Little Giant Incubation Experiment - Day 21 - Hatch Day!

[mswendeu]

I'm a complete first timer. I hadn't even seen a incubator except on the internet. Lol so please keep all ideas and experiences flowing.

That makes two of us.

 

[mswendeu]

I don't relish the thought of eggtopsy... (

 

[AmyLynn2374]

yep... they aren't saddle shapped.. but two normal shapped air cells.- Odd!

Okay... I won't wait past 2 days... my next eggtospy will be on Wednesday then... I'd like to remain positive .. but I have a feeling that the two that are in lockdown on day 20 aren't going to make an appearance.

It's possible that the original air cell was ruptured causing it to split.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I don't relish the thought of eggtopsy... (

I never did eggtopsies on my first hatch and I regretted it. They are sad, but very educational and informative.

 

[WVduckchick]

I never did eggtopsies on my first hatch and I regretted it. They are sad, but very educational and informative.

The first one I ever opened was alive (I thought it was dead), and I accidentally cut one of the veins. Poor guy didn't make it, and I figured I would not be able to do it again, but I had one in that batch that I thought could have been a double yolker, so I made myself do it... hands shaking like a leaf, tears about to stream down my face... (it turned out not to be double) But after that, they got a little easier. Its still scary to open one without knowing positively... but I learned from that first one to be more cautious of "how" I open them. We must learn from the experience and get better for the next!

 

[rossfam06]

I broke my quitters in checked them also. Then put them in the compost. But I know its sad and I will probably cry but I can do it. But I am going to wait until a week later! Lol, just to be safe ones that don't hatch will be dead for sure. Does the flost test help determine dead ones?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The first one I ever opened was alive (I thought it was dead), and I accidentally cut one of the veins. Poor guy didn't make it, and I figured I would not be able to do it again, but I had one in that batch that I thought could have been a double yolker, so I made myself do it... hands shaking like a leaf, tears about to stream down my face... (it turned out not to be double) But after that, they got a little easier. Its still scary to open one without knowing positively... but I learned from that first one to be more cautious of "how" I open them. We must learn from the experience and get better for the next!

That's why I always tell people to start in the air cell. Make the hole and check for life. That way if there is any movement, they still have a chance because all you've done is tapped into the air air cell. If they are still alive you can wet the membrane and just like you would with an assisted hatch, put a wet paper towel aound it and put it back in the bator. Doesn't mean they will hatch, but at least it gives them a chance. It's also easier to eggtopsy if you start in the air cell.

 

[fiset94]

... I have two incubators

35% should be fine. My sSeptember hatch- running dry, mu bator stayed around 40% and I hatched 13/16 no problem.
I'm not sure how long after death the air cells continue to grow or if they stop. I haven't researched that one yet...lol
If the air cells are small, the chick should in theory grow bigger, not be smaller, that sounds like something else going on.
Personally I wouldn't wait a week past due date. I have firsthand experience that chicks born after day 23 have a much higher rate of having problems. I now do my eggtopsies by 24 hours after my last hatch. (Unless I see a definite, unmistakable sign of life.)

EEK!

Okay... so I have two incubators. After most all of my first hatch was shrinkwrapped I needed to find out why~

#1. LG 9300

I checked the hygrometer in this one ( salt test) and saw that it was off by 5...so it says 50 it is really 55 in there. I made note of that during lockdown. (only use it for this purpose)

#2. Hovabator- I use this one for incubating.. and at the time didn't test the hygrometer because I needed it to reg. the temp.... BUT... After finding that almost all my chicks going into lockdown are very small celled...

I took the one that I did test... and placed it in the bator of the one that hasn't been tested - after one hour of time.....

Tested Hygrometer is showing 40 in the incubator
Non Tested Hygrometer is showing 35

Which means that the humidity in the incubator day 1-18 has actually been 45 and my non tested hygrometer is off by 10!

Does that sound crazy... it being off by so much??

Would that account for such small Air cells going into lockdown??

Is one hour sufficient amount of time to compare the two readings?

For reference... I use this one... that was suggested by many BYC members.

http://incubatorwarehouse.com/incubator-remote-thermometer-hygrometer.html

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I broke my quitters in checked them also. Then put them in the compost. But I know its sad and I will probably cry but I can do it. But I am going to wait until a week later! Lol, just to be safe ones that don't hatch will be dead for sure. Does the flost test help determine dead ones?

The float test is a good indicator, but like anything else, it's not 100%. Basically if they float AND wiggle, you know they are alive. Dead "eggs" can float as well as long as they still have a decent air cell, but they won't wiggle. But the question is, is every living chick going to move while the egg is in the water? I would think the probability is going to high, especially if it's still a strong viable chick, but I can also see a weak chick not causing enough movement to show. Granted that chick would probably not make it outside the egg, but for someone as sensative as I think most of us are, to open with it still being even some what alive is going to be hard.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

... I have two incubators

EEK!

Okay... so I have two incubators. After most all of my first hatch was shrinkwrapped I needed to find out why~

#1. LG 9300

I checked the hygrometer in this one ( salt test) and saw that it was off by 5...so it says 50 it is really 55 in there. I made note of that during lockdown. (only use it for this purpose)

#2. Hovabator- I use this one for incubating.. and at the time didn't test the hygrometer because I needed it to reg. the temp.... BUT... After finding that almost all my chicks going into lockdown are very small celled...

I took the one that I did test... and placed it in the bator of the one that hasn't been tested - after one hour of time.....

Tested Hygrometer is showing 40 in the incubator
Non Tested Hygrometer is showing 35

Which means that the humidity in the incubator day 1-18 has actually been 45 and my non tested hygrometer is off by 10!

Does that sound crazy... it being off by so much??

Would that account for such small Air cells going into lockdown??

Is one hour sufficient amount of time to compare the two readings?

For reference... I use this one... that was suggested by many BYC members.

http://incubatorwarehouse.com/incubator-remote-thermometer-hygrometer.html

It's not crazy that it would be off by that much, no. The bator gages are known to be substantially off. But If the tested is running 40 and the non tested is running 35, then wouldn't it only be off by 5%?

Nevermind..the original one was off by 5 so you would add 5%, I got it. (Was up late last night, so I haven't been awake long today....lol)