how do I keep turning eggs after day 18 without opening lid??

[opihiman911]

Okay thanks for the confidence.
My fishing line through the lid and blocks didn't work to well. So I'm just going to open it a couple time a day and tip the ends of the carton on a little block.

Cory

 

[hinkjc]

people are freaking out over opening the bator . what happens when a hen gets up to eat or get a drink

Hens do not get up to eat and drink while the chicks are hatching. They sit tight until the hatch is complete. Opening the bator during hatch changes the environment, which causes sticky chicks and chicks stuck to the shell unable to hatch. And for those that haven't pipped yet, end up dead in shell because they could not turn to pip the air cell. It doesn't matter how fast you get the humidity back up, because the rush of air has already affected the eggs. I would leave it for the 3 days and resume turning when the hatch is complete. JMO

Jody​

 

[BamaChicken]

My question is why is the humidity up the last four days. I don't raise mine till the last three days and earlier this week I went in to take eggs out of the turner on day 19 and they were pipping. I just took them out put water in troughs and they hatched four hours later. They are more hardy than we give them credit for. I think I have lost more to high humidity than anything else.