Oh no! I didn't realize...(One hatched so far!!)

[Andora]

So...found out I was pregnant, started feeling miserably sick, and completely totally forgot to watch the calendar to up the humidity on day 18. I stop turning my eggs on day 7...so all I do is glance in from time to time to be sure the bator is still plugged in and running at a good temp. My Miss Prissy cooler bator is very steady!

Apparently it must be day 21, because I just glanced in there and I have 2 pips, and rocking peeping eggs! OH NO! The humidity was only at 32%!!! I'm such a horrible chicken mom...

I usually keep the humidity in the 30's until day 18, then up it to around 60-70%.

I added a little dish of hot water and a wet sponge immediately. I hope they are ok. What problems would low humidity cause?

These aren't extremely important eggs, just mutts from my hens, but still I want to do the best I can for them.

 

[scbatz33]

small chicks, dried/shrink wrapped membrane, difficulty getting out....

for your babies.

I wasn't much better - didn't candle on day 7....not til 12. Incubator out of water and a rotten egg that was stuck to the turner and exploded all over when I tried to get it out!!!!

I cleaned it up but am hoping very much that the bacteria doesn't harm the growing eggs.....

 

[scbatz33]

congrats on the baby though!

 

[ChrystalGail]

Just try to get the humidity up to where it should be and they should be okay... They are alot tougher than we think they are. I had terrible temperature spikes in my incubator and all my babies hatched just fine. Best of luck!

 

[Andora]

It's steady at 60% now! I hope they're ok.

 

[Andora]

One chick hatched last night while we were asleep! It's so cute! All of the other white eggs except one have pips, and none of the other eggs do. I checked the calendar and today is day 21, so I still have some time to wait...

 

[ChrystalGail]

Congratulations!

 

[chickenlittle32]

Congratulations all around to you....(except the sick part)

 

[shelleyd2008]

I've had many times that chicks have pipped in the turner (cause I forgot about them). I have moved them from the bator to the hatcher, pips and all, and they still hatch.

Also mutts from my own eggs, so maybe that's why? If they were the $60 silkies I'd bought

I couldn't have done that

 

[froggie71]

Be careful of the dish of water. I had 1 in my bator to get the humidity up. I couldn't get it above 45 so added the bowl. Well 1 hatched and as it was a banty and so tiny I didn't think too much about it but thought I should take it out soon. I was too late on the little chick must have climbed over the others eggs and fell in and drowned.

I was so bummed, because I knew it was my fault.