I should not open my bator while the hatch is going on?

[Hens_And_Chicks]

I'm sort of new to incubating eggs - I am on my third hatch - the first hatch was not very fertile or successful - not sure which. The second hatch of eggs from the same egg supplier was much better but I didn't do anything differently - at the end, only 9 of the 12 that had developed chicks pipped out - 3 died in the shell without pipping at all and were completely formed.

Is it a terrible thing to open the bator lid after day 18 or during the hatch? I'm wondering if the loss of humidity during the hatch (because I was so excited) caused the chicks to die inside their shells.

Help?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Opening the lid after day 18, or during the hatch causes the humidity to lower, and the chicks to get saran wrapped in their eggs.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Oh absolutely.......if the humidity drops they can get stuck and not be able to get out which kills them. Just sit on your hands and don't touch it!!!! It is hard. VERY hard. However, you will make it and so will those little cuties!!! Good luck with your hatch!!!

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Quote:

Ditto

 

[william9792]

what kind of bator do you have? and what have you you had your humidty at for days 1-18? then days 18-21? did you candle your egg at day 18? i do not open my bator till all have hatched or day 24.

 

[chickedydoodaa]

I don't know if opening the lid killed them, I had a hatch recently and did not open the bator after the 18th day, 8 of my chicks were dead in the shell too they did not break the air cell, fully formed. I focussed on the ones that did hatch and felt good about those and assumed that the others were not meant to be, perhaps they were just weak. I opened them up some were juicy and others were less moist. I used a hovabator still air 1602 N. I since bought a genesis 1588 and am hatching another batch, everyone raves about the 1588 so we shall see. Perhaps you might think about a genesis 1588 also. At least you got some chicks! so that is positive and successful!

 

[Hens_And_Chicks]

I have a Little Giant Still Air Incubator - I realize it's a cheapo version but I was really ignorant and bid on eggs thinking my sister in law had an incubator I could use but she didn't - it belonged to someone else and she told me they would not let me use it. I already won the eggs and didn't have much choice - I hand turn my eggs twice daily - maintain the temperature right around 101 and keep the wells filled with water.

I'm learning so much here but I have no idea how to determine humidity inside the bator - guess I got lucky. I candled at day 5 out of excitement and was able to see vein development on at least 11 of the 15 eggs. I have not done anything since - though I would like to candle again at day 10 or 12. I have a good handle on a viable egg and development so I would not feel uncomfortable culling eggs if they look "clear or empty".

Is there something out there either home made or reasonable priced to monitor humidity? I put both plugs in the holes - is that the right thing to do and then remove one of them at day 18?

Oh - and what is the proper humidity level supposed to be? I see so many different things in so many threads it's all quite confusing?

 

[Hens_And_Chicks]

I plan to buy the automatic egg turner for my next batch of eggs and I think that will be even better as I won't be opening the lid then - I am also planning to rig up a squeeze water bottle with a tube to deliver the water inside without having to open the lid at all.

 

[william9792]

you can buy a humidty/ temp guage at wal-mart for less than ten $, and then you need to calbrate it before you use it just to know how it reads, how to calbrate the humidty guage--- take a coffe cup and put a 1/4 cup of salt in it, then 1/2 cup of water and stir, then place coffe cup and guage in zip lock bag for 8 hours, after 8 hour it should read 75%, if it reads 80% you know it reads +5% to high, if it reads 65% you know it reads -10% to low. humidty plays a big roll in your hatch rate, to high will drown the chicks when they pip, and to low will make them stick to the shell and die. william

 

[Hens_And_Chicks]

Quote:
Thank you for this help - I am going to Walmart today so I will pick one up. Where/what section of the store do I find this humidity/temp guage?