Little Giant Incubation Experiment - Day 21 - Hatch Day!

[Math]

Yes 2 thermometers(one digital) both reading about 100.5.


The humidity has been around 55%.

Ok, now, I am going to assume that you are following either the user's manual or some outdated source that is telling you that 50-55% humidity is what you need for lockdown. I'm also going to tell you that in the majority of cases, (everything has it's exceptions) that most people find that using that high of humidity for days 1-17 is to high and there is a higher chance of chicks drowning at lockdown. I'm going to encourage you to check your air cells, (usually done at days 7/14/18) if you haven't already to check their progress. (The reason we control our humidity.) If the air cells look good and you are confident that they are big enough, just tell me to zip it....I can handle it, SC tells me all the time...    I'm going to give you a link to look at so you know what you are looking for if you don't already: http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity  
I don't mean to sound like a know it all (SHUSH SC and iron my cape...) I just hate seeing newbiews to hatching get to the end and not have a good hatch. If your air cells need to be adjusted you still have time to change your humidity levels and allow for growth before lockdown.

X2

Yes bpetry, keep check on your air cells. Your air cells look okay for day #11. However, that humidity at 55 sounds high for early days of incubation. Humidity that high could cause your air cells to be too small at hatch time and therefore too much moisture left inside the eggs. That could lead to drowned chicks at hatch time.

Listen to Amy. She knows this incubation very well.

I hope you have a good first hatch.

I have eggs on day #11 also,

 

[AmyLynn2374]

You say you culled 15 eggs at day #3? I usually can't tell what is developing that early so I wait until much later.

xs 2 I don't pull anything but bloodrings until day 10.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

My only chick from this hatch.

 

[mswendeu]

My only chick from this hatch.

How cute congrats

 

[rossfam06]

So my overall hatch rate is 58%. 7/12 hatched. I had to help the last 4. So 3 FBCM and 4 Isbars total. So I am going to keep two. One of each and sell the rest!

 

[WVduckchick]

So my overall hatch rate is 58%. 7/12 hatched. I had to help the last 4. So 3 FBCM and 4 Isbars total. So I am going to keep two. One of each and sell the rest!

Congrats! That's not too bad!

 

[rossfam06]

Thanks. it was my first time so...I feel pretty good about that hatchbesp with thius incubator. Oh and all that hatched were pullets except one FBCM roo. I wing sexed them...so hopefully I'm right!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thanks. it was my first time so...I feel pretty good about that hatchbesp with thius incubator. Oh and all that hatched were pullets except one FBCM roo. I wing sexed them...so hopefully I'm right!

Congrats. I hope you are right. I'm assuming you know that not all chickens can be sexed by that method, right?

 

[rossfam06]

Congrats. I hope you are right. I'm assuming you know that not all chickens can be sexed by that method, right?

Yes. I am aware that bantams can not be sexed that way but I was under the impression that all full size birds can be. I'm not sure which breeds can and which ones can't.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Yes. I am aware that bantams can not be sexed that way but I was under the impression that all full size birds can be. I'm not sure which breeds can and which ones can't.

If I understand it you have to know what the parents are. Too be honest, I've never fully gotten it, but I haven't tried that hard either, but here it goes:

• Another sex-linked characteristic that is used commercially in the United States is the rapid-feathering, or fast-feathering, gene. A rapid-feathering male is crossed with a slow-feathering female (see Figure 6). The resulting males will be slow-feathering, while the females are rapid-feathering. As a result, the males have wing feathers that are relatively shorter than those of the females. In the females, the covert feathers are always shorter than the primary feathers. In the males, the covert feathers are always as long as, or longer than, the primary feathers (see Figure 7). Some training is required to develop accuracy and speed in sexing on the basis of wing-feather length. However, the amount of training is considerably less than that required for vent sexing.

http://www.extension.org/pages/65437/sexing-day-old-chicks-on-small-and-backyard-flocks#.VTLV_SFViko

I think it works the opposite too, but I could be wrong. Like I said, I never tried to understand.