Setting eggs June 3rd. Need hatching buddies! Lets have some fun!

[Stephanie739]

I'm new at this, but I've read alot. Lockdown starts on Day 18. You stop turning the eggs to allow the chicks to orient themselves for hatching. You avoid opening the incubator and bump the humidity way up to prevent the membrane from drying up and sticking to the chick during hatching (often called "shrink-wrapping"). You don't even open the door when chicks start to hatch. Just leave them in to fluff up while you are waiting for the stragglers to hatch. Does that help?

Yes it helps, and concerns me. I'm afraid I won't be able to maintain the humidity or regulate the temperature if I don't open the incubator.

 

[CayleeMarie03]

Well to keep the humidty up put a small jar by your vent. Then I bet you can figute out a way to get the water in.

 

[jandrusrn]

My Brinsea has the fan going, is that ok?

Has always left my fan on, just make sure that it's not blowing directly on the eggs.... don't know about a Brinsea.....

 

[Stephanie739]

Gabrielle, I wonder about your profile pic every time I see a post from you...is that a child in the pic with an unusually large cat or some sort of stuffed animal?

 

[jandrusrn]

I'm new at this, but I've read alot. Lockdown starts on Day 18. You stop turning the eggs to allow the chicks to orient themselves for hatching. You avoid opening the incubator and bump the humidity way up to prevent the membrane from drying up and sticking to the chick during hatching (often called "shrink-wrapping"). You don't even open the door when chicks start to hatch. Just leave them in to fluff up while you are waiting for the stragglers to hatch. Does that help?

I'm having temp problems. One thermometer was just reading 105! The other thermometer was at 96. The 105 reading was directly under the bulb, egg level. The other one was next to a sponge thing I am using for humidity. I need to get this straight before I have to do lockdown...when and what is that exactly, and why important?

Well done Becklinn!! I have had temp issues (without knowing it) on one of our hatches and we got chicks ON day 18..... so we had to be sure that our humidity was waaaaaay up before we candled for the day 18 right before lockdown candle. Be sure you have humidity waaaay up, candle again, throw out whatever you need to, and then put them back in. Then don't open it. DO NOT OPEN IT..... unless you need to add water, and even then, you shouldn't. Take out any turners you have going, and make sure your temp is right at 100 for a still air.

I have left our fan on (post manufacturer computer fan added by DH) during lockdown and never had a problem. All has been well and we're going in for our third and hopefully final hatch on Thursday. Bittersweet.

 

[chippie]

Ok I am on day 14 and candeled my 9 bantam eggs....one chick is growing. The other eggs have nothing. My temp was steady at 99.5 and my humidity at 35. Doesn't look like they were fertile. So the one chick will be worth $32! And will be all alone not good was hoping for 4 hatchlings. Tempting to get more eggsbut really is it worth all the trouble or should I just get some chicks?

 

[Whitepetunia]

I woke up to TWO babies this morning!!! They are kind of roughing up the remaining eggs, is that okay?

 

[Stephanie739]

What about air vents during lockdown? I have a styrofoam cooler incubator, It has been necessary to open my cut outs over the last couple days to keep the temp down. One vent is about 1x4 inches at the top of the cooler. The other is about a 1x1 inch closer to egg level. I have even been propping the top of the cooler to let some heat escape. My understanding is that the growing chicks are causing this temp increase, but it is increasing a lot!

I just now started thinking about getting a lower strength light bulb...the one I am using has been pretty great up until a couple days ago.

Perhaps turning the light off during lock down to lower the temp might be a better option?

Opinions???

3 options: 1) add more vents (leave open during lock down) 2) new bulb 3) turn off light bulb to decrease temps when needed.

Well done Becklinn!! I have had temp issues (without knowing it) on one of our hatches and we got chicks ON day 18..... so we had to be sure that our humidity was waaaaaay up before we candled for the day 18 right before lockdown candle. Be sure you have humidity waaaay up, candle again, throw out whatever you need to, and then put them back in. Then don't open it. DO NOT OPEN IT..... unless you need to add water, and even then, you shouldn't. Take out any turners you have going, and make sure your temp is right at 100 for a still air.

I have left our fan on (post manufacturer computer fan added by DH) during lockdown and never had a problem. All has been well and we're going in for our third and hopefully final hatch on Thursday. Bittersweet.

 

[Stephanie739]

I woke up to TWO babies this morning!!! They are kind of roughing up the remaining eggs, is that okay?

Yay! Congratulations! What do they look like?

I've been planning on keeping my chicks in the incubator for a little while after they hatch. I've read up to a day, so I was thinking anywhere between several hours (to dry) and a day. If my hatched chicks are messing up the other eggs, I would lean towards taking them to the brooder (once they are dry) This is my first hatch, so I'm just sharing my opinion, not from personal experience.

 

[Stephanie739]

Ok I am on day 14 and candeled my 9 bantam eggs....one chick is growing. The other eggs have nothing. My temp was steady at 99.5 and my humidity at 35. Doesn't look like they were fertile. So the one chick will be worth $32! And will be all alone not good was hoping for 4 hatchlings. Tempting to get more eggsbut really is it worth all the trouble or should I just get some chicks?

Oh I'm sorry! That is a bummer. I would try to buy a couple of chicks for company when it gets closer to hatch day. I bet you can find a couple on Craigslist.