Help please

[AmyLynn2374]

I have sat here watching, now, for hours. The temp does fluctuate, so I set the set temp at 37.8, on day one. It seems to be maintaining well at the mid range. 37.4-37.6 awhile, then it drops to 37.3, and then "works". As it starts "working", it may hit 37.2, then goes right back up. Hits 37.9, then cycles again.
Question. ..can a "clear" seeping egg hatch? I threw one of those away earlier with the rest, so I am down 5, from 23 to start. You might think it odd I'm sitting here, but I have my "mutts" and 5 Americaunas in the next room, so if I'm not clise, I won't hear it, and I'm hoping the others will go to sleep here, shortly!

Any seeping egg should be removed. Do you mean the seepage is clear, or the egg is clear as in not developing?

 

[Yukidongo]

The seepage was clear.
OK... I just candled an egg. Just one.
The air picket is large, healthy size for pipping,
BUT IT IS ON THE TOP "SIDE" of the egg. Meaning that I placed the eggs on their sides, and that air pocket is on top, but on the side. I never saw that with my others, but they were "large end up". Is this normal?
This is really getting confusing.

Daughter said check another. I did, and it's air pocket is in the normal spot, at the large end.
The egg appears full. And I placed both back in the same position they were in.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The seepage was clear.
OK... I just candled an egg. Just one.
The air picket is large, healthy size for pipping,
BUT IT IS ON THE TOP "SIDE" of the egg. Meaning that I placed the eggs on their sides, and that air pocket is on top, but on the side. I never saw that with my others, but they were "large end up". Is this normal?
This is really getting confusing.

Daughter said check another. I did, and it's air pocket is in the normal spot, at the large end.
The egg appears full. And I placed both back in the same position they were in.

Something to this effect, maybe a little less on top and more to one side? Yes it's normal.

 

[Yukidongo]

No! The "one" is on the SIDE! Laid on its side, the pocket is ON TOP SIDE. The other I looked at was "normal" and large...like the picture. So, I guess that's another "bad" one, hunh?

 

[Yukidongo]

I am literally in tears. I really needed this to work. I'm going to hope for the Cochins, mille fleur/calico. But, I don't hold much hope. Maybe I can find another hundred bucks for hatching eggs, and maybe a few of the Jubilee will hatch. I so needed for this to work... :/

 

[AmyLynn2374]

No! The "one" is on the SIDE! Laid on its side, the pocket is ON TOP SIDE. The other I looked at was "normal" and large...like the picture. So, I guess that's another "bad" one, hunh?

Not necessarily. I have a silkie egg in there right now, from my own silkie that for some reason formed on it's side. I mark my air cells, so if I think about it, I'll grab a pic tomorrow. Development has been normal and luckily it's been growing up toward the top, so it's evening itself out. But it's the first time I've dealt with it. It's on day 13 and going good.

 

[Yukidongo]

Not necessarily. I have a silkie egg in there right now, from my own silkie that for some reason formed on it's side. I mark my air cells, so if I think about it, I'll grab a pic tomorrow. Development has been normal and luckily it's been growing up toward the top, so it's evening itself out. But it's the first time I've dealt with it. It's on day 13 and going good.

So, yours is on the "side"? Mine is dead center of the side. But, I did look at one other. Top, and proper. I should have practiced more on my chicken's eggs,I guess. I got two of six to hatch, but the eggs weren't guaranteed "age". Two were under a week, and no clue the age of the others. Got a Polish/Orpington, and Polish/Americauna. Guess they hit the lottery.
Anyway, still monitoring this hatch, and I smell a bad egg in there.

 

[Nekatlla]

AmyLynn2374
I believe you are correct about the humidity, I have now opened 3 of the eggs from that lock down, and candled the rest I have a couple I'll let go another day to day 24 1/2 but they show no signs of life. The first two opened were quitters somewhere around day 10-14, fully formed but no real feathers yet. The last would have hatched I believe, fully formed but it was full of fluid the air cells looked correct but if you moved them while candling you could see sloshing in the air cell, when taken out the membrane was intact so no internal pip either. My guess is that on lock down when I raised the humidity I drowned them. We got one little peep and she's a hoot so better than total failure. I've started a new set in a little giant I picked up at a garage sale and am waiting on auto turner, I've candled them so far on day 6 and some look OK and some look like i may have done them in already too, I hand turn which leaves the incubator open for 3-5 minutes 3 times daily and occasionally I'm a bit clumsy but haven't broken anything yet. Should I take all the water out of the trays in the incubator? I've also re-calibrated my hygrometer with the salt method at 70 degrees room temp. Should I not turn anymore until I get the auto turner? I'm also constructing a digital controller for the heater that is guaranteed to keep within .3 degrees of the set point and a new incubator digital thermometer/hygrometer. Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated, I hate that they made it so close and I may have ruined the whole thing.

Thank you

 

[Yukidongo]

I have an external pip! One. Opened the bator to find the "smell". Still haven't localized it. Bumped one egg, and panicked....when I saw pip. Bator only cracked a hands width. I was making sure no more had seeped and were "stuck" (like one had been). Don't suppose I hurt the pipped egg, do you? It isn't peeping though...not that I've heard. Just watching. Day 23 1/2. There is at least one bad egg! It's why I opened the bator up. It stinks to high heaven, and I'm not finding it just "looking" at them.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

AmyLynn2374
I believe you are correct about the humidity, I have now opened 3 of the eggs from that lock down, and candled the rest I have a couple I'll let go another day to day 24 1/2 but they show no signs of life. The first two opened were quitters somewhere around day 10-14, fully formed but no real feathers yet. The last would have hatched I believe, fully formed but it was full of fluid the air cells looked correct but if you moved them while candling you could see sloshing in the air cell, when taken out the membrane was intact so no internal pip either. My guess is that on lock down when I raised the humidity I drowned them. We got one little peep and she's a hoot so better than total failure. I've started a new set in a little giant I picked up at a garage sale and am waiting on auto turner, I've candled them so far on day 6 and some look OK and some look like i may have done them in already too, I hand turn which leaves the incubator open for 3-5 minutes 3 times daily and occasionally I'm a bit clumsy but haven't broken anything yet. Should I take all the water out of the trays in the incubator? I've also re-calibrated my hygrometer with the salt method at 70 degrees room temp. Should I not turn anymore until I get the auto turner? I'm also constructing a digital controller for the heater that is guaranteed to keep within .3 degrees of the set point and a new incubator digital thermometer/hygrometer. Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated, I hate that they made it so close and I may have ruined the whole thing.

Thank you

Ok, raising humidity at lockdown will not drown chicks. Raising humidity doesn't add moisture to the eggs, it keeps the egg from being able to loose the moisture that is already in them. So, if there was excess moisture it was because the egg did not loose it over the first 17 days. I would definitely lower the humidity for the next hatch. 30% works for me. I did give you a link to the method that I use right? I prefer to run dry when I can and adjust when and if my air cells say I need to.

I hand turn. I prefer to hand turn. I started with a turner when I first started hatching and changed to hand turning. I turn 3 times a day as well. Turning the eggs by hand does not compromise the eggs. Even though the air temp will drop while you are turning, the inside egg temp barely notices the differences. And broody hens do leave the eggs to eat and drink during brooding. As a matter of fact some of the newer incubators have a cool down period of 1-2 hours a day to mimic the natural time a hen leaves the nest. Turning is very important especially from the time they start developing to day 14. I would never recommend not turning for more than the first 4 days and only with shipped eggs with air cell damage.

Don't feel bad. I am in the middle of a silkie hatch. First time with eggs from my silkie pullets. It's not going as well as hatching normally goes. I'm only looking at 60% hatch rate and I am used to 85-100% hatches. I already eggtopsied 6. 4 that quit at lockdown and 2 that were internally pipped last night but quit before this morning. 2 I'm sure didn't loose enough moisture, the other 4 I can not pinpoint a problem by looking at them. But it's sad seeing beautiful chicks make it to the end and not finish. I have three left to go and just hoping they hatch well. So even the more experienced hatchers have those more dismal hatches. Just going to regroup, change a couple things I noticed this go round and head right back into it.

Do you know which Little Giant it is that you bought?