Lock down at day 16. So what?

[dulcelife]

Based on a whole lot of research, I decided to do the famous or infamous "lock down" at 16 days in a Lyons TX-7
These are MUTT eggs: supposed Ameraucana roo over Orps, Bars, and BSL hens.

I know that it is customary to stop rolling eggs at day 18 but, after extensive research, I am deciding to stop rotation at 16 and see what happens.

 

[dickhorstman]

There are reasons we turn eggs. To stop turning a day or two early probably wont have much effect.

 

[dulcelife]

Quote:
That is what I gleaned from reading a bunch of research papers from numerous universities. It appears that one can cease turning eggs in as little as 14 days with little if no effect on hatch-ability.

The research that really convinced me to compromise and stop turning on the 16th day came from "http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/day17/hatching.html":

HOW THE CHICK EMERGES FROM THE SHELL

The head of the chick develops at the large end of the egg. Between the 15th and 16th days, the chick orients itself so that its head is near the air cell at the large end of the egg. Not long before the chick is ready to attempt to make its way out of the shell its neck acquires a double bend so that its beak is under its right wing and pointed toward the air cell. About the 19th day the chick thrusts its head forward. Its beak quickly breaks through the inner shell membrane, and the chick's lungs begin to function. Complete breathing by the lungs usually does not occur until the 20th day of incubation.

Based on this I deduced that it would be prudent to not turn the eggs after day 16 since little Chicky was already positioned to the ideal pipping configuration and why mess with the little bugger by spinning him around yet again 48 times in the next two days.

Maybe I am picky, picky retentive or over analytical. But, nonetheless time will tell and hopefully I won't have to eat crow with a bad hatch.

~Louis

 

[dulcelife]

Day 20 today. Came home 5:00 pm EST and four have pipped. Now have six of 16 pipped two hours later.

Only concern is wet bulb reads 99 which at 99.5 F puts humidity at high 80's into 90's I would think I'd have major fogging at these levels so I tend to think not. I can only hope that the wet bulb wick is twisted and clogged (as it appears), and therefore highly inaccurate and true humidity is closer to the digital reading. Digital (uncalibrated), shows 40 relative.

Too late to do anything so, time will tell.

 

[ambrosia]

I gotta follow this thread.... I love little fuzzy butts! Keep posting pictures because I am living vicariously through u!!!!

 

[cmom]

I am interested also. I had read some papers where during the experiment they didn't turn the eggs at all during incubation and some stilkl hatched but I don't remember what the hatch rate was.

 

[dulcelife]

First chicky zipping tonight about 11:00 pm

 

[dulcelife]

And suddenly on the right this little fella whiz bangs out of the shell with hardly a zip.

 

[kizanne]

OP please keep us up with how many as a percent hatch and how that compares to anything else you've had with hatching.

I'd love to hear some more opinions as well. I'm coming up on day 16 and ....... you logic sounds good but this is my first hatch so I"m tempted to stick with the 'normal' 18. I can't see anything anyway in my dark eggs or my EE eggs so other than higher hum. and no turning it wouldn't matter to me to lock down at 16.

 

[dulcelife]

Quote:
Well came home to an incubator loaded with chicks. I transferred to my brooder. I had ten hatched with another three pipped.
No sooner did I transfer the fluffys when another one zipped and popped out. And now chick number 12 is zipping.

How exciting. So, assuming zippy makes it out it will be a 75% hatch rate. if the other pipped one makes it out it will be 81%

Here are the fluffys: