Is it better to lockdown early or late?

[AmyLynn2374]

Sorry for the frantics! I am a worry wort meddler too and being away for a day and a half really put me into high anxiety mode! Within about 10 minutes of adding my water and getting the humidity up we have a small external pip!!!! I don't think it has broken the membrane yet. I just heard another small faint peep out of it. Should the peeping be pretty continuous, or do they quiet down for period of time?

They will go through periods of cheeping and resting. Anytime I get worried that they've been quiet too long I play this:

It's a great motivator! When they start to actually zip I actually keep playing this video and they zip out in 15-20 minutes. If I play this and don't see the chick respond I get a "closer look" (in other words I meddle and open the bator to check on the chick...lol).

Congrats on the pipper. That's excellent.

 

[bwhitley4936]

Thanks!!! I actually bookemarked that link while I was in the hospital with my daughter so I would have it when I got home. I just can't believe I was literally 10-20 minutes away from not being home early enough to get the humidity up!!! Whew!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thanks!!! I actually bookemarked that link while I was in the hospital with my daughter so I would have it when I got home. I just can't believe I was literally 10-20 minutes away from not being home early enough to get the humidity up!!! Whew!

Maybe that's a good sign that you are going to be lucky in the hatch??

 

[bwhitley4936]

I sure hope so! This is my first time and so far (knock on wood) all the eggs I put in have made it to lockdown! My husband thinks I have actually lost my mind...I went from just one "I'm just going to try this for fun" incubator to 3 bators up and running! I have one with 3 mystery duck eggs and and another with 12 shipped saxony duck eggs...only have hope for a handful of the shipped eggs though. He's really going to known have gone batty (or broody haha) when he comes home to find the video baby monitor set up in front of the bator so I can hear the chirping while messing around the house! Haha

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I sure hope so! This is my first time and so far (knock on wood) all the eggs I put in have made it to lockdown! My husband thinks I have actually lost my mind...I went from just one "I'm just going to try this for fun" incubator to 3 bators up and running! I have one with 3 mystery duck eggs and and another with 12 shipped saxony duck eggs...only have hope for a handful of the shipped eggs though. He's really going to known have gone batty (or broody haha) when he comes home to find the video baby monitor set up in front of the bator so I can hear the chirping while messing around the house! Haha

lol

 

[bwhitley4936]

We have 2 chicks that have safely hatched!!!! The first to hatch wasn't even the one that pipped first. It popped in the wrong end and kicked it's way out within 15 minutes. 2 down, 4 to go! No pips out of the others yet.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

We have 2 chicks that have safely hatched!!!! The first to hatch wasn't even the one that pipped first. It popped in the wrong end and kicked it's way out within 15 minutes. 2 down, 4 to go! No pips out of the others yet.

Congrats on the hatchers.

 

[bwhitley4936]

We are up to 3 hatchlings and a 4th has pipped! Woohoo!

The last to hatch pipped in the wrong end and is all crusty now that it has dried. Is it ok to clean it off with a warm damp towel?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

We are up to 3 hatchlings and a 4th has pipped! Woohoo!

The last to hatch pipped in the wrong end and is all crusty now that it has dried. Is it ok to clean it off with a warm damp towel?

Yup, just make sure you don't get water in the "nose".

 

[bwhitley4936]

Yup, just make sure you don't get water in the "nose".

Thanks for all your help!