How long to give them? Bator eggs.

[cmom]

I have had chicks hatch as long as at day 25. If the temperature drops it may take a day or more longer for the chicks to hatch. I put them in the hatchers usually around day 18 but have put them in on day 20. I have written the wrong date on the calendar and the chicks really hatched on time but in the incubator. If I have one that gets stuck I also mist the shell with warm water. I have had very few that haven't made it. Once in the winter I lost power during the night and when I checked the incubator the temperature was 78. I put the incubator on a power supply (battery with an inverter) and got the temperature back up and to my surprise I still had a very good hatch. I candled and saw movement so I knew some may survive. I also mark my eggs and put an X on the ones that I think may be quitters.

 

[cmom]

I show birds at poultry shows too.

 

[Alex R]

Thank you! I tried to candle them after my 2nd one hatched to see any movement but I've never tried to do that so I did four and said nope, it's no use and I'm messing up the humidity so I put them back, grabbed the chick and let them be. Then yesterday I only opened it to help the 3rd chick and put it back. I pulled it out 3 hours later.

 

[cmom]

Sometimes when it's late into incubation you may not see the chicks move. They will move to position themselves for hatching and they rest quite a bit.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What was your humidity during incubation? Losing too much moisture during the incubation phase can make them more susceptible to shrink wrap.

I agree you need to calibrate your thermometer. There are different things that can cause a hatch to be early or late but temperature is the main culprit. I don't know what kind of thermometer you have but one way to calibrate it is to get a calibrated thermometer, like a medical thermometer that is already calibrated, and stick the two in a warm glass of water. See if they read the same.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Thank you! It still has some residue on it so it's not 'fluffed' like the other chicks. Anything I can do to help with That?

I don't have anymore eggs pipping at the moment either.

I always wash them in warm water, with a drop of dawn----be gentle and you can get it all off as long as the water stays warm the chick is good----then I towel dry it and blow dry them, then into the brooder. BUT, as most that know my hatching method---I am hands off and only open the incubator after all hatch or the day after the due date(day 22 for chicks) to remove them all at the same time.Since I started doing that and getting the rest right, my hatch rate stays 95 to 100% every hatch---so I feel it is working and that is what I want to see All hatchers on here do----get your hatch to where all or Most all fertile eggs hatch----what ever it takes. Good Luck

 

[Ladybird CA]

I always wash them in warm water, with a drop of dawn----be gentle and you can get it all off as long as the water stays warm the chick is good----then I towel dry it and blow dry them, then into the brooder. BUT, as most that know my hatching method---I am hands off and only open the incubator after all hatch or the day after the due date(day 22 for chicks) to remove them all at the same time.Since I started doing that and getting the rest right, my hatch rate stays 95 to 100% every hatch---so I feel it is working and that is what I want to see All hatchers on here do----get your hatch to where all or Most all fertile eggs hatch----what ever it takes. Good Luck

Do you use a turner? Do you change the humidity before lockdown?

 

[Alex R]

My humidity during incubation was between 45-50. I raised it during during lockdown which it is now 76.

I just don't know how many days to give up? 25? 26?

 

[ronott1]

My humidity during incubation was between 45-50. I raised it during during lockdown which it is now 76.

I just don't know how many days to give up? 25? 26?

The thermometer is not a good one for incubation. A good one reads in tenths.
Brinsea spot check is a very good incubation thermometer.

 

[Susan Neff]

My humidity during incubation was between 45-50. I raised it during during lockdown which it is now 76.

I just don't know how many days to give up? 25? 26?