Anybody else here that DON'T use Lockdown Method??

BayGoose

Chirping
7 Years
Jun 2, 2012
243
7
83
PA
I've been hatching eggs for many, many years. From quails to geese. Every single spring. I'm new on here and I read a lot of posts of people using lockdown days prior to hatching. I never even heard of lockdown till I hopped onto this site. I only raise the humidity when I see my first external pip. I've had great success with high hatch rates, especially this season. When you think about it, the hen gets off the nest to eat and drink everyday. She isn't keeping that much humidity under her till that first chick hatches. I don't usually use my hydrometers either. When I do though, the majority of incubation is only at 30%. When I see my first pip, I raise it to about 60%. But I don't necessarily put them in lockdown either. Sometimes I do open the incubator and the humidity climbs right back up. Maybe it's just my incubators doing their job well? But they hatch just fine. I'm just afraid everyone is getting too technical and making themselves worry too much! Sometimes when I find myself getting a little careless of my clutch in the incubator, it's some of my best hatch rates LOL. Anybody else not abide the usual lockdown rules? Or am I the only nut here
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I did today, only.problem is the turn is still in the bator. I forgot to write down the date as I have 3 hatches going on. I guess the way you do it is what most on here call a dry hatch and lock down. Is the last 3 days, you remove turner and bump humidity. WELCOME TO BYC.
Michele
 
I did today, only.problem is the turn is still in the bator. I forgot to write down the date as I have 3 hatches going on. I guess the way you do it is what most on here call a dry hatch and lock down. Is the last 3 days, you remove turner and bump humidity. WELCOME TO BYC.
Michele
Thanks!
 
Seems like lock down process is borrowed from commercial hatching and research.
Lock down procedure may help hatching in more than one ways. Without lockdown
folks may pull eggs too many times and put them back in different position than chicks
are getting into.

Humidity stabilisation depends on many things - your incubator, local weather, home a/c etc.

So all in all, lock down may help by keeping "hands out of incubator" :), at the least.
 
I have a 95% hatch rate using an LG incubatorI with a fan and no turner. I do not use the lockdown method, though I do raise the humidity to around 70% three days before hatch is expected.

I know a lot of people are defensive about how lockdown should be done, and I am a little afraid to elaborate. So feel free to message any time!
 
I'm not sure what lockdown even means, but I take my eggs out of the turner and raise the humidity, (I don't have a hygrometer so I don't know how much). But I usually get great hatch rates.
 
I don't. I open the incubator from time to time. On my last hatch I did dry incubation from start to finish and had a great hatch rate.
 
I have a 95% hatch rate using an LG incubatorI with a fan and no turner. I do not use the lockdown method, though I do raise the humidity to around 70% three days before hatch is expected.

I know a lot of people are defensive about how lockdown should be done, and I am a little afraid to elaborate. So feel free to message any time!
I don't understand. From what you are saying you do lock down. Do you open it during the last 3 days or do you wait till you chicks are hatched? I think the method that I used this hatch would be considered not locking down. Neglected to write down which day I set, never added water and didn't remove turner. Yup that sums it up. I am however, dispite my neglect, having a great hatch. Sure I got up every couple hours last night to add water, no hygrometer, so don't know how high it is, but it is working, only one D'uccle is having problems, due to it making one big hole instead of zipping. No I won't be helping, would be risking all the other unhatched and pipped eggs. I also don't understand what you mean as defensive, most on here take kindly to advise offered by others so elaborate. What works for you may help someone else who is struggling to get a hatch right.
Michele
 
When I am incubating, especially when I have to turn the eggs, those last 3 days of incubation that I don't have to turn the eggs, is a "relax and watch" kind of time.

I have heard that it gets the chick in a position to hatch being left to sit still for 3 days. I believe it. I know of times that I have seen chicks hatching, and a passerby, (another rude chick) kicks the egg across the incubator. And the chick in the egg is left with it's pip hole facing the floor of the incubator, and I have seen first hand that they will take much longer to hatch when this happens. I believe that they should be left alone to hatch those last three days. A fix to this problem is keeping the eggs in an egg carton standing up so the other chicks can't the disturb the eggs.

I raise the humidity to 60% on day 18, but until I see a pip, it stays that way. When I see a pip, I spray the eggs with water. (I don't DRENCH them) I have had great success with this method. I usually spray the eggs about 4 times a day, but the humidity is always high enough anyway, that I don't necessarily have to spray the eggs.

(NO Exploding Light bulbs have happened either.)
 
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I think we all read the advice and questions on here and use what we want and dont use what we dont want and go with what works for us in our incubators in our climates with our eggs . I dont think I have seen anyone defensive about opnions diffrent then theres on this section of the forums. But I dont remmber every post I ever read. I would hope personally that you would find this community helpfull and friendly and not negative.
 

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