First time incubating: how do they look so far?

[WalnutHill]

OMG they are tweeting in their shells !! I had no idea they would be so loud. They are porcelain sablepoots but sound like seagulls !!!
I can hear tapping too. We are on day 19.
Gosh this is properly stressful !

I have 2/3 filled both reservoirs of my brinsea Eco 20 and taken out the dividers and stopped the cradle rocking them. My eco glow brooder is all systems go as despite the warm weather my dependable broodies are blissfully unaware that their expertise is desperately needed

Please please tell me if I've missed anything.
I have pebbles in the water and chick crumb at the ready.
I feel all of a dither !!

It's wonderful fun, isn't it?

 

[Shabana]

Ok so I hear them tweeting and tomorrow is day 20. These are sablepoots so tiny bantams like them sometimes hatch at day 20 ?
So far there's no pips but I've been hearing them for 24 hours now.
Should I be worried ?

When you hear them you get the urge to rescue them - so stressful.

Please share your stories and timelines. I need to hear its all ok !!

Not much sleep for me tonight ...

xx

 

[Pipe Dreaming]

I'm on day 19 and I'm having humidity issues. I calibrated both hygrometers.. I know they read a little low but I can't believe the humidity is only about 52% at the most. I filled every reservoir with water plus I have a wet paper towel laying in there under one vent hole so I can Re wet it and I have a dish with a wet paper towel under the other vent hole with about an inch of water sitting in it. I left it like that over night before getting too worried about it and it's still low. Not sure what else I can do to raise it. Hopefully I'll figure it out before they start hatching. This is frustrating. (It's an LG still air if that makes any difference at all)

 

[newbie83]

@egghead: I've kept them pointy end down and I'm almost certain the air cells have stayed at the fat end. It may be the way I was holding the eggs while candling.
I'll candle again in a few days. Thanks for the air cell reference pic!
I have a hydrometer on the way.. I'll start tracking humidity and adjusting as needed by using the pic against my own eggs. I can see there's definitely an art to this stuff! I'm learning as I go. Sure is fun
Thanks everyone for the good wishes!

im using an lg still air as well dont worry so much about your humidity until day 18. I added water when I first started and all mine seem to be doing just candled and got 5 lil embryos swimming around im on day 8 although some seem like they are day 10

 

[newbie83]

Try not to open it and just keep adding water as often as needed now is the time that humidity is most important. Before I do lock down im goi g to roll paper towels up and put them in the water wells

 

[Pipe Dreaming]

Thanks
I added another one of these.. geesh, good thing I only have 6 eggs in there.
I also put the vent covers on. There are still a bunch of tiny holes in the lid. I'll open a vent when they start hatching.

All 6 were alive at last candling yesterday.. I just really want them all to make it. Is it too much to hope to have a 100% hatch rate the first time?

 

[newbie83]

Takevent covers off the oxygen needs to get in, ive only got 8 left in mine out of a dozen. Next round im going to leave plugs out to begin with. As soon as they start pipping they will need that fresh oxygen, also if you keep opening it, it make kill your chicks its called shrinkwrap, the membranes dry around the chick and make it impossible for them to get out

 

[newbie83]

Im hoping the five active ones I can see moving will make it, I will be happy if one hatches. After I bought my lg I saw all the horrible reviews but I have plenty of time, eggs and patience.

 

[Pipe Dreaming]

Ok, thanks. I knew this morning was the last time I was going to open it for one last attempt to raise the humidity. I don't have any pips yet.
I'll remove the plugs and hope humidity is high enough.

 

[newbie83]

Good luck keep us posted!