Help me with this hatch please

[careeka22]

So I did my first staggered hatch, same incubator. Unfortunately the first hatch took forever to finish so humidity was high a lot longer than I wanted. Thus resulting is smaller air cells on the younger eggs. I threw them in there just to see what would happen because they were too nice to waste. (my own eggs/chicken). So now they are day 18 and look great as far as development but air cells are smaller than I would like. I have it down to 30s for humidity right now with no water. Should I delay lock down and keep humidity low until hatch day? When should I stop rotating them if I delay lockdown? I'd love to give these babies a chance! Also I felt that maybe I had humidity too high on the last hatch that caused several DIS and unabsorbed yolks. What do you think would be ideal for this batch? It's 8 eggs.

Incubator is a still air. Temps around 100-102. Thanks!

 

[mixedUPturk]

So I did my first staggered hatch, same incubator. Unfortunately the first hatch took forever to finish so humidity was high a lot longer than I wanted. Thus resulting is smaller air cells on the younger eggs. I threw them in there just to see what would happen because they were too nice to waste. (my own eggs/chicken). So now they are day 18 and look great as far as development but air cells are smaller than I would like. I have it down to 30s for humidity right now with no water. Should I delay lock down and keep humidity low until hatch day? When should I stop rotating them if I delay lockdown? I'd love to give these babies a chance! Also I felt that maybe I had humidity too high on the last hatch that caused several DIS and unabsorbed yolks. What do you think would be ideal for this batch? It's 8 eggs.

Incubator is a still air. Temps around 100-102. Thanks!

hello there! I would stop turning now to let the chicks get into position but not boost the humidity yet. I struggle with humidity too, being in south LA myself. I have dry hatched several times but those were larger clutches of eggs and each hatchling brings the humidity up. I have mixed feelings about your smaller batch and i hope someone else chimes in soon. If i did boost the humidity in this scenario, i would wait until a little while after i saw the first pip.

 

[careeka22]

hello there! I would stop turning now to let the chicks get into position but not boost the humidity yet. I struggle with humidity too, being in south LA myself. I have dry hatched several times but those were larger clutches of eggs and each hatchling brings the humidity up. I have mixed feelings about your smaller batch and i hope someone else chimes in soon. If i did boost the humidity in this scenario, i would wait until a little while after i saw the first pip.

Thanks! I think we are on the same page. I've been keeping humidity in the 30s, candled last night and cells receded a little. Going to "lockdown" tonight and keep it low and pray these guys pull through! I'll add a wet sponge for humidity when they start pipping, like you mentioned it shoots up as they hatch naturally.

 

[mixedUPturk]

Thanks! I think we are on the same page. I've been keeping humidity in the 30s, candled last night and cells receded a little. Going to "lockdown" tonight and keep it low and pray these guys pull through! I'll add a wet sponge for humidity when they start pipping, like you mentioned it shoots up as they hatch naturally.

Agreed on the same page

 

[careeka22]

If anyone was following here is my update. On day 20 the temp shot to 109 and I figured they were done for. But they were still active. Locked them down late, by 21 no pips. I checks and a few internals. I checked back day 22 and one internal pip had died, others still had not externally pipped so I made them all air holes. Later that day one hatched and another that night. So 2 live chicks out of 8, 4 were DIS. The other 2 looked good breathing in the air holes but by day 23 one just randomly died. So I just took it upon myself to assist the last one. It had a big yolk left and it's still in my incubator. I learned my lesson I'll not try a staggered hatch again.

 

[mixedUPturk]

If anyone was following here is my update. On day 20 the temp shot to 109 and I figured they were done for. But they were still active. Locked them down late, by 21 no pips. I checks and a few internals. I checked back day 22 and one internal pip had died, others still had not externally pipped so I made them all air holes. Later that day one hatched and another that night. So 2 live chicks out of 8, 4 were DIS. The other 2 looked good breathing in the air holes but by day 23 one just randomly died. So I just took it upon myself to assist the last one. It had a big yolk left and it's still in my incubator. I learned my lesson I'll not try a staggered hatch again.

Im glad you learned a lesson sorry for the bad way it had to be learned