September 2016 Hatch-A-Long

[harmesonfarm]

Ive got a weird problem... I dry incubated through days 1-14 hoping to keep track of progress via weighing my eggs. At day 7 about 25% of my eggs were a tad too light and at day 14 about 50% of my eggs were too light. So I upped my humidity but also noticed that my air cells seemed a bit small, particularly for losing more weight than they should have lost. Today is day 18 (lockdown) and I candled a bunch of eggs last night and the air cells still seem smaller than what is shown on most air cell egg charts. (My 17.5 day candling seemed to show air cells the size of a normal 14 day air cell).

Anyway, long story short- my eggs have lost more moisture than they should by lockdown (via weighing method) but the air cells look too small. Should I lockdown and up the humidity only a small amount for the next day (until day 19) and then bring it up to the 65-70% humidity for the remainder of lockdown?

Any help appreciated!

I don't really have any experience in this as this is my first incubation but I'll try to help as far as I can with information I've picked up...

From the candling, have you ruled out any eggs that are infertile / quit? In my understanding you want to remove those eggs, and that can change your total average weight loss. In that case, it's my understanding that you remove the weights of those eggs from your original total average weight and then you can get a more accurate number.

What was your humidity at for days 1-14? at least 40%?

Is this your first time incubating as well? Is there a chance that you just view the air cells smaller but they are actually ok? do you have a picture to show someone more experienced?
Is your ventilation good on the incubator allowing some air in / out?

I think your idea to remedy it sounds good to me, but then again I also don't have experience there...
I hope someone with more knowledge can let you know they're thoughts! Good luck, sorry I'm not much help!

That was Zeus, he's a bitsa (aka staffy/ lab/ german shepherd/ American bulldog). I also have a dark brindle staffy (English staffy x American Staffy) called Hera. The animals always keep an eye on any activity being undertaken.

Gotta love the animals

Lol too true they do! everytime I go in the chicken run olive gets right there wondering what they are getting and not her

She's a lab, husky, german shepherd with some border collie we think.
hyperactive and always hungry!

 

[yeye5]

The eggs need to lose moisture as they incubate - that is the only way to make room for a growing chick. It needs to be just the right amount though so you check throughout incubation to see if you need to adjust the humidity. Most (I think) measure by checking the air cell size, others measure it by weighing the egg.

Thank you.
I am not using an incubator though. The dynamics of course would be the same but my hen is brooding them.
We're 2-3 days from the expected hatch date.

How would you explain that all eggs got heavier except one got lighter? What is this likely to indicate?
I appreciate your feedback.

 

[yeye5]

Welcome! Go Mima, I'm totally rooting for her and her clutch! I have no idea how the broody hen thing works on the other hand. Happy hatching

Thanks! Mima is awesome as a mom and as a pet!
I laugh because I have no idea how it works with an incubator!
But I'm also rooting for all of those chickens-to-be in yours and everyones' incubators!

 

[yeye5]

This is my first hatch, so i'm not sure what the eggs should feel like closer to the hatch date...but i'm weighing mine throughout, you want about 13% moisture loss in total for the whole 21 days, and 11-12% by day 18.

Because you haven't checked prior or throughout the developing stages, i'm not really sure which it could be. I'm almost leaning towards the heavier ones?
the only thing i would think to do is to check them very quickly by candling to make sure there is development and proper air cells.
This article has a great reference photo to air cells that i found helpful : https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

This article is more focused on broody's in particular and the hatching : https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks

I hope a good hatch for you and your lovely mima hen! Sorry I can't be much more help...I will be weighing again tonight and candling, but so far i haven't noticed too big of a difference between the good eggs and the "thought to be bad" ones we will be confirming tonight.

good luck!! hope you find the answers and help your looking for. Please keep us updated as to how your hatch goes, i'd love to hear what the answer is in the end!

Thanks. I'll read the articles. I'm also tending to feel the heavier ones are the ones that will hatch. Just basic understanding that a chick weighs more than an egg...I'll definitely post the results so we'll all know what happens.

 

[Joplus]

Totally off topic but cats stole 3 of my baby guinea pigs, ate their heads and threw them in my neighbors yard! I'm so enraged my blood is boiling. The video I am going to upload (thanks for the directions) was them free ranging with my chickens, ducks and Patagonian cavy. DH says he putting up traps. What can I do? RIP sweet babies

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Thank you.
I am not using an incubator though. The dynamics of course would be the same but my hen is brooding them.
We're 2-3 days from the expected hatch date.

How would you explain that all eggs got heavier except one got lighter? What is this likely to indicate?
I appreciate your feedback.

Eggs continue to lose weight whether they are fertile or not, incubated or not.
If they get heavier, your scale is faulty.
I bought what I thought was a good kitchen gram scale. I weighed chicks with it. One time they would be one weight, the next time minutes later, they would be a different weight. Scale was junk.
Try weighing the same egg 10 times in succession and see what you get.

Totally off topic but cats stole 3 of my baby guinea pigs, ate their heads and threw them in my neighbors yard! I'm so enraged my blood is boiling. The video I am going to upload (thanks for the directions) was them free ranging with my chickens, ducks and Patagonian cavy. DH says he putting up traps. What can I do? RIP sweet babies

If they're not your cats, trap, then SSS.
I know cats will do that but are you sure it was cats?

 

[yeye5]

Eggs continue to lose weight whether they are fertile or not, incubated or not.
If they get heavier, your scale is faulty.
I bought what I thought was a good kitchen gram scale. I weighed chicks with it. One time they would be one weight, the next time minutes later, they would be a different weight. Scale was junk.
Try weighing the same egg 10 times in succession and see what you get.


If they're not your cats, trap, then SSS.
I know cats will do that but are you sure it was cats?

Sorry I wasn't using a scale at all. It was a coincidental moment when I was in the coop feeding and Mima (the hen who is brooding the eggs) got up off the nest. I picked up each egg to smell it (I haven't candled either of her clutches for fear of upsetting her even though she is very calm). I just happened to notice the weights of the eggs in my hand. I collect eggs from my other hens, 2 of whose eggs Mima is brooding in addition to her own, and the eggs I collect weigh noticeably less than the eggs I picked up from the nest. All except one of the eggs which was noticeably lighter than a fresh-laid eggs and quite a bit lighter than the other 9 eggs in the nest.
The good part of this puzzle for me is that in a few days I'll be able to see which eggs have which results...not the most scientific approach by any means, but I'll have to go with it. My digital scale broke and I've yet to replace it.
When I do get a new scale and I have a broody on a nest, I'll definitely be interested in weighing the eggs at the start and throughout their development!

 

[Joplus]

Eggs continue to lose weight whether they are fertile or not, incubated or not.
If they get heavier, your scale is faulty.
I bought what I thought was a good kitchen gram scale. I weighed chicks with it. One time they would be one weight, the next time minutes later, they would be a different weight. Scale was junk.
Try weighing the same egg 10 times in succession and see what you get.



If they're not your cats, trap, then SSS.
I know cats will do that but are you sure it was cats?

They're cats, my neighbor said he saw them. What does SSS stand for, revenge I hope, jk

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sorry I wasn't using a scale at all. It was a coincidental moment when I was in the coop feeding and Mima (the hen who is brooding the eggs) got up off the nest. I picked up each egg to smell it (I haven't candled either of her clutches for fear of upsetting her even though she is very calm). I just happened to notice the weights of the eggs in my hand. I collect eggs from my other hens, 2 of whose eggs Mima is brooding in addition to her own, and the eggs I collect weigh noticeably less than the eggs I picked up from the nest. All except one of the eggs which was noticeably lighter than a fresh-laid eggs and quite a bit lighter than the other 9 eggs in the nest.
The good part of this puzzle for me is that in a few days I'll be able to see which eggs have which results...not the most scientific approach by any means, but I'll have to go with it. My digital scale broke and I've yet to replace it.
When I do get a new scale and I have a broody on a nest, I'll definitely be interested in weighing the eggs at the start and throughout their development!

Well, you're stronger some days than others so picking up a feed bag feels lighter some days than others.
Like I said, your scale is faulty.

They're cats, my neighbor said he saw them. What does SSS stand for, revenge I hope, jk

Shoot.
Shovel.
Shut up.

 

[nanasacres]

Totally off topic but cats stole 3 of my baby guinea pigs, ate their heads and threw them in my neighbors yard! I'm so enraged my blood is boiling. The video I am going to upload (thanks for the directions) was them free ranging with my chickens, ducks and Patagonian cavy. DH says he putting up traps. What can I do? RIP sweet babies

So sorry about your loss. We have a feral cat problem in my community. Too many neighbors feeding them. Traps are a good idea..