Opening incubator during lockdown

[ChickadeeNMe]

Hey folks. I am having serious anxiety about this hatching business. It's my first time and I'm struggling with the humidity during lockdown. I think I have it right finally after getting it too high (almost 80%) and then removing the wet was cloth, then it decreased too much (50%). I got it at 70% right now. I've opened the incubator (very briefly) about 5 times throughout the day trying to get this right. I was wondering if I've damaged my little hatchlings by doing this? I don't want to open it again, but now I'm afraid the humidity will continue to increase and get too high again. I'm using a Farm Innovators Forced Air. I have 2 small bowls with wet sponges in there. This is so stressful!!! Next time, I plan to do something a little different for lockdown. Have a tube running into the bator that I can add water with without opening....

 

[MeepBeep]

You can open the incubator any day, lock down is simply a suggestion that reminds you to remove or turn off turners and bump humidity levels it's not a hard fast rule that has to be observed...

As long as you can maintain the higher humidity levels for hatch (this isn't even a hard fast rule) and remember to turn off the turners (to avoid injury after hatch) you can open at will even during the last few days...

I personally have never done a lock down and have near 100% hatch rate on any eggs that make it to that 18+ days...

As for humidity on the viewing glass, the internal due point is dependent on temperature difference between the inside and outside of the incubator and how much cooler that window is... As long as teh eggs have a properly sized air cell at this point and the chick pips correctly the excess humidity should not pose a problem at this point... Personally if it was my incubator I would open it up and wipe off the excess humidity from the window, just because...

 

[ChickadeeNMe]

Is it normal to have THIS MUCH condensation in the viewing window?? My humidity is ranging from 75%-77%. Also, we just started day 21... I'm trying to occupy myself, but this is torture. Worse than being pregnant. Haha.

 

[ChickadeeNMe]

I am a newby and wasn't thinking and added more eggs 8 days later . I wasn't thinking!!!!! What do I do when I go on lock down is it going to kill the other babies with humidity going up! Scared to death I am going to kill the other babies, what do I do! HELP!!!

Hey there, I did the same thing. I had to buy another incubator to put the first batch into lock-down. You won't need an egg turner. My first batch that I put into lockdown didn't hatch. This is the 2nd batch that I added and so far only one has hatched. No pips yet on the others. Today is day 21. I'm so hoping that at least one more will hatch so this little one won't be alone! Good luck to you!

 

[MeepBeep]

I am a newby and wasn't thinking and added more eggs 8 days later . I wasn't thinking!!!!! What do I do when I go on lock down is it going to kill the other babies with humidity going up! Scared to death I am going to kill the other babies, what do I do! HELP!!!

I do staggered hatches all the time, the few days of higher humidity won't hurt the other egg, as it's the average over the entire incubation period that matters...

Remember a bird sitting on eggs has little ability to change the humidity....

More so humidity isn't really what you should honestly be monitoring it should be the weight loss of the egg and the air cell development...

Just keep turning the late hatchers and let the others hatch...

 

[ChickadeeNMe]

Welcome to the world little one!!!!

 

[ChickadeeNMe]

Still only the one little lone chick that's hatched. No more pips as of yet. I have 2 more eggs in there. The chick seems to be drying very slowly. I was tempted to put him/her into another spare incubator that was "dry" to dry off. But, on the other hand, I just received in the mail 10 cuckoo maran eggs a few days ago. This will be my last try before spring. There is a poultry show in town this weekend, so if no more pips in the morning, I will buy another chick (or two) for this little one to have for some company. One of my little one's feet is turned in (his toes)... I found a really good article about making a little "chick sandal" for it to straighten out the turned in toes. With time, his/her little toes have seemed to be straightened out some on their own, so I'm hoping maybe this won't be necessary at all... But, in any case, I ordered some VetRap to use for a sandal if I need to.
This is so stressful (and exciting!) I have been checking on the baby every 5 minutes all day long... and at the same time hoping for another pip from another of the 2 eggs that's left. I'm on day 21. Tomorrow at 2pm will be a full 22 days (not counting first day of course). Oh how I hope to wake up to another chick hatching in the morning!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Opening can be a problem depending on ambient humidity.

My best advice is - don't freak out. It is what it is.
Too high isn't a problem the last couple days unless it has been too high throughout.

 

[ChickadeeNMe]

Thanks!! I will not be opening again under any circumstances. I'm on day 19…

 

[ChickadeeNMe]

Well, I haven't opened the bator anymore, but my humidity is stabilized and sticking at 77%. I hope it's not too much. The humidity in the first 18 days varied between 20%-50% depending on when I would throw a portion of damp sponge in there. I let it go at 20%-30% most of the time, so it should be fine. This is nerve wracking. Hatch day is Saturday if they are ok...