First time incubating chicken eggs........

[MelanieOzuna]

Hi everyone! It is my first time incubating my chickens eggs. I know they were fertile as every egg we have eaten has the red dot. Decided to buy the styrofoam incubator and egg rotator and give it a try. Today is day 21 and I have done everything by the book. Im worried we are not going to get any chicks. I have candled the eggs about three times over the 3 weeks. I saw chicks in all but two. Now its too hard to see anything but an air sack. Is that normal? I have had the temp just under 100 the whole time and the humidity around 48 to 50. Added water today and humidity is closer to 65 now. Any advice would be appreciated. My 9 year old is coming home from school and expecting babies. hahahaha

 

[MelanieOzuna]

Also, whats lockdown?

 

[Roxannemc]

Lock down is the last 3 days before they hatch you shouldnt open the bator at all as i understand...Its" locked down."
I have read that the last days the chicken takes up al lthe room in the shell so it looks black except fo the air sac.Is that what you are seeing? (I am just repeating what i read here).

 

[Roxannemc]

Also have you raised the humidity these last 3 days?Yusaid 65 today...It should be raised up to 70-80 % i think or the chicks can get stuck in the shell when tryng to come out..

 

[rosiethechicken]

1. keep humidity, and temp steady
2. do not open bator, unless air stinks
3. be patient, something i wish i had done.

 

[MelanieOzuna]

What makes the air stink? I didn't do lockdown. I was taking out babies as they hatched and putting them in a clean, dry space. I was also throwing out hatched shells and adding water. I got 14 chicks out of 14 eggs though I expected to lose some. They all seem very lively and strong. Im doing this the hard way by reading and learning as I go. Hope they don't die now that they are here. I suppose that is common too.

 

[phoenix912]

If you had a bad egg in there it would start to smell.

 

[Remudamom]

Be very patient. It's hard and I've destroyed some viable eggs by not waiting long enough.