day 22 incubating chicken eggs. NEED HELP!!

[MeghanChickLady]

Hi, Im new to this and I was wondering..what does it mean when an egg is "locked down"? Im hopefully going to incubate a dozen eggs within the next week. My laying hens are young, so not all of the eggs will hatch; these eggs are some of their firsts. I don't think I`ll get even half a dozen, but Im trying to learn as much as I can before I start. Can anybody help?

 

[mcanada1779]

hi lockdown should have started very late on day 18. this Is when u add sponges or rags or bowls. to raise the humidity in the incubator. its called lockdown because if you open the incubator (even Briefly) it greatly effects the humidity you have built upside. u have to have the humidity so high cause it can take up to 24 hours for the chick to come out after it pips. and when it takes this long there membranes of there little shells have to stay moist or they will get stuck in the egg.

 

[MeghanChickLady]

Thank you! One more question..I never done this before, don't know all the terms...what is the meaning when a chick "pips" ?

 

[Pinkaboo]

Thank you! One more question..I never done this before, don't know all the terms...what is the meaning when a chick "pips" ?

Its the first hole
Sometimes looks like a little cross on the shell
When it first breaks through the shell

 

[MeghanChickLady]

Thanks!

 

[mcanada1779]

IN THE HATCHING PROCESS THE AIR BUBBLE YOU HAVE BEEN WATCHING THEY PIP THROUGH THAT FIRST. THIS IS CALLED THE INTERNAL PIP. AT THIS POINT YOU CAN HEAR THE BABYS CHIRPING BUT MAY NOT SEE ANYTHING. UNFORTUNATLY THIS IS ALSO THE POINT THAT SOME BABIES WILL DIE. THEY NEVER FIGURE OUT HOW TO GO ANY FURTHER SO THEY RUN OUT OF OXYGEN. AFTER THE INTERNAL PIP THEN THEY DO THE EXTERNAL PIP. ITS A TINY LITTLE WHOLE IN THE SHELL. THEN THEY GO FROM THERE TO ZIP AROUND.

TAKE IT FROM ME IF A CHICK IS HAVIING A HARD TIME GETTING OUT DO NOT HELP...REPEAT DO NOT HELP...ITS HARD BUT THEY DONT MAKE IT AND I SWEAR SOMETIMES I THINK I ACTUALLY KILLED THEM, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE IF I HAD JUST LEFT THEM ALONE.

 

[AmericanMom]

Hi, Im new to this and I was wondering..what does it mean when an egg is "locked down"? Im hopefully going to incubate a dozen eggs within the next week. My laying hens are young, so not all of the eggs will hatch; these eggs are some of their firsts. I don't think I`ll get even half a dozen, but Im trying to learn as much as I can before I start. Can anybody help?

You talk about having laying hens, but are any of them broody? Or do you have an incubator?

Here is a wonderful thread on incubation for the newbies to incubation

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/635856/a-how-to-guide-to-hatching-your-own-chicks

 

[AmericanMom]

IN THE HATCHING PROCESS THE AIR BUBBLE YOU HAVE BEEN WATCHING THEY PIP THROUGH THAT FIRST. THIS IS CALLED THE INTERNAL PIP. AT THIS POINT YOU CAN HEAR THE BABYS CHIRPING BUT MAY NOT SEE ANYTHING. UNFORTUNATLY THIS IS ALSO THE POINT THAT SOME BABIES WILL DIE. THEY NEVER FIGURE OUT HOW TO GO ANY FURTHER SO THEY RUN OUT OF OXYGEN. AFTER THE INTERNAL PIP THEN THEY DO THE EXTERNAL PIP. ITS A TINY LITTLE WHOLE IN THE SHELL. THEN THEY GO FROM THERE TO ZIP AROUND.

TAKE IT FROM ME IF A CHICK IS HAVIING A HARD TIME GETTING OUT DO NOT HELP...REPEAT DO NOT HELP...ITS HARD BUT THEY DONT MAKE IT AND I SWEAR SOMETIMES I THINK I ACTUALLY KILLED THEM, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE IF I HAD JUST LEFT THEM ALONE.

Sorry but you do realize by typing in all caps it makes it hard to follow, plus it looks like your screaming at us...

 

[mcanada1779]

well im sorry!!! I have a crushed leg and on a lot of meds. by the time I realized it I didn't really want to go back and fix it. if it makes it hard to follow then don't read it!!!!

 

[AmericanMom]

well im sorry!!! I have a crushed leg and on a lot of meds. by the time I realized it I didn't really want to go back and fix it. if it makes it hard to follow then don't read it!!!!

whoa.... Slow down there, it was just an observation and a heads up, nothing malicious was intended...
Hope you feel better soon