Day 21

[Renee97038]

I thought my incubation was on day 21 but looking back at my beginning date I realize day 21 isn't until tomorrow. So, I accidentally started lockdown on day 17 and raised humidity that day to 65%. Is starting lockdown and no turning on day 17 going to mess up my hatch?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

No it should not mess up your hatch. Eggs only really need to be turned untill day 14. After that time the chick should have formed all its parts by then. Turning helps them to develop their parts in the right place and keeps the nutrients moving through the egg. I'm sure your eggs will be fine if the air cell was looking when you locked down.

Good luck, hope you have a great hatch

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree. Yours is a very common mistake which seldom has any real effect on the eggs hatching. By that time the eggs don’t need turning and there is such a wide range of moisture loss that works that you should not have a problem. Good luck with your hatch.

I’ll mention that the 21 day thing is only a guideline. It’s not that unusual for eggs to be a day or even two days early or late. There are a lot of different reasons for that. Heredity, humidity, how and how long they were stored before incubation started, and just basic differences in the eggs. A big influence is average incubating temperature, if it’s a tad high they can be early, cool and they can be late. So don’t get too impatient if you don’t see something happening at 21 days. Yeah, easier said than done. I don’t like it when they ae slow either.

The eggs possibly being early is a why lockdown is scheduled when it is. There are enough that hatch two full days early that we go into lockdown three days before the 21 days guideline to be sure we are early enough. They are usually early because the incubator is running a bit warm, but I’ve had eggs under a broody hen be two full days early. You don’t have to be that precise with lockdown, you just need to get the humidity up before the eggs start pipping.

 

[Renee97038]

Thanks so much! I will now relax and wait. They were all alive at lockdown so I hope for a good hatch. Will let everyone know how it goes.

 

[Islander11]

Just relax! I know its like a little kid on christmas!

 

[Renee97038]

8 have hatched on day 21. Now I'm waiting on the olive eggers to hatch. They are really dark Marans eggs. And the last to pip.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sounds good!