Lockdown, has anyone tried this? What were your results?

[Soltaria]

This has been my first 100% successful hatch. I'm not sure if that is due to using a different method for lockdown or the fact that these are my own eggs and are not shipped but I would like to get some input from others and see if anyone has had success using this method.

Typically I would raise the humidity and stop opening the lid on day 18 and just let the eggs sit but I usually ended up with 3-4 chicks that were fully formed but never externally pipped. This time my eggs had very small air cells so I did not add any water for lockdown (humidity was at 35-40%) until I saw the first external pip and brought it to 60%. Doing this, the humidity did not spike like it has in my other hatches at the moment of the pip. Usually a pip would bring it to 80-85% but this time it stayed pretty steady at 60%.

I'm wondering if the other hatches might have been affected by the very high humidity and drowned in the shells but there are so many factors with shipped eggs that there's really no way to be sure. Has anyone else had success leaving the humidity alone until external pip? Is this a commonly practiced method and has anyone seen improvement in their hatches from it?

 

[texaschickyall]

Following. Very interesting. My whole last incubation died in lockdown. My humidity was all over the place. I set new eggs yesterday. I may try this method and see how it works for me.

 

[Soltaria]

So sorry to hear that
I hope your next set goes better.

 

[AmericanMom]

The last hatch I did was turkey eggs, very precious to me, I had already lost a whole set (all wiggling and moving during lockdown but then nothing) and I had one more shot.. I decided to take the plunge and do a dry incubation, I added not one drop of water, on the 25th day ( Turkeys incubate for 28 days) I cut half a sponge in three small strips, wet them and placed those in the bator, the next day I had a pip, for the next 18 hours I had 12/14 pip zip and hatch with absolutely no issues! Mind you the recommended humidity for turkeys during lockdown is 80%!!! I am doing a test incubation with some barnyard mixes I have, dry again, but this time I plan on not adding any water during lockdown and see what happens.. My humidity in the room is running around 54% so I think that will be enough for hatching.. Wont know until they hatch (I am on day 8)

 

[Farmer Viola]

This has been my first 100% successful hatch. I'm not sure if that is due to using a different method for lockdown or the fact that these are my own eggs and are not shipped but I would like to get some input from others and see if anyone has had success using this method.

Typically I would raise the humidity and stop opening the lid on day 18 and just let the eggs sit but I usually ended up with 3-4 chicks that were fully formed but never externally pipped. This time my eggs had very small air cells so I did not add any water for lockdown (humidity was at 35-40%) until I saw the first external pip and brought it to 60%. Doing this, the humidity did not spike like it has in my other hatches at the moment of the pip. Usually a pip would bring it to 80-85% but this time it stayed pretty steady at 60%.

I'm wondering if the other hatches might have been affected by the very high humidity and drowned in the shells but there are so many factors with shipped eggs that there's really no way to be sure. Has anyone else had success leaving the humidity alone until external pip? Is this a commonly practiced method and has anyone seen improvement in their hatches from it?

You're right that shipped eggs have so many extra variables, it's very difficult to say exactly what might have gone wrong. Especially if they arrived with detached air cells.

I started a practice like you describe, where I wait until I see the first internal pip before increasing the humidity. Using this method, I candle every single day from d14 onward to track development. I am able to identify by sight if they look behind, or the ACs too small like you described. I also know that the internal pip usually happens on day 20 because I candle so often. It is only when the internal pip happens, that the high humidity becomes important.

Until then, the egg is still evaporating and losing water weight. So when you increase the humidity, you slow down that evaporation considerably. By keeping it low, you encourage the egg to continue the evaporation, all the way until internal pip time.

I believe I have seen chicks hatch RIGHT ON TIME because of this method, rather than on d22. I do not believe it improved my overall hatch, just changed the timing a little bit. Because my eggs evaporate quickly, instead of slowly. Hope that this all makes sense

edit: here is what an internal pip would look like when candled around day 19-20. the next step is the external pip, so it is time to raise the humidity! 55-60% humidity will help keep the exposed membrane from drying out ("shrink wrap")

edit2: although I candle often, I do not rotate the egg when candling with shipped eggs. the egg is kept upright and candled directly down inside the incubator

 

[Soltaria]

Interesting, mine were also always a day or to late before, but the first one in this hatch was actually 2 days early and the other two were 1 day early. I didn't attribute that to the humidity, I had never considered its role in their hatch speed.

 

[Soltaria]

Another successful hatch this time with shipped eggs. The biggest lesson I have learned is not to be afraid to open the lid during lockdown. 2 were saved by an assist, one that pipped at the wrong end and one that managed to roll into a corner and wedge itself in too tight to push the egg shell away.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Another successful hatch this time with shipped eggs. The biggest lesson I have learned is not to be afraid to open the lid during lockdown. 2 were saved by an assist, one that pipped at the wrong end and one that managed to roll into a corner and wedge itself in too tight to push the egg shell away.

great job!

I'm glad you were able to assist successfully! we love chick pics

 

[Soltaria]

Here's two of the quail chicks.

And three of the chicks.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Here's two of the quail chicks.

And three of the chicks.

aawwww!! the quail are so tiny.. i cant get over it.. adorable chicks too!

love love love!