If a chick dies before pipping

[pesties]

does the air cell continue to grow?

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
I think it would since the air cell grows as any egg ages. Eventually, the pressures would get too great and cause the egg to explode.

 

[pesties]

the egg is at day 18 of incubation - its dark inside, where the chick should be but has lost more moisture loss than all the other eggs and is dropping dramatically even through the course of today and it was already larger to begin with...

 

[SkyWarrior]

I'd keep it through day 25. What do you have to lose?

 

[pesties]

Quote:
Good point.

I have taken it out of the big incubator, put it in my small one by itself and upped the humidity as much as I can. Didn't want to increase humidity too much and endanger the rest of my eggs but didn't want to lose this one if chick is still alive either LOL so fingers crossed

 

[shelleyd2008]

The air cell does not 'grow', it gets larger as the egg loses moisture. A non-fertilized and/or non-incubated egg's air cell with also get larger over time.

Usually, if the air cell looks 'bigger' near hatch time, it's because the chick has shifted position in order to hatch. Often, the reason for the larger air cell is that the chick has pipped into the air cell

Is this the only egg you have at day 18? If not, you should move all the eggs at day 18 since that (day 18) is the beginning of 'lockdown'.

 

[pesties]

sorry - didn't mean grow in the sense that the air cell is alive

This is only my second hatch - last hatch I could see the beak in the air cell though

can't see anything this time. Chick was definitely alive at day 14

 

[kostas2231]

Hi,
After 1year of 5 times of incubating with a chinese 48 egg automatic incubator 80w power i hatch 101 live chicks( now are hens and roosters) i have a problem this year..
I started incubate eggs this year and 3 times( January February March) the hatching numbers are pretty low,first hatch from 48-14, second from 48-5 , today from 48-12( a few died after one day they came out)
For example a good hatch for me is from 48 eggs to hatch about 25 at least 18-20
6-7 chicks from 48 eggs is so little number

today i broke all eggs( eggtopy) that did not pip or hatch at day of incubation 25!
I saw about 34-35 fully formed chicks but never pipped cell.
1-2f not fertile and a few was pip and finally hatched at day 23. Nornally last year hatches start pip at day 20 and day 21-22 was all hatched.
I do start humidity day1-18 at 45-50%, automatic turn each 2 hours, and lockdown at day 18( no turn eggs) and increase humidity at 62-68% .
This incubator has airfan.
Why i had low numbers of hatching during this year?
I do collect eggs from my hens each day and store in cool place with the pointy side down.
No use eggs 7 days and more.
What i do wrong?
Maybe the incubator is faulty?
Air fan works fine, temperatures also ( double check) humidity also ( double check but not exact -but very near to what incubator shows)
Please help if anybody knows!