Day 13...

[BackYardQuail]

Okay so today is day 13, day 14 is lock down right? Could someone explain everything I need to do for lock down, the temp, humidity, where to put the eggs (leave in cartons or take out), how to put the eggs (on their side or top/bottom) Just everything you can think of. Also every time I flip the eggs I add a little water to the cans so it will stay at 45%, since the water evaporates to quickly how do I keep it at the correct humidity for 4 days without any changes?

 

[JJSS89]

Well you want the humidity to increase about 10% and this can be done by adding a piece of wet sponge in the incubator. Remember, the humidity is only affected by water surface area so find a cup with the same surface area but that can hold a good amount of water. Then put a sponge in that which should stick up out of the water.

You can leave the eggs on their sides and that will be fine. If you keep them in the cartons - fat side up only.

Keep the temperature the same. If you have an old or less-than-perfect incubator, monitor that the heat doesn't jump when they start hatching and giving off a little additional heat.

Keep the incubator closed when the chicks are hatching so the humidity doesn't drop for the remaining hatchlings.

 

[sniper338]

I incubate with humidity in the 30s then when they start hatching humidity in the 60s

 

[TwoCrows]

JJSS has given you some great advice. Keep the humidity up, open vents wide open for maximum oxygen. Keep the temp the same. Get the humidity up to 65% or 70%. Add sponges or even a wet cotton sock will work. Make sure your eggs are on something with grip...that rubber shelf liner with the little holes works really well. You want the chicks to have really good grip at hatch to prevent splay legs. Just lay the eggs on their sides. You can open the lid until you see the first pipping (when the chick pokes a hole in the shell to breathe) but after they pip, you can not open the lid. This will dry out the chicks and make them stick to the shell and die.

After they pip, they can sit there for 24+ hours before zipping out and hatching. So don't panic and think you need to dig them out. The chicks are busy absorbing the last of the yolk and detaching themselves from the inside of the egg. So be patient at this point.

You can get them out when they are all dry, but can stay in the incubator up to 24 hours if need be.

Have the brooder all ready....95 degrees...heat lamp off to one side, food and water on the other. Red or infra red bulb in the lamp. Dip everybodies beak in the water when putting them in the brooder so they eat before they drink and know where the water is. Lay paper towels down and sprinkle feed all around the feeder so they learn where the food is kept. You can remove these towels in a couple days.

Lower the heat 5 degrees each week for 5 to 6 weeks.

Good luck on the hatch and keep us posted!

 

[JJSS89]

You're saved. TwoCrows arrived

If you do everything that's on this thread you will maximize your hatch.

 

[BackYardQuail]

Thanks! I'm going to have to go out and buy shelf liner and some hoses so I can add water without opening the lid. I'll probably just take the eggs out of the cartons and lay them all flat on the ground to reduce the risk of them getting stuck, since I've heard some chicks can hatch from the skinny side. I really cannot wait until they start hatching and I'm glad I don't have to flip them every 6 hours starting tomorrow. I'll keep you updated. Maybe even add some pics of the chicks, if they hatch.

 

[TwoCrows]

Keep us posted!!

 

[Quail Jailer]

Well whats happening?

 

[BackYardQuail]

Sorry about the absence, there just isn't enough time in a day to get everything done. Anyways, the past few days after they went into lockdown, the humidity would not stop changing. At night it goes down to 55% and during the day it is at 65% - 70%. I honestly do not think any will hatch. I haven't seen any movement of the eggs what so ever (am I supposed to see movement?) I'll tell you if anyone is hatching tomorrow.

Also, will these changes in humidity affect the eggs in any way? During the day while it is at 70, I really can't do anything since I can't open the lid, at night I can't do anything because I'm sleeping. Hatching is very exhausting I do not know how you all do it.

Sorry about all these questions and this is my first time incubating so I don't have a wide range of knowledge about incubating, maybe after a little bit more practice and a better system of how to keep the humidity at the correct place at all times I will be successful at this.

 

[Quail Jailer]

Sorry about the absence, there just isn't enough time in a day to get everything done. Anyways, the past few days after they went into lockdown, the humidity would not stop changing. At night it goes down to 55% and during the day it is at 65% - 70%. I honestly do not think any will hatch. I haven't seen any movement of the eggs what so ever (am I supposed to see movement?) I'll tell you if anyone is hatching tomorrow.

Also, will these changes in humidity affect the eggs in any way? During the day while it is at 70, I really can't do anything since I can't open the lid, at night I can't do anything because I'm sleeping. Hatching is very exhausting I do not know how you all do it.

Sorry about all these questions and this is my first time incubating so I don't have a wide range of knowledge about incubating, maybe after a little bit more practice and a better system of how to keep the humidity at the correct place at all times I will be successful at this.

Ahh, the stress of the first hatch...it'll be alright.