Day 18 and air cell too large!

[popsie]

Hi everyone, I'm a complete newbie to incubating and hatching and I have just found this site and I think it's fantastic!

I have 8 silkie eggs on day 18 - I've just took them out of the automatic turner and filled up both water troughs in my hova bator still air incubator. I have kept the temperature at 100 degrees throughout, but I'm really worried about my humidity - I have a chicktec humidity gauge and the recommendation for chickens on this is between 20% and 42% relative, so I've kept mine at around 30%, however I now know this is much too low and I am absolutely panicing.

I started with 12 fertilized eggs, 1 infertile, 1 bloodring, 2 stopped developing around day 10 - 12. Tonight I candled the 8 I have left, I'm pretty sure the air cell is too large (between 30 and 40 percent of the egg), the rest is a dark mass but I definitely can see movement. I'm worried my chicks will be stuck to the shell. Is there anything I can do at this late stage - I'm raising the humidity for the last 3 days and its 75% on the chicktec gauge at the moment.

I know deep in my heart it's too late to do anything now but I'm so worried and am just praying I haven't done too much damage.

Why would the chicktec gauge recommend such a low relative humidity when it is so obviously wrong? I really thought I was doing it all right.

I still can't help being hopeful and am so excited that I may get some chicks - these have been the longest 18 days of my life and the next 3 will seem forever.

Thanx for listening everyone.

 

[steffpeck]

Don't worry to much yet. I just hatched some silkies and cochin eggs, and some of the aircells looked like they took up dang near 1/2 the egg and they hatched fine. This was my first hatch, so I don't know if I just got lucky, or if this really is nothing to be concerned about.

Good Luck!! I can't wait to see pictures of your babies.

One thing, I did read is that if your humidity is to high at the end the chicks could drown as the air sac fills up with water. I was told to keep the humidity between 65-70%. Most was right about 70% for the last 3 days.

 

[popsie]

Oh man, thank you soooooooo much for that, it makes me feel so happy to know that we're in with a chance! I'll check the humidity right away and promise to keep you posted.

By the way, I forgot to mention that 3 of the silkies are minature silkies? when we ordered them we thought they just meant they were small (like all silkies), but they are quite a lot smaller than the other batch of standard ones we ordered. Out of the 6 minatures we have 3 left. Anyways thanx so much for your speedy reply and fingers crossed I'll have some pics on here as soon as can be.

X

 

[tiki244]

DO NOT PANIC!!!

I had that very thing happen to me last week and was so concerned that I raised the humidity too high and I believe I drowned the chicks.

I have chicks hatching now that have been at 20-40% H and for the last 3 days I raised H to 50-60%. I am not recomending this but mine are coming out fine and there is a section on dry incubation that says you dont have to have the high H as regukar incubation. Plus being bantams I dont thibk they need quite as much.

The worst mistake I made was to second guess myself and open the incubator and make adjustments. Keep a nice steady temp and humidity, dont change anything too drastically and just keep an eye on it

but KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF and DONT PANIC!!!!! And go about your business as if it was another day. Yeah Right!!

 

[championny]

I am on day 15 with some Delawares and they also have what seems to be a large air cell. However, I did see movement and they seem to be doing alright.

I say if they are still growing, then don't disturb them too much. I had not heard of drowning the chicks with high humidity and that makes me want to check mine to be sure.

Hang in tight, you're almost there.

 

[popsie]

Thanx for your reassurance everyone - my humidity is at 63% now and I think this is about right??? I'm reluctant to take the lid off to change this now.

Any further advice is much appreciated. Thanx again. Will keep you updated.

 

[tiki244]

63% is just perfect ,,, do not take the lid offf,,, and one more thing,,do you have your vent holes open? they should be open,,,,,do not take the lid offf,,,,,,,do not take the lid offff

 

[popsie]

I have 2 plugs in the hova bata incubator - the manual says to remove them only if steam is gathering on the windows - if I take them out now, won't that reduce the humidity? Please advise - thanx in advance.

 

[tiki244]

yes it will reduce the humidity....do you have any vents open?

at least take one out

 

[tiki244]

I am right here... do you have a tube like you would for air for a fish tank? you can gradually adde water to the bottom of the incubator THROUGH the vent ho;e if your Humidity drops too much....but remember do not touch the cover and only gradual changes dont make any big changes and relax


itchy fingers and panic can kill chicks at the last few days esp. for newcomers