Day 21 of first hatch

[luvmychikens65]

I'm working on my first incubator batch of chicken eggs and not sure if I'm doing it right. I had one egg wiggling on day 19 and 20 but today it hasn't moved at all! I'm using a Little Giant incubator and the temp has been holding steady at 100.5 at the top of the eggs and not sure what the humidity is because I don't have a humidity gauge. I do have a small container with a small sponge and water as well as water in the water channels. Is that too much water? Has anyone else had this happen? Is this normal? I'm just a nervous wreck right now!

 

[Fuentes Farm]

Just wondering how your chicks hatched out?

 

[blucoondawg]

You really need a hygrometer you can get one cheap from a pet store. Humidity needs to be monitored throughout the hatch. If levels are too low the chicks become shrink wrapped and died if it's too high they will drown. You can also monitor by candling the size of your air cells

 

[luvmychikens65]

I only have 9 that hatched out sucessfully. I'm going to get a hygrometer before I start another clutch. There were several that pipped but couldn't maneuver around to finish zipping. They were all backwards in their shells, trying to come out the narrow end so I guess that had something to do with it.

 

[blucoondawg]

Well 9 is better than 0, its a start anyways, the ones that were upside down could be an issue with high humidity, sometimes with too much humidity during the first 18 days the chicks will grow too large to be able to move around and position properly for pipping

 

[luvmychikens65]

I read where some people were not using any humidity for the first part of the hatch and having great success but I don't know if I'm brave enough to try that. It will help when I get the hygrometer for my next batch.