May 2020 Hatch-A-Long

[CluckNDoodle]

Day 18- I candled the eggs, added water to increase the humidity, and took the turner out. All 24 eggs look well and alive, but the air cells did not grow much since day 14.
I hope everything goes well. This is my second hatch with an incubator, and the first time was awful, but I have learned a lot since then.

On day 19-20 when the air cells draw down for hatch there is an incredible change in size. It's normal to not see a huge difference between day 14-18 but when I'm concerned about air cell size I just take the eggs out of the turner to stop turning but I don't increase humidity until day 19-20 or if I see an external pip.

 

[Pretty Birds]

On day 19-20 when the air cells draw down for hatch there is an incredible change in size. It's normal to not see a huge difference between day 14-18 but when I'm concerned about air cell size I just take the eggs out of the turner to stop turning but I don't increase humidity until day 19-20 or if I see an external pip.

View attachment 2148313

Thank you for the information. Is it okay to increase the humidity on day 18? Most of the things I've read said that is the day lockdown starts.

 

[AUChickenGal]

Two hatches so far (the two that pipped in the correct location). The three underside pips are working away; hopefully they follow soon. Nothing from the 6th egg just yet, but we're still about an hour away from the official start of day 20.

 

[Trisseh]

My little bator keeps dropping humidity like crazy and it’s extremely frustrating for these poor duck eggs. Extra annoying because the RH in the house is 40% right now. I ordered a second Janoel 12 because the first one (the one these eggs are in) had been mostly behaving itself, and this second one is actually a lot better than the 1st, according to my calibrated thermometer and analog hygrometer. Too bad the eggs that I put in the new one were clears upon cracking them on day 10. Lol. Different brand names on these so I guess there’s actually a difference there. hopefully these duckies do ok; they have 9 days left to go. they have 4 sebright eggs in with them which are also doing good.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Thank you for the information. Is it okay to increase the humidity on day 18? Most of the things I've read said that is the day lockdown starts.

Yes, it's ok to increase humidity on day 18 and most people do this. I was just saying when air cells look small it will give them an extra day or two to lose more weight if you wait to increase the humidity.

 

[kelseyk]

I can try again when I get home I was in a hurry this morning cause I had an appointment to get my grandma to. I also have an egg buddy I can try to run everybody through and see if I can get heart beats. I think one of them is definitely infertile but that picture apparently didn’t take I’d really like second opinions on these cause unlike a couple of my others I didn’t see movement in these to reassure me so I’m all nail biting *sigh*

Sounds a bit silly, but in the experiment I am doing (ring/nail test experiment) I have found that you can test eggs for signs of life as early as day 7. If you put a nail, ring, washer, etc (something magnetic) on the end of a string and hold it over the egg...it will move either in a very definite circle or back and forth over eggs that show signs of life but it will not move over eggs that are clear, quitters, or DIS.

 

[Offshoreorca]

On day 19-20 when the air cells draw down for hatch there is an incredible change in size. It's normal to not see a huge difference between day 14-18 but when I'm concerned about air cell size I just take the eggs out of the turner to stop turning but I don't increase humidity until day 19-20 or if I see an external pip.

View attachment 2148313

I do the same as you. Take them off the turner at the beginning of Day 18 and then officially lockdown sometime during Day 19 (when I up the humidity) - unless I notice the air cells are growing too quickly, which hasn't been a problem yet.

 

[kelseyk]

My little bator keeps dropping humidity like crazy and it’s extremely frustrating for these poor duck eggs. Extra annoying because the RH in the house is 40% right now. I ordered a second Janoel 12 because the first one (the one these eggs are in) had been mostly behaving itself, and this second one is actually a lot better than the 1st, according to my calibrated thermometer and analog hygrometer. Too bad the eggs that I put in the new one were clears upon cracking them on day 10. Lol. Different brand names on these so I guess there’s actually a difference there. hopefully these duckies do ok; they have 9 days left to go. they have 4 sebright eggs in with them which are also doing good.

Those Janoel incubators can be a pain to keep humidity up in! I have one, but do not use it more than for overflow eggs and special treatment eggs mostly because my humidity is all over the place in that one.

 

[Jehri]

Okay I just got home from the city and had an extra pair of hands so we re candled a few of the dark eggs

This one looked clear to both of us

Number 4 apparently had a detached air cell that settled on its side once it got into the incubator I didn’t see much else

I believe 14 maybe was one we saw the baby in the air cell moving other than that we saw no movement. I didn’t want temp to drop any further. I’m a bit flustered cause I just don’t know it’s a tight space so I’d like to have the quitters out but it’s so hard to tell

 

[FortCluck]

Okay I just got home from the city and had an extra pair of hands so we re candled a few of the dark eggs View attachment 2148477
This one looked clear to both of us View attachment 2148478View attachment 2148479
Number 4 apparently had a detached air cell that settled on its side once it got into the incubator I didn’t see much else View attachment 2148480View attachment 2148481View attachment 2148482View attachment 2148484View attachment 2148485View attachment 2148486View attachment 2148488View attachment 2148489
I believe 14 maybe was one we saw the baby in the air cell moving other than that we saw no movement. I didn’t want temp to drop any further. I’m a bit flustered cause I just don’t know it’s a tight space so I’d like to have the quitters out but it’s so hard to tell

You’ll see some type of movement. I wake up the chick by holding it vertical and turning it a few times in my hand. You’ll be able to see movement if you’re in a very dark room and have a good flashlight.