Air sacs still too small Day 20

[CocoPopz]

So I’ve drew on the eggs where the air sacs are sitting. They’ve been fine up untiL I checked on day 18 for lockdown and they hadn’t changed massively from day 14. Doesn’t make sense as I’ve not had any water in there I was trying the dry it out method and my humidity had been sitting at around 20% throughout. Then on day 18 lockdown I added some water but not giving the air cells a thought, my humidity had been at 50% for the day and then today has been around 37% so still not high. I’ve held off adding anymore water, just don’t know what to do. What are people’s thoughts and Best plan of action? The pictures of day 20
Thank you

 

[MGG]

I think they look fine. Up your humidity to 65% for lockdown, or you'll get a lot of stuck chicks. I've gone into lovkdown eith way smaller air cells and they've always been fine. They will drop a lot when the chick internally pips. Don't worry about them, it's too late to try and fix them anyway. They'll be ok. Make sure you get your humidity up! It's to help soften the shells for the chicks so they can easily externally pip. 37% is way way too low.

 

[CocoPopz]

Okay that’s what I thought but I was scared to add anymore encase I drown them or something with the air cell looking small. I’ll add more water, and hope for the best! Thank you

 

[Morrigan]

They don't look that small to me. I've had air sacs in the range, if not smaller, and excellent hatches (I typically keep my humidity in the 35 to 45% range). Some of the pictures you see on line can be a bit misleading, in my opinion, and there is a fairly large range for what is normal. I've noticed that the larger egg-sac chickens tend to hatch first, and the smaller ones may take a day or two longer.

Is this your first hatch with this incubator?

ETA: I just saw you were at day 20 -- I would up it to at least 60 now, preferably 65 to 70.

 

[Morrigan]

Oh, and good luck. Lockdown can be nerve wracking!

 

[CocoPopz]

They don't look that small to me. I've had air sacs in the range, if not smaller, and excellent hatches (I typically keep my humidity in the 35 to 45% range). Some of the pictures you see on line can be a bit misleading, in my opinion, and there is a fairly large range for what is normal. I've noticed that the larger egg-sac chickens tend to hatch first, and the smaller ones may take a day or two longer.

Is this your first hatch with this incubator?

ETA: I just saw you were at day 20 -- I would up it to at least 60 now, preferably 65 to 70.

no I’ve used it a lot in the past but over 2 years ago so not for a while and I always used to have my humidity high before and didn’t have the best hatch rates so thought I’d try the dry incubating method so can’t understand why the air cells are on the smaller size. I’m just going to go ahead and up my humidity again and hope for the best. I have opened more vents so that’s probably why it had dropped from 50 to 40s today so I’ve just added more water and a hot wet sponge, see what happens

 

[CocoPopz]

Oh, and good luck. Lockdown can be nerve wracking!

Haha it is I’ve not stoped staring at them, love watching them wobbling around getting in position x

 

[MGG]

Sounds good, fingers crossed you have a great hatch! What breeds are you hatching? It is so exciting at the end!

 

[Eggscaping]

Good luck to you, and I'm so glad you posted this! I have 8 shipped Swedish Flower Hen eggs on day 21 and I fretted and sweated 'too small' air cells all the time they've been in incubation, sure mine would drown. They still may not hatch - they're shipped after all, but at least I feel better about the sizes of the air cells now. I have my humidity at 70 and am watching it closely. I would be so overjoyed if I got any chicks from this nerve-wracking experiment in hatching.

 

[MGG]

Good luck to you, and I'm so glad you posted this! I have 8 shipped Swedish Flower Hen eggs on day 21 and I fretted and sweated 'too small' air cells all the time they've been in incubation, sure mine would drown. They still may not hatch - they're shipped after all, but at least I feel better about the sizes of the air cells now. I have my humidity at 70 and am watching it closely. I would be so overjoyed if I got any chicks from this nerve-wracking experiment in hatching.

Good luck, I hope you get some babies! Swedish Flowers are gorgeous birds.