Day 22. I think I see an internal pip

[CascadiaRiver]

Yes. In most cases with the styro bators, 50% (going by a checked and accurate hygrometer) is high. An arid or high elevation hatcher may have better luck with those numbers, but for the average hatcher it causes dead in shell or after pip chicks. The key is to -no matter what your humidity is- to check your air cells for growth. I guarentee, if you have an accurate hygrometer and you run 65-80% for the first 17 days in just about most of the US that isn't high elevations, your chicks will drown because at that high of humidity your eggs can not (unless they are the most porous eggs ever) loose enough moisture that the air cell will grow big enough.

I run a low humidity incubation days 1-17 and higher it to 75% at day 18. I have awesome hatches with no deformaties, no leg problems. I have never lost a pipper/zipper and have only had three chicks die after hatch and only one of those was unexplained a week later, the others one had digestive problems the last hatched way before it was ready with a ruptured yolk and an active egg to chick vascular system.

Most people (especial with styro bators) that have had awful hatches and have switched to a low humidity incubation (or as some like to say, "dry") have found that their hatches are much better and more consistant.

Weird, we have had almost perfect hatches, the air sacks are normal, growth, and such and the babies are never deformed and nothing has gone wrong but the 2 that didn't pip because of premature cracking and one random one with broken legs and I think wry neck that passed within hours of hatch. We do live in a valley and use a Styrofoam hovabtor. its usually kept pretty high compared to what you say, and we do raise it on the last days. The eggs we hatch are almost never overly porous and some barely at all. It amazes me now knowing all this. Either we are really lucky or have a different setting on our humidity thing XD

 

[blitzons]

I guesstimated the humidity since I don't have a hydrogenater. My little giant runs at around 39% humidity with no water. I ran my brinsea dry until lockdown. I will try a float test tomorrow.

 

[scflock]

I guesstimated the humidity since I don't have a hydrogenater. My little giant runs at around 39% humidity with no water. I ran my brinsea dry until lockdown. I will try a float test tomorrow.

From what I have read on BYC, the dry incubation works in styrofoam, not so much in a Brinsea. My worst hatch ever, 50%, in the Brinsea was at a lower humidity, 35%. I normally run 40-45%, and it seems most, maybe not all, Brinsea users are between 45 and 50%. I think because the Brinsea is so much more well insulated than styrofoam that running one totally dry would equate to some seriously low humidities for the first 18 days. My guess is that could be the culprit for your unsuccessful hatch. I would recommend getting a hygrometer for your next hatch, but if you don't, I would run at least one well full of water for the first 18 days. I run both wells full with the vent fully open, then close the vent to halfway to get to 65-70% for lockdown

 

[scflock]

Weird, we have had almost perfect hatches, the air sacks are normal, growth, and such and the babies are never deformed and nothing has gone wrong but the 2 that didn't pip because of premature cracking and one random one with broken legs and I think wry neck that passed within hours of hatch. We do live in a valley and use a Styrofoam hovabtor. its usually kept pretty high compared to what you say, and we do raise it on the last days. The eggs we hatch are almost never overly porous and some barely at all. It amazes me now knowing all this. Either we are really lucky or have a different setting on our humidity thing XD

The important thing to do is stick with what is working. People's parameters are all over the board across the country. What works for me doesn't work for Amy, and you run higher humidity than both of us. It just shows that everyone has to figure out what works for them in their area

 

[AmyLynn2374]

From what I have read on BYC, the dry incubation works in styrofoam, not so much in a Brinsea. My worst hatch ever, 50%, in the Brinsea was at a lower humidity, 35%. I normally run 40-45%, and it seems most, maybe not all, Brinsea users are between 45 and 50%. I think because the Brinsea is so much more well insulated than styrofoam that running one totally dry would equate to some seriously low humidities for the first 18 days. My guess is that could be the culprit for your unsuccessful hatch. I would recommend getting a hygrometer for your next hatch, but if you don't, I would run at least one well full of water for the first 18 days. I run both wells full with the vent fully open, then close the vent to halfway to get to 65-70% for lockdown

x2

 

[blitzons]

Talk about a miracle but I have a chick that popped externally

 

[scflock]

Talk about a miracle but I have a chick that popped externally

Great! Keep us updated

 

[blitzons]

Looks like blood in yolk is absorbed. He seems a little tired. Might help of not hatched by the time I leave work in 9 hours

 

[scflock]

Looks like blood in yolk is absorbed. He seems a little tired. Might help of not hatched by the time I leave work in 9 hours

I don't help, but that's just me. Amy does, so if you decide that you need to, I highly recommend getting advice from Amy first. My first pip to first hatch usually takes 12-16 hours, then they kick out healthy on their own. If you assist too early, you run a high risk of injuring an otherwise healthy chick

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I don't help, but that's just me. Amy does, so if you decide that you need to, I highly recommend getting advice from Amy first. My first pip to first hatch usually takes 12-16 hours, then they kick out healthy on their own. If you assist too early, you run a high risk of injuring an otherwise healthy chick

Amy assists but only after 18 hours of no progress and then I only assist enough to increase the pip hole and make sure the chick's positioning is ok. If there doesn't seem to be a problem I put a wet paper towel around them and put them back and give them until 24 hours unless there's a good reason to intervine before, (IE: distressed chick, membranes drying out and becoming glued.)