Please help!

[Countrygirl1985]

I have 5 Pekin eggs in the incubator right now. This is the first time I've ever done this, and so I have been learning as I go. Of my 5 eggs, 2 are at Day 29 lockdown (been locked down since Day 26) and 3 of my eggs are at Day 26 (put in lockdown at the same time as the other two). I believe the air cells were a little small when they went in, so I have them in upright position. Is it bad that there have been no external pips yet? My humidity right now is 76 and temp at 99.2. Unfortunately, the humidity has been a little high the whole time (I live in the South East). Should I be worried? I want to candel them SOOO BAD because I can't tell what's going on just shining my light into the incubator. And I SWEAR I see the eggs moving and hear chirping (or I could be losing my mind from watching eggs for an hour at the time through the glass!) I have a Little Giant still air incubator. Any suggestions or advice, comments, etc.are most welcome and much appreciated. Thanks guys!

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC! I think maybe you need some input from some someone like @WVduckchick or @Pyxis. I'm no expert, but I think your temp has been too low and your humidity too high. The still air incubators require higher temp than a still air, and most people try to keep humidity at 45% or less.

IMO, I think it's okay for you do open the incubator and candle them now to see where you are at.

 

[Kkrista123]

Hello! I have incubated and hatched only twice now and i'm not familiar with your incubator so my information probably isn't more than you have but I'll try to help out! It is ok to candle them so defiantly do that to make sure progress is coming along alright. I would try to lower humidity and I kept my temperature at 99.5 so that shouldn't be an issue. After you candle them, give us an update and I might be able to help further! The humidity certainly shouldn't kill them but can delay birth by anywhere from a day to a week.

 

[casportpony]

temperature at 99.5 so that shouldn't be an issue.

That is not an issue with forced air incubators (incubators with fans), but still air incubators (no fan), require higher temps. The result of incubating at 99.5 in a still air incubator will be a delayed hatch.

From @Pyxis"s hatching article:
"If your incubator is still air, meaning it does not have a fan, you want your temperature to be 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit/38.6 degrees Celsius measured at the top of the eggs."

 

[Countrygirl1985]

Actually, I lowered the temp at lockdown. I had it at 100.3-100.8 Fahrenheit (It fluctuates) the rest of the time they have been in the incubator. The eggs are moving like crazy, but nothing else. I guess I’m worrying because I read that they could drown on their own fluids. The whole reason I decided to hatch eggs is because my male Pekin, Henry, was killed by a predator shortly after Hurricane Michael because their home was demolished in the storm and they were sleeping outside of what used to be their pin. So the next day, I went out and bought an incubator and put Cecil’s eggs (my female Pekin) inside. Cecil was heartbroken over losing Henry and so was I.

She wasn’t lonely long. I went two days later and got a male Khaki Campbell (Sam), and he has introduced her to the world of swimming in the pond. Henry had something hit him in the butt the first time I put him in the pond, and he refused to get in his wading pool if he couldn’t see the bottom! He was unique, to say the least.

 

[Kkrista123]

That is not an issue with forced air incubators (incubators with fans), but still air incubators (no fan), require higher temps. The result of incubating at 99.5 in a still air incubator will be a delayed hatch.

From @Pyxis"s hatching article:
"If your incubator is still air, meaning it does not have a fan, you want your temperature to be 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit/38.6 degrees Celsius measured at the top of the eggs."

Yeah I’m not farmilir with this brand of incubator so I didn’t even take the still air into consideration when I replied! Thanks for correcting me!!!

 

[Countrygirl1985]

Okay, so this is the only one that looks like this and it is on day 26. There is movement, and the air cell is significantly bigger than the others. What is going on?

 

[casportpony]

Okay, so this is the only one that looks like this and it is on day 26.

What do the others look like?

 

[Countrygirl1985]

Here are the other 4

 

[casportpony]

Here are the other 4

What day are those on?