Little Giant Incubation Experiment - Day 21 - Hatch Day!

[fiset94]

So tomorrow is lockdown for 6 silkie and one americauna eggs....

Incubated in the hovabator 1-17 at 102 and dry - 25-30
I was going to use the LG for continued incubation for the other eggs that I have going and hatch out in my hova bator...

so today I moved all the eggs over to the LG and prepared the hovabator for tomorrow's lockdown... after 6+ hours I STILL couldn't get the floor temp past 89 degrees... and when I moved the probe up to the top it was over 107!!

I gave up on it...put the turner back in- removed the water and placed the eggs back inside... I then started the process of lockdown for the LG..... Didn't really want to use it for this purpose seeing that EVERY egg that went into here at 18 days has yet to come out... sigh.

Here is hoping that these eggs make it.... I have marked the day 14 cells and will compare them tonight to see if they have grown... if they have not... do you suggest that I hold off on lockdown until day 19?

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

So, the chick on day 24 was also gone. It died shortly before it was going to hatch because I saw some feces and it was pretty far developed. This is really depressing- I've had 2 chicks die shortly before their estimated hatch date and another 2 fertile eggs quit on me. So far my success rate is 0/7 with 3 still in the bator with my fingers crossed. What am I doing wrong?!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

So, the chick on day 24 was also gone. It died shortly before it was going to hatch because I saw some feces and it was pretty far developed. This is really depressing- I've had 2 chicks die shortly before their estimated hatch date and another 2 fertile eggs quit on me. So far my success rate is 0/7 with 3 still in the bator with my fingers crossed. What am I doing wrong?!

Well, what kind of bator are you using, (still or forced air) what temps are you running, what humidity are you using days 1-17 and what are you using at lockdown? Are your instruments checked for accuracy? Are you monitoring your air cells for growth? Are they local or shipped eggs?

 

[WVduckchick]

So tomorrow is lockdown for 6 silkie and one americauna eggs....

Incubated in the hovabator 1-17 at 102 and dry - 25-30
I was going to use the LG for continued incubation for the other eggs that I have going and hatch out in my hova bator...

so today I moved all the eggs over to the LG and prepared the hovabator for tomorrow's lockdown... after 6+ hours I STILL couldn't get the floor temp past 89 degrees... and when I moved the probe up to the top it was over 107!!

I gave up on it...put the turner back in- removed the water and placed the eggs back inside... I then started the process of lockdown for the LG..... Didn't really want to use it for this purpose seeing that EVERY egg that went into here at 18 days has yet to come out... sigh.

Here is hoping that these eggs make it.... I have marked the day 14 cells and will compare them tonight to see if they have grown... if they have not... do you suggest that I hold off on lockdown until day 19?

If they always looked good at lockdown, I would think the humidity after lockdown would have to be your culprit. Too high or too low could cause late death.
I'm confused about your hova and LG. Do you have eggs at different hatch dates in the hova?

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Well, what kind of bator are you using, (still or forced air) what temps are you running, what humidity are you using days 1-17 and what are you using at lockdown? Are your instruments checked for accuracy? Are you monitoring your air cells for growth? Are they local or shipped eggs?

I'm using a still air 9300. Humidity at days 1-17 was in the mid 40s and I checked it to be accurate. Temperature was also kept steady at 101.4. I monitored the air cells and they matched the models of what good air cell sizes are for the right days. They are about as local eggs as you can get- straight from my coop. One thing though, I don't know if it will affect them, we are at pretty high elevation. Would that influence them?

A relative also wondered if an LED flaslight used for candling would cause anything?

 

[fiset94]

Make that 2 silkie eggs going on lockdown tomorrow I just candled them and had some late quitters... maybe day 14ish.... No feathers but formed.

I have two bators and different stages in the H.B

Hova Bator that I am incubating in... and have eggs day 17 and day 7 in here- and will be adding some new ones in here tomorrow

LG 9300... for Hatching only.

I take the eggs from the hovabator and place them in the LG for hatching-lockdown... and the eggs that are still on day 1-18 stay in the Hova Bator.

I mark them to know who goes in the LG on what date... I also keep a sheet up by the computer with all the dates written out for each set of eggs..( when to candle- when to move to the LG)

I have them in such a way that there is no overlaping in the LG.. and some extra days between just in case some take longer to hatch. But sigh.... this does not seem to be a problem with a back up... as I can't even get ONE EGG to hatch!!

I'm stubborn... I will get one to hatch... maybe?

 

[WVduckchick]

Make that 2 silkie eggs going on lockdown tomorrow   I just candled them and had some late quitters... maybe day 14ish.... No feathers but  formed.

I have two bators and different stages in the H.B

Hova Bator that I am incubating in... and have eggs day 17 and day 7 in here- and will be adding some new ones in here tomorrow

LG 9300... for Hatching only.

I take the eggs from the hovabator and place them in the LG for hatching-lockdown... and the eggs that are still on day 1-18 stay in the Hova Bator.

I mark them to know who goes in the LG on what date... I also keep a sheet up by the computer with all the dates written out for each set of eggs..( when to candle- when to move to the LG)

I have them in such a way that there is no overlaping in the LG.. and some extra days between just in case some take longer to hatch. But sigh.... this does not seem to be a problem with a back up... as I can't even get ONE EGG to hatch!!

I'm stubborn... I will get one to hatch... maybe?

Ok that makes sense now. Sorry I didn't follow before. If the temp is (was prior to this last try) staying ok, I still suspect humidity. Pretty much all it could be, other than bad eggs or such. Did you try different lockdown techniques?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I'm using a still air 9300. Humidity at days 1-17 was in the mid 40s and I checked it to be accurate. Temperature was also kept steady at 101.4. I monitored the air cells and they matched the models of what good air cell sizes are for the right days. They are about as local eggs as you can get- straight from my coop. One thing though, I don't know if it will affect them, we are at pretty high elevation. Would that influence them?

A relative also wondered if an LED flaslight used for candling would cause anything?

Hmmm. I have not seen anything yet pertaining to elevation and hatch rate. It would be worth researching. As for the candling, I use a LED flashlight and I candle every night.... I don't do all eggs every night, I spot check. a Few here and there, but I am a candling addict. My last hatch was 33 hatchers out of 36 that went to lockdown and the hatch before that was 13 hatchers out of 16 that went to lockdown.So my answer would be LED does not effect them.

Your temps are good, humidity shouldn't be an issue especially if the air cells are looking good at lockdown. (I use the dry method, but even then last fall my bator averaged 40% dry.) The only other thing would be the eggs themselves.

 

[WVduckchick]

I'm using a still air 9300. Humidity at days 1-17 was in the mid 40s and I checked it to be accurate. Temperature was also kept steady at 101.4. I monitored the air cells and they matched the models of what good air cell sizes are for the right days. They are about as local eggs as you can get- straight from my coop. One thing though, I don't know if it will affect them, we are at pretty high elevation. Would that influence them?

A relative also wondered if an LED flaslight used for candling would cause anything? 

I've never thought about elevation nattering but I guess it could? What do you think Amy?
And I use an LED flashlight, never seemed to affect anything, but I guess anything is possible. I even changed batteries during my duck lockdown, and if I shined it thru the window just right, I could see movement in the eggs without opening the lid! Hasn't seemed to affect my duckies... So far...

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I've never thought about elevation nattering but I guess it could? What do you think Amy?
And I use an LED flashlight, never seemed to affect anything, but I guess anything is possible. I even changed batteries during my duck lockdown, and if I shined it thru the window just right, I could see movement in the eggs without opening the lid! Hasn't seemed to affect my duckies... So far...

One of those things I'd have to research. I live in hickville NY I don't have elevation...lol It would be interesting to see if there is anything out there in relation to hatching at higher elevations.