lockdown question ?

[yuaan]

When people say LOCKDOWN period

if it begning of day 18th or when it completed its 24hours and begins 19th day ?

I am placed my eggs on 16th of nov at 16:30 so their firt day was 17th at 16:30. today 16 th day has completed with 24hours and not the 17th day has started ,. as i am incubating serama i was advised to lock them down a day earlier. so as they completed their 16th day and 17th has started , does it mean that i can lock them down of wait until therie 24hrs complets on day 17th ?

 

[shannondee12]

I'm sure someone with more knowledge than me will help with the question but in my limited experience, it doesn't have to be that precise. I've never hatched Serama but I'm on hatch #6 of large fowl. I've had them zipping from day one of lockdown till 3 days after hatch day.

 

[yuaan]

What sort of problem or defect a chick has if the eggs were locked down day or 2 before?

 

[shannondee12]

I had one hatch that I messed up on the days that they were suppose to hatch. I keep track on my cell phone calender. I put 6 in lockdown for 5 days before I realized that it was the wrong batch. So I put them back in the auto turner and 3 days later was there actual lockdown day. So again they came out of the turner for lockdown. All of them hatched without any problems. I am not saying that is normal, just that thats what happened to me. I am a little absent minded sometimes but it all works out in the end.

 

[LTygress]

I never do a lockdown at all. I have a spray bottle to mist inside if I am worried about humidity drop. But I open my incubator ALL the time, even during the final 3 or 4 days. And I have actually VERY rarely used the spray bottle.

As a matter of fact, I tend to set eggs on the same day they are laid, resulting in a constant rotation of eggs in and out of the incubator. So even during "lockdown" I am opening it to add eggs or removed the chicks that already hatched.

And so far, my hatch rate has been 100% on fertilized eggs, since this past Spring. And even then, the only eggs I have lost, are for other reasons (like the cat knocking the incubator down from the chest freezer and the eggs breaking).

 

[shannondee12]

I never do a lockdown at all. I have a spray bottle to mist inside if I am worried about humidity drop. But I open my incubator ALL the time, even during the final 3 or 4 days. And I have actually VERY rarely used the spray bottle.

As a matter of fact, I tend to set eggs on the same day they are laid, resulting in a constant rotation of eggs in and out of the incubator. So even during "lockdown" I am opening it to add eggs or removed the chicks that already hatched.

And so far, my hatch rate has been 100% on fertilized eggs, since this past Spring. And even then, the only eggs I have lost, are for other reasons (like the cat knocking the incubator down from the chest freezer and the eggs breaking).

I agree. I think some people put to much pressure on those little eggs with all the exact rules of "LOCKDOWN" lol. When a chicken is sitting on eggs, it's not near as strict on the time frame.

 

[yuaan]

so why people tend to raise their humidity levels?

 

[shannondee12]

I would assume to help keep the membranes pliable so that the chick can hatch better. I also am in the bator all the time with multiple hatch days, in and out. I have had chicks get "shrink wrapped" with the membrane drying out but I was watching for it and helped out the chicks right away with a wet q-tip. I am not saying thats the right way to do it, just that thats the way I have to do it.

 

[LTygress]

I don't do that one either. When hatching, the chicks will cause the humidity to rise on it's own, because all of the moisture from inside of the egg is fully exposed.

Like I said, I monitor levels when I'm opening it, to make sure it stays near 50%. Sometimes the air can be really dry in winter (in summer, it stays pretty constant). And I have the spray bottle set to "mist" if it drops. But for the most part, I just don't worry about it, and it doesn't really seem to affect them.

Think about this: When a hen is sitting on eggs, she doesn't "lock down" the last three days. She also can't exactly make herself sweat anymore than normal. So in a natural setting, there is no lockdown, and humidity levels remain the same.

 

[yuaan]

my humidity is bearly touching 60% at the moment can not get any higher