Really really fed up :(

[pete55]

Do not intervene!!!!

Its not ready yet but alive as I think I can see active blood vessels at the top of the egg. I estimate 2-3 days to pipping. Keep in fan incubator running dry (37.5C) and keep candling daily. The air cell should suddenly enlarge and drop at an angle down one side - say at a 45 degree angle. When this happens place on a flat surface and it will roll to one side uppermost. Mark the upper surface and stop turning, this is its natural position. The egg is like an unbalanced toy that always flips one side up.

You're still in with a chance and I think I can see the air cell beginning to angle slightly down one side.

Pete

 

[portiaari]

Ok thanks Pete, all 3 that are due soon look similar, just this one is moving! I'm beside myself with excitement and anticipation!

 

[ChooksChick]

I agree- you're a couple of days off.

This actually looks good for the stage of development. I would go to Wal-mart and get 3 of the green suction cup thermometer pictured in my incubation cheat-sheet https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=14596-incubation-cheat-sheet and put them in the rcom- make sure the temp is correct. You can calibrate it to correct it, if it's not.

The development looks a bit slow, so I wonder if it's not a bit low in temp. I'd kick the temp setting up to 100* or 100.5* now if it was me, and just let them cook. They're doing well. Leave them flat in the rcom and hands off!!! Make sure they are not turning now, though, and hand turn the late batch until these are done.

Pete, the rcom cooks them flat the whole time, so these are in optimum position. It has a conveyor under the eggs that rolls them once an hour. Awesome machine.


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[Katy]

If you still have a couple of days there's still hope for it. Like you were advised, just keep running it dry and hopefully it'll dry down a bit more yet.

 

[portiaari]

Right I've upped the temp to 38c - 100f and I'm off to get 3 aquarium thermometers from the pet shop in a min. I will hand turn the 2 late eggs from now on, I turned the turner off last night and had started to turn the others. The humidity is 29, it doesn't seem to want to go any lower although it's set lower. So once I've got the thermometers then I put them in the incubator and wait to see if they all read the same as the incubator. Then I just leave alone.
It all seemed so simple when I started!

Thanks sooooooooooo much for all your help, I don't feel as down as I did. x

 

[pete55]

Hi

Look again at the Rhea egg thread with the pictures of the air cell at pipping time. You can see how it drops down one side. As this happens the egg is not equally balanced and it favours a position with the bulk of the air cell uppermost. The heavier egg contents side is to the bottom. Like I said, put on a flat surface and the egg will roll to have the side with the most air cell uppermost. If you mark the egg with a cross in pencil then in normal hatches the pip almost always occurs in the upper right quadrant of the cross.

The Macaw egg has found its natural point of balance with the side with the larger amount of air cell uppermost. The top was marked with a cross and the pip is in the upper right quadrant.

Once the air cell dips and you've marked which way the egg should naturally lie then that is the time to stop turning as the chick manouvres into its hatching position. I once candled a set of Bantam eggs that were 2 days from hatching and using this method marked the side to be uppermost. Every time I checked those eggs thery were almost always in the right position despite the mother shuffling them they found their natural point of balance.

I always marvel how Mother Nature just gets it so right

Regards

Pete

 

[pete55]

Of course you're not feeling so down now as there's lots of kind folks from the States helping you. PLUS you know your on a steep learning curve that WILL end in success

Is the incubator still air or fan driven air???

Pete

 

[aprille218]

R coms are forced air. Sounds like the Rcom is now at the same humidity as your house or wherever you have it. If you have a dehumidifier you can use that in your house otherwise you're pretty much stuck with that humidity.
I agree with upping the temp too. Either you're off on the due date or your incubator is running a little cool.
For fresh home grown duck eggs I run them at 38% humidity until I shut the turner off then gradually up to 55% on hatching day with shipped eggs that are usually older and more dried out I increase the humidity to somewhere between 40-45% depending on how big the air sac is and then 55% on hatching day.
Please let us know how your hatch turns out!
Aprille

 

[pete55]

Hi

Thanks for clearing up that the incubator is forced air. In that case the temperature should be 37.5C/99.5F. Now lets all keep our fingers crossed

Pete

 

[portiaari]

Well the humidity is now down to 24%, I guess maybe as the machine dries the final bit out of the water tank it will drop a bit more? Another egg is now moving and I've put the 3 aquatic thermometers in, they read the same temp as the digital one on the rcom. Yes it's forced air, I have run it at 37.5C but have just upped it to 38C, maybe that is what dropped the humidity? I'll do the cross thing later will be interesting to see if they pip in that cross, but I think i'll have to wait until the airsac grows a bit more. Fingers crossed!
Yes of course I'll let you know how it goes!