Help....It's our first hatch!

[I'vegotchickenfever]

OK...maybe I'm over re-acting and we don't need any help...the problem is...I just don't know. We are beginning our 19th day with a borrowed incubator. The owner said open the incubator and mist the eggs for extra humidity...but I've read that I shouldn't actually open the incubator after the 18th day. Just add a pan of water and maybe vent more for more oxygen? I would hate to get this far and lose those little chicks. Also...what day should you start hearing little peeps coming outta those shells? I'm getting kinda panicky wondering if we did things right or not.
We're new to this forum and new to hatching, but we are hatching our own eggs from RIR and Black Stars?...with a dominecker roo. What will we get with that combination? We're really kinda clueless.
Thanks for any help!

 

[gabrielle1976]

What kind of incubator is it , is it still air or forced air, what temps have you had it at ? what humidity?
I am shure someone who knows more then me can answer youre questions but they may need the above info to help

 

[I'vegotchickenfever]

Looks like it's a forced air little giant. We've tried to keep it at 99.5, but it did fluctuate at times. We didn't know we were supposed to and didn't have a tool to measure humidity, but the owner just told us to keep water in the little water wells.
I guess that now we're getting down to the nitty gritty, I'm getting nervous. Maybe everything's fine...but never having done this before, I don't wanna mess up.
Thanks!

 

[gabrielle1976]

well unless you have duck eggs in there you do not need to open it to mist the eggs, though you may want to check today and see if all teh water wells are full and fill them if they arnt . IF you have a petco you can go get a humidity gauge in there reptile section to put in there or if you ahve a Walmart youc an get a humidity tempature gauge thing to put in there . If thats not an option then I recomend makeing shure all the wells are full and then leavieng it alone . You can run tubeing thru one of the vent holes and to the little water wells then you can use a syringe to add water without opening the bator if you need to as well.
Im new so Hopeuflly someone else knows more

 

[I'vegotchickenfever]

Thanks a bunch gabrielle! we could probably go shopping and find one, but I didn't know if it was too late. The owner never used one, so she didn't mention it. I think she has about 75% success in her hatches.

 

[I'vegotchickenfever]

 

[gabrielle1976]

Actually from what I have read days 19-21 are when humidity can be the most important , alot of people have humidity from 40-50% give or take 5% depending on personal prefrance for days 1-18 but most people say it should be at least 60-70% on the last couple of days tohelp the chicks hatch.

 

[I'vegotchickenfever]

I guess the reason I'm kinda freaking out is that the owner said she always has a few hatch on day 19 - that's today - and I've never even heard any peeping yet. Am I getting all worked up over nothing?

 

[ChicknJ]

she is only having hatches at day 19 if her temps are running a bit high. With higher temps (101 or so) you may run earlier hatches and with lower temps (99 ish) you may have a bit later hatch. Did you candle them at all?

Make sure your wells are full of water, open your vents up, and sit tight, you are almost there.

 

[BawGock]

She could be having an earlier hatch because she runs the bator at a higher temp or possibly what she is hatching.
There are folks that know more about this than me but I think bantam sized chickens can hatch earlier than day 21,
I agree with Gabrielle if you are on day 18 go get that hygrometer today.
You need to know what's going on with the humidity.
good luck!
Carolyn