Do my air cells look ok? Also need advice on dry hatching.

[treslilbirds]

Thanks in advance for any help regarding my first hatch!

Ok, on March 25th, I set 4 eggs and 2 more on March 26th (6 total) in my Janoel12 ‘bator. So far it’s been going like gangbusters, all 6 babies are active and look like they’re developing on track as of last night when I candled them.
I am a bit concerned about my air cells though. We’ve been having rain out the wahzoo here in NorCal (the humidity is 73% today) and I was running the usual 40%-50% that you see in all the manuals in my incubator the first week or so. I noted the size of the air cells, did some research, and found out about dry hatching in high humidity environments. I switched over to a dry hatch about a week ago and it’s going much better I think. Today is lockdown day and I plan on continuing dry for a few more days bc there’s just more and more rain coming. Curious if you think the cells look ok despite being a bit small? I’m torn between leaving them down or putting them up in cups in case a few hatch early. Things have been going so well I’d hate to lose a chick to drowning.

Also I’ve read that some BYC users don’t add water until they start cheeping or pipping internally. How obvious is it if they do that? I have the incubator on my kitchen counter so wer’re usually near it at home. What signs should I look for so I know when to start adding water?
I worked in an animal hospital for years so I’m comfortable being a hands on meddler and assisting hatches if needed...although I plan to doing very little to nothing if at all possible

Thank you all!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If they're pipping it is too late to add water. I'd up the humidity by day 20.

 

[Chicken Chat]

What is the humidity actually running inside your incubator at the moment?

 

[JaeG]

You'll be amazed at how big the air cells will suddenly get as the chick nears internal pipping stage. They tend to pip at the lowest point of the air cell so set them up with that point where you can see it easily.

If the humidity is quite low in your incubator I'd up the humidity before they are due to hatch but I think people that run 45-50% during the first stage of incubation have no trouble upping it later on, even as the eggs start to externally pip. But so much depends on your unique climate and it takes awhile to work out what's right for you and your incubator. I frequently incubate quail at 75-80% humidity the whole time and I only have the very odd egg that doesn't make it, but that's what works for my climate and my incubator.

I haven't hatched chicken chicks in an incubator so not sure when the chicks start to make some noise. You can candle to see if the chicks have internally pipped but you must keep the egg in the exact position it's in in the incubator as moving it round can confuse the chick and make them try to reposition themselves.

It may be an idea to hatch the eggs upright more so that the first chicks that hatch can't play pinball with the other eggs. Make sure your vents are open/plugs removed so those babies are getting lots of fresh air. Good luck and clear your schedule as you will hover over that incubator waiting for something to happen. It's always exciting and stressful.

 

[lazy gardener]

I would run dry until first internal pip. But only do so if you are going to be home to listen for those little cheeps. Since you already have the eggs laying flat, I'd leave them. Once a chick pips internally, she will start cheeping. You will hear it, unless you are hard of hearing or there is a lot of competing back ground noise. External pip can occur 12 - 24 hours later. So, you have plenty of time to increase humidity. Do you have an easy way to do so without opening the bator?

I run my humidity at 30 - 40%. That gives me the latitude to make those critical end of incubation adjustments. My last 2 hatches were problematic with spring rains. So, I ran dry right up to internal pip.

I hatch in home made bator, with eggs upright in cartons, tipping cartons, and rotating cartons through all spots in the bator so eggs rotate through warm/cool zones. At day 14, I lay eggs flat, and hand turn them until day 18. Chicks start getting into hatching position at day 14, so I want those eggs flat for that crucial developmental time.

 

[treslilbirds]

What is the humidity actually running inside your incubator at the moment?

It’s averaging around 40% with me running it dry.

 

[treslilbirds]

I would run dry until first internal pip. But only do so if you are going to be home to listen for those little cheeps. Since you already have the eggs laying flat, I'd leave them. Once a chick pips internally, she will start cheeping. You will hear it, unless you are hard of hearing or there is a lot of competing back ground noise. External pip can occur 12 - 24 hours later. So, you have plenty of time to increase humidity. Do you have an easy way to do so without opening the bator?

I run my humidity at 30 - 40%. That gives me the latitude to make those critical end of incubation adjustments. My last 2 hatches were problematic with spring rains. So, I ran dry right up to internal pip.

I hatch in home made bator, with eggs upright in cartons, tipping cartons, and rotating cartons through all spots in the bator so eggs rotate through warm/cool zones. At day 14, I lay eggs flat, and hand turn them until day 18. Chicks start getting into hatching position at day 14, so I want those eggs flat for that crucial developmental time.

Ah! Thank you! Ok I’ll leave them flat. They’ve been in the auto roller tray up until now. And yes, I got some tubing from my husband that I can run through the vent hole to add water when needed.

I’ll be sure to listen out for those cheeps! Thanks again

 

[obicat]

I use that incubator and I dry hatch. It runs 25 to 30% and then goes up to 50/60% as they hatch. I dont add water at any stage. I've found if you do the hunidty shoot up too high, so completely dry hatching for me.

 

[treslilbirds]

I use that incubator and I dry hatch. It runs 25 to 30% and then goes up to 50/60% as they hatch. I dont add water at any stage. I've found if you do the hunidty shoot up too high, so completely dry hatching for me.

Oh wow really?!! Well that makes me feel a lot better about waiting. Our humidity has been at 100% some of these past days...I may just throw in a damp sponge or two and leave it at that.

 

[lazy gardener]

If you put a damp sponge in, be sure to put it where the chicks can't drag their umbilicus across it. That could set them up for infection.