to bring it to 40 and then let it drop down to 25 before adding more. It usually takes 2-3 days before I have to add more. I hand turn so I'm opening the bator and turning 3x a day. The hum on average (1-18) has been approx 30-35 and temps have been no higher than 100.6. I watch this bator like it's one of my children so any temp fluctuations I'd be able to catch immediately. I constantly monitor it because I know styros aren't that great to begin and they're know to have temp issues, etc....

I've basically treated these babies like they're ICU patients....

Thr air cells do dip lower on one end but it's so slight that I can't tell if it's correct or not by looking/comparing to a pic....maybe I would've been better off weighing them instead of going by the air cell size/shape???

 

[Rose Quartz]

The aircell size looks good to me

 

[Schell1226]

The aircell size looks good to me

The aircell size looks good to me

Thank you Rose Quartz for your reply!

May I ask....

Since my air cells aren't slanted like many of the pics. What is the best way to determine something like that?

My hum has been 25-40. I only add water when it drops to 25, then I bring it up to 40 again and let it slowly drop over the course of a few days. If my math is correct, that means my hum is running at approx 30-35% on a daily/average basis or close to it. Do you have any suggestions for the next 2-3 days on what I should do with the hum before going into lockdown? Or should I make any slight changes with the hum at all? I'm just nervous going into the home stretch....I got them this far and I'd hate to make a fatal mistake this far along.

 

[Rose Quartz]

Thank you Rose Quartz for your reply!

May I ask....

Since my air cells aren't slanted like many of the pics. What is the best way to determine something like that?

My hum has been 25-40. I only add water when it drops to 25, then I bring it up to 40 again and let it slowly drop over the course of a few days. If my math is correct, that means my hum is running at approx 30-35% on a daily/average basis or close to it. Do you have any suggestions for the next 2-3 days on what I should do with the hum before going into lockdown? Or should I make any slight changes with the hum at all? I'm just nervous going into the home stretch....I got them this far and I'd hate to make a fatal mistake this far along.

I usually just eyeball it. Every egg is different some will have bigger some smaller. By day 18 there's not much difference from day 14, the major draw down happens around day 20. I've had all sorts of aircell shapes. them being flat across right now wont cause too much of a problem. If you notice on day 18 that one side is lower than the other you can set it with that side facing up. If not it can be put in on it's side how ever you want.

I run my incu dry from day 1 -18. But i live on the atlantic coast and the local humidity is always high. The only time i add water is if it drops in 10% in the incu.

For lockdown i do 65 - 70% if my aircells look small i might push it one day longer with the lower humidity but thats it. Day 19 it goes up regardless.

 

[Schell1226]

I usually just eyeball it. Every egg is different some will have bigger some smaller. By day 18 there's not much difference from day 14, the major draw down happens around day 20. I've had all sorts of aircell shapes. them being flat across right now wont cause too much of a problem. If you notice on day 18 that one side is lower than the other you can set it with that side facing up. If not it can be put in on it's side how ever you want.

I run my incu dry from day 1 -18. But i live on the atlantic coast and the local humidity is always high. The only time i add water is if it drops in 10% in the incu.

For lockdown i do 65 - 70% if my aircells look small i might push it one day longer with the lower humidity but thats it. Day 19 it goes up regardless.

That's what I was thinking but I just wanted to double check.....

So at this point should I keep my hum steady and between 30-35 or should I go a little lower? I don't want them to draw back to much by day 19- 20 and the chick have problems, but at the same time I don't want them to not be big enough.

Btw, these are Silkies eggs and the breeder did mention that her's have been hatching around the 19th-20th day or so, I don't know if that matters at all? They are little bit smaller than your regular sized chicken egg and I know that all plays a factor as far as the shape, quality, pourous/non-pourous, etc, because they all loose moisture differently.

I do plan on hatching in the same carton they've been in the entire time during incubation. I read and came across many forums saying not to lay and/or ever turn shipped egg on their sides more than a 45-65° angle because it messes with the entire inside and shifts everything. I do know shipped eggs tend to be a little more delicate than something that's picked up out of a backyard.

 

[katiek77]

That's what I was thinking but I just wanted to double check.....

So at this point should I keep my hum steady and between 30-35 or should I go a little lower? I don't want them to draw back to much by day 19- 20 and the chick have problems, but at the same time I don't want them to not be big enough.

Btw, these are Silkies eggs and the breeder did mention that her's have been hatching around the 19th-20th day or so, I don't know if that matters at all? They are little bit smaller than your regular sized chicken egg and I know that all plays a factor as far as the shape, quality, pourous/non-pourous, etc, because they all loose moisture differently.

I do plan on hatching in the same carton they've been in the entire time during incubation. I read and came across many forums saying not to lay and/or ever turn shipped egg on their sides more than a 45-65° angle because it messes with the entire inside and shifts everything. I do know shipped eggs tend to be a little more delicate than something that's picked up out of a backyard.

30 or a little lower are great numbers. I wouldn’t put lockdown humidity more than 15-20% of your 1-18 humidity. I locked down at 50 sometimes it went to 54. When they hatch your humidity will jump. If you have two hatching at a time it will get into the 70’s. High humidity = trouble in my opinion. My dry hatch eggs were brittle and very easy for the chicks to zip and pop out. Dry hatch zip took 15-25 mins. Wet hatch zip took mine 30 mins to an hour.

Since you really do not have the normal big dip I personally would let them hatch in the egg carton. Do you have the bottom rings cut out of your egg carton?