HELP! 1st time hatching- air sacs too small? (pics included)

[brcoulter]

I am hatching my first round of eggs in my classroom. I have been running a Farm Innovations 4250. I have been running the humidity between 50%-60% per the information in the guide. Today is day 14 and I'm worried my air sacs are too small for how far along they are. All 8 eggs are random eggs from a coworker who has chickens and they are all moving. I'm concerned the sacs are not far enough along for what it should be at 14 days. I have pictures of my 8 eggs. The top line is at 7 days and the next line is 14. What do you all think?? Should I drop my humidity till Lockdown to try and increase the air sacs or are these looking pretty normal? This is my first time so I'm really not sure what to be looking for.

Egg 1:

Egg 2: (this guy's air sac is pretty shifted)

Egg 3: (This guy's air sac moved from day 7 to day 14. Day 7 is on the bottom)

Egg 4:

Egg 5:

Egg 6:

Egg 7:

Egg 8:

 

[brcoulter]

Any incubating ladies out there that can give some advice on this?

 

[feedman77]

If they are too small drain all the water out of incubator dry it out. Put eggs back in and don't raise humidity til day 20. Unless you have one pip before that.

To help remove a little extra water from the egg put some small containers of rice in too help pull some moisture from the air

 

[rhondademulder]

To me those cells look average...If you pm me i can give you my ideas of what works very successfully for me as a high hatch % every time ! Hope i can help !

 

[lazy gardener]

First, I would run that bator completely dry until you lock down, or until you hear the first internal pip. Monitor your air cells, and don't add water until embryo age or air cell size tells you that you must add water!

Never trust the instructions that come with a bator. They are outdated! Archaic! Especially in regards to humidity levels. For updated information about the most recent research based hatching info, read "Hatching eggs 101" in the learning center. You also can't trust the thermostat, and the thermometer/hygrometer that came with your bator or that you have purchased to be accurate unless they have been calibrated. I calibrate bulb style thermometers against a good quality medical grade digital or mercury bulb thermometer in a cup or bowl at 100*F. I don't let the thermometers touch the side or bottom of the container while doing so.

 

[rhondademulder]

First, I would run that bator completely dry until you lock down, or until you hear the first internal pip. Monitor your air cells, and don't add water until embryo age or air cell size tells you that you must add water!

Never trust the instructions that come with a bator. They are outdated! Archaic! Especially in regards to humidity levels. For updated information about the most recent research based hatching info, read "Hatching eggs 101" in the learning center. You also can't trust the thermostat, and the thermometer/hygrometer that came with your bator or that you have purchased to be accurate unless they have been calibrated. I calibrate bulb style thermometers against a good quality medical grade digital or mercury bulb thermometer in a cup or bowl at 100*F. I don't let the thermometers touch the side or bottom of the container while doing so.

This is excellent Advise !

 

[oregonkat]

Your air cells don't look too bad to me. However, with no 3, the air cell will not shift from the fat end of the egg to the small end, you are probably seeing a layer of liquid on the small end. You can drop the humidity a little and then candle again on day 18 especially that no. 3 egg, before you lock down and then dont hike up the humidity until you have the first pip. I think you are going to be fine. Good luck.

 

[oregonkat]

I just looked at the last photo and you may have a quitter there. When you candled this one, was there any movement?

 

[brcoulter]

Your air cells don't look too bad to me. However, with no 3, the air cell will not shift from the fat end of the egg to the small end, you are probably seeing a layer of liquid on the small end. You can drop the humidity a little and then candle again on day 18 especially that no. 3 egg, before you lock down and then dont hike up the humidity until you have the first pip. I think you are going to be fine. Good luck.

Thank you! I'll have to make sure I am checking number three again well. It's a pretty symmetrical egg so I struggled to know which side was small and big end as they were basically the same size.

I just looked at the last photo and you may have a quitter there. When you candled this one, was there any movement?

If I remember correctly, this one had movement, but not a lot. I'll have to check that one closely before I lockdown to make sure it doesn't explode.

 

[brcoulter]

First, I would run that bator completely dry until you lock down, or until you hear the first internal pip. Monitor your air cells, and don't add water until embryo age or air cell size tells you that you must add water!

Never trust the instructions that come with a bator. They are outdated! Archaic! Especially in regards to humidity levels. For updated information about the most recent research based hatching info, read "Hatching eggs 101" in the learning center. You also can't trust the thermostat, and the thermometer/hygrometer that came with your bator or that you have purchased to be accurate unless they have been calibrated. I calibrate bulb style thermometers against a good quality medical grade digital or mercury bulb thermometer in a cup or bowl at 100*F. I don't let the thermometers touch the side or bottom of the container while doing so.

Thank you for your response! I didn't read too much about incubation humidity and temperatures before I started. I read through the guide a few times and went by their information. It wasn't until I got more into this site that I felt like my numbers were on the higher range of what people do for humidity. Next time I think I will incubate at a lower humidity for more of the time. I've checked the temperature with a different thermometer and it agreed with my incubator temperature, but I haven't had time to get another hygrometer to check that one. Thus the checking of the air sacs.

I feel like I know so much more through this process and know there are things I will do differently next time.