Lockdown on 17th day? 19th day? Need Advice

[chickmanna]

Looks like I have to be away on the day I planned to lockdown. Should I stop turning/raise humidity on the 17th day or the 19th day, or some combination thereof?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Have you had previous experience with this incubator and similar eggs? If so, were those early or late? Let that guide you.

If you don't have previous experience, it is a bit of a crap shoot. There are different reasons to stop turning and raise the humidity. For most of those reasons, a day early or late won't really matter. I don't think the actual time to start lockdown is extremely important except that the key is to get the humidity up before eggs start pipping. If they start pipping before you raise the humidity, there is a chance (not a guarantee, a chance) that they could become shrink-wrapped. If I had no history to go by and had to make that decision, I'd go on the 17th day.

 

[chickmanna]

Thanks Ridgerunner. I don't have any previous experience with incubating at all, thus the panic

. I Will wait as long as I can, and hope for the best. Thanks again.

 

[crankster76]

if ya cant be there for the 18th day for lockdown then raise the humidity and lock down as late as ya can on the 17th. GL...