Day 17 and i can see moving shadows in air cell!!!

[marlene]

I candled last night for the last time as lockdown is today and i nearly dropped the egg when i see shadow hitting the air cell. Luckily i had been trying to sort out my octagon 20 all day and getting temp and humidity just right to transfer eggs in there for lockdown, when i see 1 was trying to pip i quickly transfered the eggs into the hatcher.
This is mega early, will it be ok if they hatch today or tomorrow, what are the chances they are shrinkwrapped now from opening bator to candle and move them?.
By the way these are shipped silkie eggs, i only have 3 eggs make it to lockdown from 6.

 

[pete55]

Hi

I really wouldnt worry about the chick being 'shrink-wrapped' as its highly unlikely that the moisture content of the egg will be changed by viewing at this stage. After all, the chicks have not yet externally pipped so the moisture loss rate has not dramatically increased. In honesty I'm not a great fan of a rigid 'Lockdown' period as I believe it should be a more flexible and informed approach to increasing humidity when required (just my 2 cents worth).

Your eggs sound on schedule as the shadows are represent the chick moving into its hatching position. Internal pipping can be confirmed by listening at the air cell end for a fient rythmic clicking noise. It may be another day before external pipping is seen.

Best of luck to you

Pete

 

[marlene]

Thanks Pete

 

[pete55]

Hi Marlene

Here's a link to a thread that I did earlier as an Incubation Guide which may help you as it has lots of information about the hatching process.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=491013

There's also more incubation information on our website;

http://oakgarthgeese.com

Once again good luck with your hatch

Pete

 

[marlene]

Hi Pete, thanks for the link. I have read it many times now, i keep going back to it every time i need to find some thing out or when i'm not sure whats happening.

.
Its great that you have taken the time to share your expertise with us.

 

[Bantam Username]

Quote:
My humidity seems too low, my incubator is a fully automatic with automatic humidity too - its an rcom, I'm in lockdown but no pips yet. My humidity is only about 48%, is it ok then to open it up and add a dish of water? Will this make any difference since its not a bulb incubator? I too have read your thread several times but am not quite sure what to do in this case. Any help appreciated.

 

[pete55]

Hi

Im surprised that you cant go higher with an R-Com but it depends on your model and environmental humidity.

With all eggs I adjust the humidity to aim for 16% weight loss although I do judge this by the size and shape of the air cells these days. With ALL eggs I maintain them at a lower humidity to achieve this weight loss. When the eggs air cell becomes larger and 'lop-sided' about 3 days before hatching then I stop turning the eggs with the side with the most aircell uppermost (its explained better in the link above). Then I wait and candle again to check for shadows and finally Internal Pipping. I confirm this by listening to the egg for the faint clicking noise. Within 12 -24 hours external pipping should occur with the pip being on the upper surface.

It is ONLY when the chick as breached the shell and externally pipped that I increase the humidity to prevent the membranes drying out too much. During this period I do open the incubator as I continue candling to check when the chick is approaching hatching.

I can see no reason why you should'nt open your incubator to try and adjust your humidity, especially as the eggs remain intact. There is really no need to worry about high humidity until external pipping and even then its simply to minimise the drying out of the exposed membranes and vessels etc. After all if your humidity has been at the correct level during incubation to achieve the target weight loss then there is no real need.

In fact sometimes our Goose eggs are really difficult to achieve the required 16% weight loss and I'm incubating totally dry right up to external pipping to maximise the weight loss and get healthy goslings.

Hope that helps but you may find my comments controversial

Pete

 

[Bantam Username]

Ok, I'll wait til I have a pip before adding a dish with water, I thought the r com would bring the humidity up on its own but I'm on day 19 now and its remained the same.

 

[pete55]

What model R-Com have you got?

 

[marlene]

My last hatch i had 1 egg that had piped externally which i had to help as it was a very big chick and could'nt get out on its own, i did not worry as the other eggs had not piped at all. As time passed i did wonder why the other eggs had not piped so i checked them and they was all shrinkwrapped, my humidity was good at 70%.
So my question is if they had not internally or externally piped how did they get shrinkwrapped?