need help!!!

[Jaymie]

I put my (91) eggs in on March 10th, after reading "hatching eggs 101" about a million times. (Can you tell I'm a first time incubator-er yet? lol) I was expecting the temp to drop for the first few hours, but when I went to check on them the temp read 107!!! my incubator was on for three days prior, and the instructions for it said keep temp between 101-102....so thats what it was set for. Needless to say I turned it down and adjusted it accordingly. candled on day 7, removed a bout two dozen on day 20. after that it seemed to go well...candled day 14, removed another dozen...blood rings, not fertile...better flashlights this time as most eggs are brown. so that gets me to today....day 18, im supposed to candle and lockdown. But after checking out awsome candeling pics in an article on here, my eggs appear to be more like day 12-13 than day 18. So heres my big Q: do I keep hand turning for about 5 more days to let them catch up? or lock em down? PLEASE help Thanks!

 

[Jaymie]

so...I increased humidity, and am still hand turning them...farther apart times now. brooder's ready just incase hopefully i get at least a few!

 

[mstricer]

You can stop turning your eggs and lock down. Increase you humidity to 65 to 70% and watch and wait and watch and wait, then you will see the first pip and

and shout

that you are hatching. Yay
Michele

 

[Jaymie]

Thank-You! I did just that...last night, and this afternoon I heard my first pip! Its truly exciting!

 

[Jaymie]

10 chicks, one on the way....dissapointing that I started with 90 eggs, but excited to have some hatch! finding they are having all sorts of troubles...one has curled toes...put slippers on, they fell off overnight. trying pipe cleaners now, she still likes to set back on her 'knees'. One had straddle legs, doing well with the brace, and now two have something wrong with one leg...they both hold it out and hop on the other. I have wood shavings on top of cat litter (to make it heavy so it doesnt move easily) so I dont think its bedding problems. Anyone know what to do with my two hop-a-longs? Thanks

 

[flyingdave]

I had one hatch and lost it. Its little top beak was "crooked". Instead of the back of the beak being center, it was off to the chicks right, where they eye was to be. It only made it a day before it died. I felt so bad for it.

 

[Jaymie]

Poor lil thing! I've never seen anything like that....
One of my buff orpingtons died overnight she was weak to begin with, mostly slept all the time, and was tiny compared to the other chicks. Then I had another leghorn hatch...yet another with curled toes! Im at a loss with all these problems...am I leaving them in the incubator too long? I leave then in anywhere from 4-12 hrs depending on how dry they are, and if they look ready for the change yet.first one was 12 hrs, she's my lil leader boss, strongest most confident....then the last two I left in that long got curled toes...
My good news: straddle legs no longer needs her brace! she's been walking around like a pro,when the bandaid sticky-ness came loose on one leg. I cut the bandaid off and she's doing great!
I'm collecting eggs for a second go. dont think I'll put 90 in this time...going to try some different things, like incubator NOT in the cold basement, and using egg cartons like an automatic turner,( just going to prop one side up at a time) I'm thinking that they wont get cold by the end of each turning this way.