Fixing Tiny Air Cells in Time For The Hatch

[JekkaLynn]

I had some frizzle eggs I took from my hen when she tried to hatch 18 at once. I wasn't sure when she started incubation and I knew they were old eggs so I raised the humidity around when I thought lockdown should be and candled a different egg every day to check for internal pips. I was off by a few days but out of the18 15 made it to lockdown and 13 of the eggs hatched. I tried to hatch in my new incubator but I couldn't get the temperature to stabilize so I threw in some eggs from my chickens that I had in the fridge. A few days later we found a nest in our shed and threw those eggs in too.
The frizzle eggs were the most important to me but now that they are hatched I would like to try my hardest to help the rest of them to hatch. Especially since their daddy has since been killed on the road. I know I need to make the air cells bigger I just don't know what the best way to do that is.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

To make the air cells bigger, you need to dry out the incubator. The eggs need to loose moisture in order for the air cells to grow. I keep my humidity around 25-30% the first 18 days. If you're close to lockdown, you may need less than that.

Good luck!

 

[JekkaLynn]

I left it open a crack to get the extra humidity out but we need to go to town so I closed it up again. Fingers crossed it keeps dropping.

Does anyone have any tips to get it to drop faster?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Remove all of the water and place some dry paper towels inside the incubator. They'll absorb any moisture hanging in the air.

 

[JekkaLynn]

Well the aircells actually doubled and two chicks have started giving into their aircells. One chick pipped the wrong end then couldn't tear the membrane so I helped a bit and quickly bumped up the humidity.