Help! first time hatching!

[rcrisantos]

The conflicting information continues.... It is important to seperate facts from opinions.

Humidity once you have a pip must be greater than 65% however Metzer farms (the gurus of duck egg hatching) recommend a wet bulb humidity of 94 degrees which calculates to a relative humidity of 80%. Cornell University states the same.

If you have several chicks hatching, the humidity will increase to 95-100%. This is because the chicks are wet and drying. This wont hurt your birds and the humidity will dissipate through your open vents.

Now for opinion

The term lockdown was invented to stop people over-assisting a hatch. Opening the incubator to check progress every 4-6 hours is a little different but once I get the first pip I rarely open for 24 hours. This is not because its detrimental, but because its not necessary. Getting in there are "helping" is a different story. I dont assist hatch until 36 hours from initial pip. Typically delayed hatch chicks are the ones that have leg issues, die in the brooder or are forever the runts. I will assist to evaluate viability only. The chick has to push its own way out. i do not have time or patience for special needs chicks and they get culled.

Shrink wrapping is a factor of low reltive humidity over a long period. An incubator at 65% RH will shrink wrap slow pip to zip stage chicks a lot faster than an incubator set at 80% humidity.

Thanks again for the info

 

[rcrisantos]

any progress? I going off so hopefully tomorrow we'll begin to see real progress, your in good hands.

Sorry, I had to step away for a bit but should be back to my eggs asap. Not a whole lot of progress, I still see them rockin and hear them peeping so

 

[Lacrystol]

Why would you want to change anything!! THEY have already made GREAT progress....

Ducks take a much longer time to pop out of that shell. PATIENCE is all you need right now.

26 to 28 days for mallards, they are already showing you signs, WERE COMING!!!

 

[Lacrystol]

THE best advice I can give you is hang tight!!! They aren't dying off because you said you can hear them and they are rocking, so let them ROCk n roll...

 

[rcrisantos]

THE best advice I can give you is hang tight!!! They aren't dying off because you said you can hear them and they are rocking, so let them ROCk n roll...

Ok (deep breath)
Thanks

 

[rcrisantos]

Just notice two eggs with this

 

[ozexpat]

Just notice two eggs with this

Although Kathy's advice may have been trivialized but right about now it would have been good to have the eggs numbered with aircells drawn out so you could get a better understanding of what is going on.

Kathy showed a similar picture of eggs with malpositioned chicks. It may be time to candle the egg and see whats going on. When I open an incubator during the pip to zip stagem I spray a mist of water into the lid of the styro bator or on the inside of the door of a cabinet bator to get the humidity back to 80%.

You have a very complicated hatch for your fist but after this, they all will be easy if you understand the big picture. That includes how to prepare for complexities.

I dont assist eggs like this as I just get frustrated but others with more patience, like @casportpony may be able to offer advice.

 

[rcrisantos]

Although Kathy's advice may have been trivialized but right about now it would have been good to have the eggs numbered with aircells drawn out so you could get a better understanding of what is going on.

Kathy showed a similar picture of eggs with malpositioned chicks. It may be time to candle the egg and see whats going on. When I open an incubator during the pip to zip stagem I spray a mist of water into the lid of the styro bator or on the inside of the door of a cabinet bator to get the humidity back to 80%.

You have a very complicated hatch for your fist but after this, they all will be easy if you understand the big picture. That includes how to prepare for complexities.

I dont assist eggs like this as I just get frustrated but others with more patience, like @casportpony
 may be able to offer advice. 

Ok, I actually did just that (out of instict, I guess) but they both moved around when I candled. It seems like my first hatch wants me to experience every possibility (lucky me) the egg pictured has the spot towards the middle but the other one has it on the smaller end.
I did number them and have been monitoring them, just failed to label air cells

 

[ozexpat]

Ok, I actually did just that (out of instict, I guess) but they both moved around when I candled. It seems like my first hatch wants me to experience every possibility (lucky me) the egg pictured has the spot towards the middle but the other one has it on the smaller end.
I did number them and have been monitoring them.

Great.

How long has it been since the first pip?

How is the humidity?

Is your bator still air or fan forced?

 

[rcrisantos]

Great. 

How long has it been since the first pip?

How is the humidity?

Is your bator still air or fan forced?

It's been about 12 hrs
I cranked humidity to 70-80, they seemed to respond to that ?? Hopefully positively
Fan forced