Question about late hatching.. PLEASE HELP!

[Jaymemartin]

So it seems some of my chicks if not all are a little behind for it being day 17 almost 18 (this afternoon) and my air cells are behind too...so my question is do I still do lock down? Do I hold off? And if I lock down and they hatch late does it affect them that they weren’t turned anymore AND hatched late? All of them are very active and looking great besides being behind PLEASE HELP!

Also I’m not sure if this matters but most of my eggs are pretty large...some barely fit in egg cartons. My chickens lay large eggs

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, hope you are enjoying BYC!

So going into lock down... if cells are too small, wait to raise your humidity until day 19 or so... maybe even day 20. If you are worried about drowning you can try "upright hatching"... BUT you are still gonna get quite a bit of evaporation between now and hatch... especially if it's late.

After day 15 it is OK to not turn anymore with no ill effect on the embryo.

I suspect your thermometer/hygro is off for the amount of development you have. Did you calibrate and use more than one? Did you happen to move the eggs around inside the bator daily to help ensure even development form cool or warm pockets that DO exist even in circulated air bators?

Size of the eggs do not matter in my experience.

Some people don't raise their humidity and go into lock down until they see/hear their first internal pip, via obsessive candling and sweet chirping. I usually LD on day 18 and work the whole day to get my humidity right. But sometimes I'm tired and they don't hit LD until day 19.

Where was your humidity and temp during hatch? Forced or still air? Figure I better ask some questions since there is soo much information out there it can get all mixed up and confusing.

 

[Jaymemartin]

Hi, hope you are enjoying BYC!

So going into lock down... if cells are too small, wait to raise your humidity until day 19 or so... maybe even day 20. If you are worried about drowning you can try "upright hatching"... BUT you are still gonna get quite a bit of evaporation between now and hatch... especially if it's late.

After day 15 it is OK to not turn anymore with no ill effect on the embryo.

I suspect your thermometer/hygro is off for the amount of development you have. Did you calibrate and use more than one? Did you happen to move the eggs around inside the bator daily to help ensure even development form cool or warm pockets that DO exist even in circulated air bators?

Size of the eggs do not matter in my experience.

Some people don't raise their humidity and go into lock down until they see/hear their first internal pip, via obsessive candling and sweet chirping. I usually LD on day 18 and work the whole day to get my humidity right. But sometimes I'm tired and they don't hit LD until day 19.

Where was your humidity and temp during hatch? Forced or still air? Figure I better ask some questions since there is soo much information out there it can get all mixed up and confusing.

I did not have another thermometer but I just ordered one since I plan to hatch more and want to make sure its right next time! It is a forced air incubator, and no I didn’t move them around...I didn’t think about that. This is only my second time hatching and the last time I did the incubator sucked and was the still sir styrofoam..I only had 6 of about 30 hatch from that one

 

[Jaymemartin]

Hi, hope you are enjoying BYC!

So going into lock down... if cells are too small, wait to raise your humidity until day 19 or so... maybe even day 20. If you are worried about drowning you can try "upright hatching"... BUT you are still gonna get quite a bit of evaporation between now and hatch... especially if it's late.

After day 15 it is OK to not turn anymore with no ill effect on the embryo.

I suspect your thermometer/hygro is off for the amount of development you have. Did you calibrate and use more than one? Did you happen to move the eggs around inside the bator daily to help ensure even development form cool or warm pockets that DO exist even in circulated air bators?

Size of the eggs do not matter in my experience.

Some people don't raise their humidity and go into lock down until they see/hear their first internal pip, via obsessive candling and sweet chirping. I usually LD on day 18 and work the whole day to get my humidity right. But sometimes I'm tired and they don't hit LD until day 19.

Where was your humidity and temp during hatch? Forced or still air? Figure I better ask some questions since there is soo much information out there it can get all mixed up and confusing.

Way would you do if you were me...upright hatch or laying on sides?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

last time I did the incubator sucked and was the still sir styrofoam

I get some of my best hatches in my foam bators with no fan or turner... maybe because I was more attentive to it.

I would probably still hatch on the side... but lets see if we can get more input here... @Pyxis @WVduckchick your experience and input is always appreciated!

 

[WVduckchick]

I agree with all @EggSighted4Life has already mentioned. On these particular eggs, from the candling pics, I would wait till day 19, probably even late day 19.
And i would also lay them down, lowest dip of the air cell on top (of the laying-down egg)

Candle again mid-day 18 and check progress.

 

[Jaymemartin]

I agree with all @EggSighted4Life has already mentioned. On these particular eggs, from the candling pics, I would wait till day 19, probably even late day 19.
And i would also lay them down, lowest dip of the air cell on top (of the laying-down egg)

Candle again mid-day 18 and check progress.

Should I keep them in the turner until day 19 also?

 

[Pyxis]

I agree with all @EggSighted4Life has already mentioned. On these particular eggs, from the candling pics, I would wait till day 19, probably even late day 19.
And i would also lay them down, lowest dip of the air cell on top (of the laying-down egg)

Candle again mid-day 18 and check progress.

X2