Lockdown

[SV68CS]

I have eggs in lock down and it is about day 22 and there is no pipping the temperature and humidity it all fine. This is our first time if hatching so i need some advise.

 

[JChicken77]

Are you hatching chicken eggs?

 

[SV68CS]

I'm trying too.

 

[JChicken77]

I just wanted to make sure it wasn't duck eggs or something else. Did you candle the eggs at all before lockdown? If so how did they look? What is your humidity? Have you seen any of the eggs rocking or heard any chirping?

 

[SV68CS]

Im confused there was movement in all eggs at lockdown but here in Australia we are humidity in the air can be very high specially on rainy days and my incubator had alot of condensation under the lid. So i might of killed them all

 

[n8ivetxn]

I'm trying too.

I feel your pain!

A classroom of kids can do what an untold number of adults can't accomplish!

LOL....

Im confused there was movement in all eggs at lockdown but here in Australia we are humidity in the air can be very high specially on rainy days and my incubator had alot of condensation under the lid. So i might of killed them all

What was your humidity range before you went into lockdown? - I ask because if it was on the low side, say maybe 40% or less, the high humidity at the end probably wouldn't be the problem. As long as the chicks had enough air sac to breath in until pip, the high humidity should be ok. I've also read that when they start to hatch, it will make the humidity jump up.

 

[SV68CS]

Hi n8ivetxn the humidity was always over 40% with a normal reading between 50 - 60%.

 

[n8ivetxn]

Ok, so your humidity was over 40% most, if not all, the time.... That might be the problem.

Disclosure statement: I want to let you know that most of my hatching has been done by broodies, most of what I know about incubating is from reading a lot of material.....

When you set eggs, you candle them to see size of the air sac. Then you set your humidity level so that it will slowly draw down (about) 12% of the fluid inside the egg. That creates a breathing space for the chick, when it pips the membrane. You check the rate of evaporation at days 7 and 14, and make any needed adjustments. If you don't have enough breathing space, the chick will die when it pips the membrane.

Some people are using a method of hatching that utilizes lower humidity (from 25 - 35%) during the first 17 days and then, increase it to 65 - 75% for the hatch. The increased moisture at the end keeps the membrane soft and pliable so the chick can get out. This is called "dry hatch method."

I hope you do get more chicks, but maybe this will help the next time....Good Luck