Day 20, No activity.....Is this normal? Chicken mom freaking out! :)

[HamonyFarmHens]

Ok I was just wondering because I haven't seen any movement or anything (

 

[HamonyFarmHens]

Also, what should my humidity be? I'm using the dry incubation method

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok I was just wondering because I haven't seen any movement or anything

(

That doesn't mean anything. I seldom see movement in mine right before they pip. They usually rest after getting in position and before they pip.

Also, what should my humidity be? I'm using the dry incubation method

At day 18 when you went into lockdown you should have upped your humidity to at least 65%. I personally shoot for 75%. No matter what method you use for the first 17 days, it's important to have vents open and humidity up after lockdown. I also do the dry incubation. I like it a lot better.

 

[HamonyFarmHens]

Ok now I'm really bummed. The lightbulb went out last night and when I came downstairs the temperature was 71 degrees and the humidity was 75%. Is there any chance that they could be alive?? I did the water test and didnt see anything

 

[HamonyFarmHens]

I candled an egg an saw a kind of lump in the air sack- is that a chick pipping? There wasn't any movement- if it had pipped, could it still be alive?

 

[HamonyFarmHens]

I saw movement in the air sack!!!

 

[HamonyFarmHens]

The humidity is realllllyyy low!! I can't get it up! There's already lots of water in there what do I do?

 

[PD-Riverman]

The humidity is realllllyyy low!! I can't get it up! There's already lots of water in there what do I do?

If you open the incubator to change the bulb the humidity is going to drop and will take a while to get back up. You can use a spray bottle of warm water to mist the eggs and should help. If you are in lock-down I would keep the incubator closed and I hope you got your temp back up as soon as possible. Sit back and see what happens. Bothering them, opening etc can make it worse. Good Luck!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The humidity is realllllyyy low!! I can't get it up! There's already lots of water in there what do I do?

If you have a couple of sponges wet them with hot water and slide them in the bator. If not a cloth or some paper towels might work. If they haven't externally pipped you have a chance to get the humidity back up, just stay calm.
What you saw when you candled was an internal pip. As long as they don't shrink wrap, it should make an external pip soon if it hasn't already. Let us know what is happening.

 

[HamonyFarmHens]

I ended up soaking a cloth in hot water and placing it in the incubator- the chick is hatching now!! He's chirping too