!emergency! Lockdown day 16 or 17? (Chicken eggs)

[starrri]

Hello everyone,
I noticed that the egg has been wiggling around all day (it's day 15, almost day 16) I'm considering starting lockdown on day 16 or day 17 now, but I don't know. It's my first time hatching eggs too. The egg that is wiggling a lot is a bielefelder barred rock/ or buff orpington mix. Any suggestions? I really need help from someone who knows a lot about incubation,
Thanks!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Hello everyone,
I noticed that the egg has been wiggling around all day (it's day 15, almost day 16) I'm considering starting lockdown on day 16 or day 17 now, but I don't know. It's my first time hatching eggs too. The egg that is wiggling a lot is a bielefelder barred rock/ or buff orpington mix. Any suggestions? I really need help from someone who knows a lot about incubation,
Thanks!

Get your eggs set. Take out the turner if you have one, put down the nonstick shelf liner if you are using this. Candle all your eggs, mark the fat side of the air cell and place this upwards. You can just stop turning them now. See how the air cells look. You can post photos of the air cells here. What is your current humidity?
Photo below shows my day 17 eggs which I just made ready for lockdown. Because I dry incubate I don’t add water until approximately day 19. Everybody does incubation differently depending on their circumstances and experience.

 

[starrri]

Get your eggs set. Take out the turner if you have one, put down the nonstick shelf liner if you are using this. Candle all your eggs, mark the fat side of the air cell and place this upwards. You can just stop turning them now. See how the air cells look. You can post photos of the air cells here. What is your current humidity?
Photo below shows my day 17 eggs which I just made ready for lockdown. Because I dry incubate I don’t add water until approximately day 19. Everybody does incubation differently depending on their circumstances and experience.View attachment 2992175

Thanks for the reply & advice! Humidity has been between 49-50%. Is it abnormal for it to be wiggling so much before day 17? Here is a picture of the egg that has been wiggling candled (i tried to take a good pic but I was so anxious that I only got this good one) the air cell is very small still(i think) this little guy is just too anxious to get out

Get your eggs set. Take out the turner if you have one, put down the nonstick shelf liner if you are using this. Candle all your eggs, mark the fat side of the air cell and place this upwards. You can just stop turning them now. See how the air cells look. You can post photos of the air cells here. What is your current humidity?
Photo below shows my day 17 eggs which I just made ready for lockdown. Because I dry incubate I don’t add water until approximately day 19. Everybody does incubation differently depending on their circumstances and experience.View attachment 2992175

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Thanks for the reply & advice! Humidity has been between 49-50%. Is it abnormal for it to be wiggling so much before day 17? Here is a picture of the egg that has been wiggling candled (i tried to take a good pic but I was so anxious that I only got this good one) the air cell is very small still(i think) this little guy is just too anxious to get out View attachment 2992195

You are right they don’t look quite ready yet. You can go ahead and stop turning them, I would not increase humidity yet based on what I’m seeing though. Looks like they still need to lose some fluid. You’ll see a fairly dramatic drawdown in the air cell around day 19.

 

[starrri]

You are right they don’t look quite ready yet. You can go ahead and stop turning them, I would not increase humidity yet based on what I’m seeing though. Looks like they still need to lose some fluid. You’ll see a fairly dramatic drawdown in the air cell around day 19.

Thanks! I turned off the egg turner and took it out. The egg stopped wiggling a while ago.. I hope it's okay. Tomorrow is day 16, so I hope it does okay. I really appreciate your help!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Thanks! I turned off the egg turner and took it out. The egg stopped wiggling a while ago.. I hope it's okay. Tomorrow is day 16, so I hope it does okay. I really appreciate your help!

Your welcome.
Hope it goes well.

 

[starrri]

Hello again,
The egg stopped wiggling and is holding very still.. today is day 16 and i'm not going to candle it until tomorrow(day 17) i'm so nervous that it died.. do you think I should put the egg turner back in until day 18?

 

[jher77]

The egg can wiggle before they hatch and then be very still. Do not put the egg turner back in.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Hello again,
The egg stopped wiggling and is holding very still.. today is day 16 and i'm not going to candle it until tomorrow(day 17) i'm so nervous that it died.. do you think I should put the egg turner back in until day 18?

No, I would keep it out. Sorry I did not see your post until now.
I know it is hard not to worry. It may or may not still be viable, you did not do anything wrong.

 

[Mrs J]

The wiggling will be the chick getting itself into position, so I believe, then it has to absorb all of the yolk, so is likely to be less active. I wouldn’t worry to much, it’s all part of the process. Your anxiety will still go through the roof it’s natural! Also, when your chicks hatch, your humidity will rise, which is completely normal. On my first incubation, my chick hatched and humidity went up to 80 luckily I had BYC to tell me it was completely normal! Good luck with your hatch.