Small air sack on golden pheasant eggs in bator

[dougieee]

Im a little worried as the air sacks on my golden pheasant eggs seems very small compared to say a chicken.
They are now on day 20 and ive kept lowering the humidity over the last week to try and increase the size but there seems too be very little difference in terms of size since the day i set them, i candled the eggs 2 days ago and all the embreyos seem to healthy.
Am i worried over nothing? What size should they be at lockdown?

 

[muddy75]

do you have pictures or did you mark the air cell on the eggs? i’ve hatched some ringnecks over the past few weeks and I currently have melanistic eggs on day 13......i will try to get some pics for you tonight. there are a few others here with experience in hatching all types of pheasants that may be able to give you feedback on the pictures. i do keep my humidity a bit higher when incubating pheasant vs coturnix or chicken eggs. my target is 45% until lockdown and then raise to 65%

 

[dougieee]

do you have pictures or did you mark the air cell on the eggs? i’ve hatched some ringnecks over the past few weeks and I currently have melanistic eggs on day 13......i will try to get some pics for you tonight. there are a few others here with experience in hatching all types of pheasants that may be able to give you feedback on the pictures. i do keep my humidity a bit higher when incubating pheasant vs coturnix or chicken eggs. my target is 45% until lockdown and then raise to 65%

45% s what ive had it on and there has been a small change in size, maybe just not as much as i would have expected.
Ive also read that goldens can take anywhere between 21 and 23 days to hatch, if it leans toward the latter then there is still time for the air sack to draw down i guess?

 

[muddy75]

45% s what ive had it on and there has been a small change in size, maybe just not as much as i would have expected.
Ive also read that goldens can take anywhere between 21 and 23 days to hatch, if it leans toward the latter then there is still time for the air sack to draw down i guess?

what day are they on? draw down tends to occur 24-48 hours prior to hatch. is your hygrometer salt-tested for accuracy?

 

[dougieee]

what day are they on? draw down tends to occur 24-48 hours prior to hatch. is your hygrometer salt-tested for accuracy?

Hygrometer was calibrated before hatch and is comparable to the built in digital incy and the extra digital hygrometer/temp reader +/- a couple of percent.
All the wells in the incy are dry atm and its still ambient at around 35%.
Im on about 19.5 days so there is still time to draw down, i dont know, maybe im just nervous because its my first attempt with pheasant.
I think i will leave it dry until i see a pip, i can fill the wells at that point without opening the incy to increase the humidity, i know if i fill all the wells it will go straight to 65-70 % for hatch.

 

[muddy75]

i completely understand your nervousness.....golden eggs are not easy or inexpensive to obtain!

 

[007Sean]

Hygrometer was calibrated before hatch and is comparable to the built in digital incy and the extra digital hygrometer/temp reader +/- a couple of percent.
All the wells in the incy are dry atm and its still ambient at around 35%.
Im on about 19.5 days so there is still time to draw down, i dont know, maybe im just nervous because its my first attempt with pheasant.
I think i will leave it dry until i see a pip, i can fill the wells at that point without opening the incy to increase the humidity, i know if i fill all the wells it will go straight to 65-70 % for hatch.

Depending on the temperature during incubation, they will hatch on day 21 - 23.
I incubate at 100°F and 43%Rh for 18 days, the last 3 days I increase the humidity to 55 - 60%. Mine typically pip on day 20 and hatch day 21. If you go above 60% Rh, then it increases the chance of having 'stuck chicks', which is totally different from 'shrink wrapped'.
Here's a pic of a Golden egg, 3 days until hatch...while taking this pic, I noticed movement. Not a great pic but you can get an idea what your eggs should look like at this stage of incubation.

HTH Good Luck!

 

[Midnightman14]

Don't bother with lockdown it's a myth.

 

[007Sean]

Don't bother with lockdown it's a myth.

I never have liked that term. Never heard it called that until about 10 years or so ago.

 

[dougieee]

Depending on the temperature during incubation, they will hatch on day 21 - 23.
I incubate at 100°F and 43%Rh for 18 days, the last 3 days I increase the humidity to 55 - 60%. Mine typically pip on day 20 and hatch day 21. If you go above 60% Rh, then it increases the chance of having 'stuck chicks', which is totally different from 'shrink wrapped'.
Here's a pic of a Golden egg, 3 days until hatch...while taking this pic, I noticed movement. Not a great pic but you can get an idea what your eggs should look like at this stage of incubation.
View attachment 2178018
View attachment 2178019
HTH Good Luck!

Thank you for this.
My air cells are slightly smaller than this but not worryingly so, they have started drawing down now so look a lot bigger anyway.
I got conflicting info on incy temp (some say 99.5 other 100f) so i went middle of the road at 99.7
Day 21 will technically start at midday today so hopefully i will see some action in the next 48 hours. Ive filled the wells and the humidity has settled on 62%.
Out of a dozen 11 were fertile and all have made it this far so i will be gutted if i dont get a god hatch rate.
Hopefully i will be able to post a picture soon...........