First Time Egg Candler Scared!

[sideWing]

No. excess moisture is a problem if the egg hasn't released enough moisture during the incubation process. That moisture is already in the egg, it's not coming from an external source. The drowning is taking place BEFORE the external pip. When the chick internally pips into the air cells. The moisture that the egg hasn't released, the liquid w/in the shell can aspirate the chick before it even taps through the shell. Condensation at hatch is too much humidity yes, but that's not the cause of chicks drowning that compromises the hatch.

Overall to answer your question, yes, if you raise your humidity at day 18 they should be perfectly fine even if they hatch out a day or too late. (The exception would be if you already had too small air cells from lack of moisture loss during the incubation period.)

Thank you for clarifying Amy. So this is why you like to use the "Low Humidity Incubation Method". Keep humidity low, measure air cells regularly, adjust humidity when needed but erring on the side of making sure the moisture can escape during incubation? Keep humidity at about 40% until day 18 and then take it up to 65%-75%.

When you had the shrink wrapping you described why did the air sack grow from the 18th day to the 20th? Was it before you came up with the Amy Styro Low Humidity Incubation Method?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thank you for clarifying Amy. So this is why you like to use the "Low Humidity Incubation Method". Keep humidity low, measure air cells regularly, adjust humidity when needed but erring on the side of making sure the moisture can escape during incubation? Keep humidity at about 40% until day 18 and then take it up to 65%-75%.

When you had the shrink wrapping you described why did the air sack grow from the 18th day to the 20th? Was it before you came up with the Amy Styro Low Humidity Incubation Method?

I only had the issue with the two silkies that were in there, so I assume that it was the shell quality. The girl I was getting eggs from could only get 3 silkie eggs because it was still to cold and her silkie girls weren't laying. The other silkie hatched out of the egg too early carrying with it a ruptured yolk and lots of bloody membrane. Since those were the eggs I had issues with after lockdown, I would think it was the quality, most likely due to the climate I would think.

At lockdown they looked ok, I think one might have been a little on the larger side, nothing too drastic. Since my hatch was almost completed by the end of day 20, I candled the three left in there and knew that those two were gone.

No, all of my successful hatches I have used the low humidity incubation. My first (failed) hatch was the only hatch I ran according to "sandard" humidity.

And yes, on the begnning of the post, with the exception I prefer 30-35% for the first 17 days, but as long as it's not over 45% I'm good...lol

 

[sideWing]

I only had the issue with the two silkies that were in there, so I assume that it was the shell quality. The girl I was getting eggs from could only get 3 silkie eggs because it was still to cold and her silkie girls weren't laying. The other silkie hatched out of the egg too early carrying with it a ruptured yolk and lots of bloody membrane. Since those were the eggs I had issues with after lockdown, I would think it was the quality, most likely due to the climate I would think.

At lockdown they looked ok, I think one might have been a little on the larger side, nothing too drastic. Since my hatch was almost completed by the end of day 20, I candled the three left in there and knew that those two were gone.

No, all of my successful hatches I have used the low humidity incubation. My first (failed) hatch was the only hatch I ran according to "sandard" humidity.

And yes, on the begnning of the post, with the exception I prefer 30-35% for the first 17 days, but as long as it's not over 45% I'm good...lol

1. Sorry for bringing up a painful memory. The insight is very useful.

2. I was thinking 30% for a minimum after I posted but I wasn't sure. My bator won't go under 40% so I'm saying 35% - 45% humidity for my bator day 1-17.

3. You're freaking rad.

Thanks!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

1. Sorry for bringing up a painful memory. The insight is very useful.

2. I was thinking 30% for a minimum after I posted but I wasn't sure. My bator won't go under 40% so I'm saying 35% - 45% humidity for my bator day 1-17.

3. You're freaking rad.

Thanks!

My fall hatch my bator stayed about 40% completely dry, so that's what I incubated at...lol for the Easter hatch we were (and still are) using wood pellet stove for heating, so completely dry was only about 16%, so I wet a sponge and stuck it in there and it kept pretty steady at 30. Both produced great hatches, difference was one was completely dry, the other was not.

Oh, and it's not painful. Sad, but I've toughened up quite a bit in my old age...lol

 

[coleson12]

I have a question, for lockdown in a hova bator how many water channels do you fill?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I have a question, for lockdown in a hova bator how many water channels do you fill?

It's not a matter of how many channels you fill, it's a matter of humidity percentage. You want at least 65% humidity for lockdown. I use a lg w/fan and usually I fill all my water wells plus add a couple sponges above the screen to hit my goal of 75%. If you have condensation you have too much.

 

[sideWing]

Day 18 and lockdown starts tonight at about 6pm. I'm very nervous after candling this morning. I'm still seeing a lot of room in some of the eggs at the pointy end. Is this normal? A couple of them are almost all dark.





Air cell looking ok?






Please let me know what you think if you have ever candled at day 17/18 before.

Thanks!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Day 18 and lockdown starts tonight at about 6pm. I'm very nervous after candling this morning. I'm still seeing a lot of room in some of the eggs at the pointy end. Is this normal? A couple of them are almost all dark.





Air cell looking ok?






Please let me know what you think if you have ever candled at day 17/18 before.

Thanks!

It does look like there's an awful lot of space left in there. I candle from the air cell down though and you do get a different view that way, but I would think at this point no matter where the light was you should see mostly dark.

 

[sideWing]

It does look like there's an awful lot of space left in there. I candle from the air cell down though and you do get a different view that way, but I would think at this point no matter where the light was you should see mostly dark.

 

[RubyNala97]

I have no idea about that extra space but I was just wondering if you can see any movement inside the egg? Any clues that they chicks are ok?