Day 19 First Hatch. ????

[newbie83]

Ty meaola

 

[newbie83]

Well I got 3/6 first hatch ever not to bad, I judt got to keep working at it until I get it right I guess.

 

[newbie83]

Opened em from the aircell they definitely got shrink wrapped, now I know no matter how worried I am I will not open that bator for anything, if one ends up dying because I didnt so be it, I lost 3 over something that was completely fine

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Opened em from the aircell they definitely got shrink wrapped, now I know no matter how worried I am I will not open that bator for anything, if one ends up dying because I didnt so be it, I lost 3 over something that was completely fine

If they were not pipped, opening your bator didn't effect them. If they were truely shrinkwrapped, there is greater chance that the egg lost too much moisture DURING incubation. Opening the bator during lockdown w/o any pipped eggs is no different than opening during the first 17 days, unless you fail to raise the humidity back up before the egg pips, then you have a chance of causing complications.

A truely shrinkwrapped chick will be dry with the membranes pulling it down tight like this:

 

[newbie83]

Air cells were normal on day 18, some kind of small, im recalibrating everything before next batch goes in. The membrane was really tight to them I could still see the blood in the vessels

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Air cells were normal on day 18, some kind of small, im recalibrating everything before next batch goes in. The membrane was really tight to them I could still see the blood in the vessels

My two silkie eggs did that this last hatch. At lockdown they were on schedule. Between day 18 and 20 the air cell doubled in size and shrinkwrapped them. That was one of them in the pic. I am not a hands off hatcher and I by no means am advocating wildly opening the bator during hatch, as a matter of fact I believe a hatcher should only do what's comfortable for them and if that is to not open that bator than that's how they should hatch, not opening the bator is good practice and it definetly lowers the slim risk of compromising eggs, but opening the bator when you have adequate humidity carries a very slim risk. People blame misfortunes on this constantly. We have to have an answer as to why something happened and sometimes it's just beyond our ability to know. I had 36 go into lockdown last hatch. Like I said, I am not a hands off hatcher, I remove my chicks, shells and assist if I need to. I have never lost a chick that started to pip or zip. I had out of 36-33 hatch. No leg foot problems, no needing to cull, all healthy except for one that decided to completely hatch w/in 5 hours of pipping and wasn't ready. He shot out w/a ruptured yolk sac and bloody membranes.
What I am saying is that while opening the bator w/active pips/zips can pose a small risk (more likely glued chicks than anything), that you most likely did not cause the demise of those eggs, so don't beat yourself up.

 

[newbie83]

Thank you!! Im not its all learning for me and my kids. I know I will never get a 100% hatch and im fine with that. Would of like to of got at least four out of this run. My husband has been really supportive he told me I did good for my first try and I knew from the begining no one gets all eggs to hatch.suggestions for humidity next run on days 1-18 and lockdown?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thank you!! Im not its all learning for me and my kids. I know I will never get a 100% hatch and im fine with that. Would of like to of got at least four out of this run. My husband has been really supportive he told me I did good for my first try and I knew from the begining no one gets all eggs to hatch.suggestions for humidity next run on days 1-18 and lockdown?

This is my humidity method: http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity

You did better than me on my first hatch. I never checked my (brand new) thermometer so I was unaware that it was 6 degrees off and I only ended up with one survivor out of the 17 that made it to lockdown. Nothing but good hatches since though, so lesson learned.

 

[newbie83]

I think during lockdown I should keep them further away from heating element.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I think during lockdown I should keep them further away from heating element.

What kind of incubator are you using?

I know my incubator runs about 2 degrees warmer under my heating elements (lg 9200)than toward the center of the bator. I use 3 thermometers and I tested different spots in the bator and was surprised that even with the fan forced air the amount of differences I still found.